Welcome to CafeMom

join our community and talk to other moms, share advice, and have fun!

Email:

Password:

(minimum 6 characters)

Screen Name:

Birth Date:

We won't show your age or birthday to anyone unless you want us to!

Send me email updates about messages I've received on the
site and the latest news from The CafeMom Team.
By signing up, you certify that you are female and accept the Terms of Service and have read the Privacy Policy. Already a member? Log in here!

Current Events & Hot Topics

Current Events & Hot Topics > See Active Posts - Let's Talk!

Civil Disobedience- May Day protests may disrupt commutes

Posted by

stormcris

on May. 1, 2012 at 5:18 AM

Christy

9 Replies

On the news this morning there was a comment that there may be travel delays due to protests, strikes, and civil disobedience.

What do you define as civil disobedience?

Adding:

US May Day protests planned, may disrupt commutes

By Marcus Wohlsen, Associated Press

Posted: 04/30/2012 02:44:44 PM PDT

SAN FRANCISCO — May Day protests may disrupt the morning commute in major U.S. cities Tuesday as labor, immigration and Occupy activists rally support on the international workers' holiday.

Demonstrations, strikes and acts of civil disobedience are being planned around the country, including the most visible organizing effort by anti-Wall Street groups since Occupy encampments came down in the fall.

Fear of serious injury alone cannot justify oppression of free speech and assembly. Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears.
Louis D. Brandeis

Posted by

stormcris

on May. 1, 2012 at 5:18 AM

Add your quick reply below:

You must be a member to reply to this post.

Join CafeMom

Replies:

1-9 of 9 replies

Carpy

carrot pants on May. 1, 2012 at 5:35 AM

1 mom liked this

Makes me happy that I don't live around these idiots.

stormcris

Christy on May. 1, 2012 at 5:56 AM

What idiots? The occupy, the immigrants, the unions? All of them?

Quoting Carpy:

Makes me happy that I don't live around these idiots.

Carpy

carrot pants on May. 1, 2012 at 6:30 AM

Quoting stormcris:

What idiots? The occupy, the immigrants, the unions? All of them?
Quoting Carpy:

Makes me happy that I don't live around these idiots.

All of them who participate

UpSheRises

Gold Member on May. 1, 2012 at 2:22 PM

1 mom liked this

We're closer than you think :)

Quoting Carpy:

Makes me happy that I don't live around these idiots.

Peanutx3

"Mandi" on May. 1, 2012 at 2:29 PM

I don't know how to define civil disobedience but it is days like this that I am extremely thankful I don't work in Seattle.

Euphoric

Sheldon on May. 1, 2012 at 3:04 PM

bump

Themis_Defleo

Bronze Member on May. 1, 2012 at 3:25 PM

2 moms liked this

Three "idiots" tried to blow up a major highway bridge near Cleveland as part of a May Day demonstration. I believe such a plan goes far beyond civil disobedience and into terrorism territory.

My working definition of civil disobedience (which is evolving) is "a non-violent act that disobeys the law or the letter of the law in order to bring attention to the wrongfulness of the law as written or as applied."

Burning a draft card (then an illegal act) sent a non-violent message of disapproval to our government.

Trespassing on public land to form a human barrier in front of a tree that is to be cut down to make way for some improvement meets my definition of civil disobedience.

Blocking a highway with protestors sends the message in a non-violent way, but begins to tip toward acts that cause harm to society at large.

Blowing up a bridge - with the associated risk of property damage, injury and death - sends a message, but does so through fear.

I guess civil disobedience lies on a spectrum. Whether or not it is acceptable to me hinges on the risk of harm.