I worked for thirty years in Wisconsin as a correctional officer. For a couple of those years I worked at Central State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
I understand the officer to officer loyalty that is the heart of blueshirt culture. I was a Union member for every day of those 30 years.
I am also a lifelong lefty who understands the meaning of satygraha. I witnessed and participated in the protests that took place in our state capitol last winter. It took me about thirty seconds to recognize that the drum circle under the capitol dome had become the beating heart of a cheddar-flavored ashram. I'm not a religious man. I only place my trust in what I know is real. Last winter, in Madison, I experienced the satyagraha (soul-force) that Ghandi and MLK talked about. It isn't faith-healer jive. It's real.
Everything I've seen of the OccupyWallStreet protests screams "soul-force!"
When your arms are linked with your brothers and sisters and your feet are frozen, the soul-force is what keeps you on your feet. When somebody from half a world away sends you real, hot food, the soul-force feeds you. When the shitheels on talk-radio and Fox News are calling you slobs and thugs, soul-force holds your head up.
If we have accomplished anything of value here in Wisconsin, it was convincing cops, firefighters and correctional officers that they are part of the working class.
The cops who were called in to work crowd control at the Madison protests were union members who already had reason to sympathize with the aims of the protesters. The presence of correctional officers and firefighters in the ranks of the protesters added to that sense of solidarity.
Beyond that, the good humor and respectful attitude of the protesters was huge. We were organized with our own marshalls in orange vests who quickly isolated vandals and provocateurs. We were loud and rowdy and laid on the civil disobedience when it counted but nobody caused a single cop to fear for his life, health or safety. Before long, off-duty cops were showing up in their civvies to join the protesters with "Cops for Labor" and "Deputies for Democracy" signs.
There were also quiet, back-channel discussions being held with police officials who had already publicly stated that they would not allow Governor Walker to use them as his Praetorian guard. The general agreement to keep cool and avoid violence was kept by both sides.
All of this good will between the cops and protesters drove the right wing absolutely insane. The protesters were all thugs and slobs who needed to be stomped and those god damned cops weren't cracking any smelly, dreadlocked heads!
There was a concerted effort on local talk radio, abetted by Fox News to paint the protesters as violent, dirty hippies and outside agitators who were destroying property and assaulting cops. The formerly Republican voters among my blue-shirted colleagues saw with their own eyes that the right-wing noise machine was lying to them. Lacking any "thugs rioting" video from Wisconsin, Bill O'Reilly borrowed some old footage that was shot in California, however, the palm trees in the background told the tale on Bill-O.
To the Sergeants and Officers of the NYPD:
The OccupyWallStreet demonstrators are fighting for the safety of your 401K, your pension, your social security check. Mayor Bloomberg and his Wall Street pals are not your friends. Do you want to be their tools or do you want to be free men and women? You've seen the video's of Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna and his chickenshit maneuvers with the OC spray. Are you going to happily follow orders from chickenshits?
Loyalty has it's price and management just bounced a check.
We are all dirty hippies now.
I can only testify to what I've experienced in Wisconsin. Perhaps New York is different. Maybe "midwest nice" won't work in the Big Apple. I can't be 100% sure, but please, hear me out.
To the OccupyWallStreet demonstrators:
I urge all of you to treat cops with the same polite consideration that you would show to anyone else. You may win them over to your way of thinking. Even if you don't win them over, your kindness and serene courage will probably earn their respect.
Under every blue shirt their beats a heart that is no less human than yours. To treat other human beings with decency and kindness is it's own reward. In the long run, it is also good politics.
A brief history lesson for both cops and demonstrators:
In the 40's people saw newsreels of Indian police beating peaceful protesters with bamboo staffs.
In the 60's, people saw TV images of peaceful protesters assaulted with dogs and fire hoses.
Officials panic and overreact.
What might have began as "crowd-control" snowballs into an assault on unarmed citizens.
What happens next is crucial.
If the protesters stand their ground as best they can, take the hits and chemical agents with out striking back, the "thug riot" imagery that the media wants to put out will be spoiled. All they get are pictures of courageous citizens being assaulted for exercising their right to free speech. The inner strength it takes to stand up to pepper spray and batons without violence is part of the "soul force" that lies at the heart of everything Ghandi and MLK stood for.
Brothers and sisters in blue shirts:
There are very wealthy, powerful people who want to make you actors in their little pageant. Don't be pulled into provocation by people on either side of the blue line. Listen to the voice in the back of your head that whispers, "Those girls and boys with the tattoos and signs look like my kids." They are your kids and my kids too. That voice is the soul-force; it's in you too.
You've seen the video captures of a creepy pervert grinning while he blasts defenseless women with OC. You want him to be the face of the NYPD?
The women who were sneak-attacked by Inspector Mace-In-The-Face were full of that soul force. The police officers who were also taken by surprise got a dose of soul force along with the overspray.
All of you in the streets, cops, demonstrators and bystanders:
The executives in those corner offices on Wall Street want to bust your unions, steal your labor and rob you of your dignity. Don't let it happen!
Street-battle video footage is the weapon they will use to break you. Don't give it to them!
Solidarity!