Thursday, October 27, 2011

What more will it take?

photo: Jay Finneburgh/.Reuters
Tuesday night, Iraq war veteran Scott Olson was critically wounded when he was hit in the head by a projectile shot by Oakland Police as they evicted the Occupy Oakland protesters from their encampment.

Police then fired teargas at members of the group as they came to Olson's aid. Olson was hospitalized with a fractured skull and brain swelling.

The photograph of the injured man being carried by his friends tugged a visual memory that finally came clear.

Peter Paul Rubens, "Descent from the Cross" 1612
What more will it take to get their attention?

Americans need jobs, safe and affordable housing, fair treatment by financial institutions, and the ability to live healthy and productive lives. Please stop shooting people in the head for exercising their First Amendment rights.

As of today, Olson's condition has been upgraded from Critical.

5 comments:

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Just imagine what that painting would look like if the Romans had flash-bang grenades.

And how would the Washington Post of the day reported it?
~

Anonymous said...

I continue to be horrified by the reaction of those in power toward those exercising their rights for free speech.
It has me asking the same question: What more will it take?

Jen on the Edge said...

I cannot believe that police in the United States in the 21st century are behaving like this. And in so many cases, it seems that they are woefully ignorant of American's rights under the Constitution of the United States. Horrifying.

21 Wits said...

My prayers and blessings go out to this boy...and it's such a hard thing to understand that we have hired these kinds of ideas to be out there on our streets ....something drastic has to happen now, for these kinds of things are the most tragic, especially when the same law officials are treating drug dealers and criminals far better than these brave Americans fighting for all of our rights...it's truly a sad day in America and life that this has happened....is or will anything be done to those that were responsible?

Sheila said...

Unbelievable post.