Occupy This

            In recent weeks and particularly in recent days there has been a lot of press devoted to the OccupyVancouver movement. There have been many arguments for both sides filling up the newspaper, TV news, radio call-in shows and I can only assume the Twitterverse (I say assume because I have yet to join. The blog is enough, baby steps). Anyway, with all the coverage the movement has received I’d be remiss to not comment at all. Instead of rehashing the many pros and cons of the current riff-raff filling up the Art Gallery lawn I shall talk of a specific incident I witnessed the other day.

          

           A couple of days ago, as I had not yet visited the freak show, I thought I should check out the circus before it is removed. So I wandered downtown, all excited to cruise around the tent city with a critical eye and make snap judgments about all the crusty members of this so called political movement for change. And I did.

            

          The main conclusion I drew from my visit was that these people had no real agenda, plan or rational thought. I’m not sure how this so called 99% is going to get anything changed by sitting on the VAG steps smoking cigarettes or listening to some sort of trance music whilst spinning some ropes with lights on the end rave dance thingies.

            

             I did find it interesting that there was a library. It seems to me that if these unwashed ragamuffins really wanted to make some changes they might start by reading some books about the root causes of the world’s great financial/political/social ills. Or perhaps reading up on some of the new laws being debated, however briefly, in Ottawa. Or instead of protesting the civic mayoral debate, engaging in it. Not likely. I assume there aren’t a lot of voters amongst this group who doesn’t like the way the system works.

            

             Moving on, as none of that pertains to the incident I referred to. As I was leaving the camp, walking south on Howe, I passed four young persons heading the opposite direction, two men (boys) and two women. As I became level with the foursome one of the guys hocked a loogie on a police cruiser parked at the curb. Seeing this really bothered me, I mean really.

            

             When it comes down to it I don’t really mind if someone feels the need to spit on a cop car, but there was something about this fellow that made it not okay with me. It wasn’t the act of spitting that irked me, but rather the overwhelming sense that this clown really had no idea why he was doing it. I thought about stopping him to ask about his motivations, but I didn’t. Although I have a pretty good idea about his response – “because fuck the police and shit”.

            

              With that response I ‘d imagine you can somewhat picture the type. Both of the guys walked with the sort of waddle that only comes from pants worn not just low, but below the ass low. To the point where six inches of boxers are visible. The spitter was wearing huge sweatpants and an equally oversized hoodie. His friend had jeans and a winter coat with a large hood and what I only assume was a wife-beater and a silver chain underneath.

            

               The girls matched up perfectly. Both sporting a variation of dangly earrings, too much eye make-up, really light blue jeans underneath calf length black boots and a waist length winter coat that if not, certainly should have had a faux fur collar. I’m certain that if this jacket were removed one could get a large eyeful of midriff due to a too short shirt and then after passing by, some variation of thorn or butterfly tramp-stamp.

           

               So I guess it wasn’t really the spitting that bugged me so much as who was providing the salvia dart. To me this guy represented everything wrong about a large segment of uninformed, misguided and poorly educated young people of my generation. Often the type to have a very negative impression of the police as though they are all bad guys out to wield power to screw citizens.

            

              Yes it is true that there are plenty of bad cops and it does seem like there is always some story in the news about police misdeeds. That doesn’t mean the institution of police is a bad thing that needs to be spat upon. And that’s what I really wanted to ask this guy. Why do you think the police are the bad guys? Is it because they arrive at the scene of car accidents to investigate what happened? Or spend their time tracking down major drug dealers and murderers? Is it because they responded to a 911 call to a household in time to stop a man from further beating on his wife or kids?

           

              Or is because the concept of authority ruins your notion of how the system should work? Because your beer was poured out? Because they might move you off of public lands which you have decided to squat on and pretend you have a political agenda? Or because almost always when there is a story about the police it’s about misconduct or abuse of power? I guess that’s it. For this particular young douche bag the negatives outweigh the positives and the Po-nine are always the bad guys. So might as well discharge any excess phlegm on one of their cars, because fuck the police and shit.