My own personal crisis is a story that continues to be written. I got into lawyer mode on that one pretty quickly and after some panicking, realized that overall I'll be all right regardless. Still deciding on some measures & plans of attack but let's just say my enforcer cred should remain in tact.
Another development that could make this situation crazy: the same day that crisis started, I get a phone call from a producer at "The People's Court" asking me about taking my small claims matter to their show. Now I ended up cancelling it since the person I was suing gave me checks that were good & at that time, hadn't bounced after being in my account for a good 2 weeks. Before, the check bouncing happened after about 3 days or so.
Not so sure I'd want to be on TV for such a thing. After all, I'm not a fan of "reality TV." Wouldn't I be a mega hypocrite to do such a thing?
Since you don't give much detail in small claims court filings (these are not full fledged pleadings with any allegation you want to put in, no matter how absurd or extreme), I can only figure I was contacted b/c someone did their research on me. The entity I sued isn't super well known or high profile. Not only am I a lawyer but I do have an unusual career & a pretty face (and this isn't me being boastful but relaying facts others have told me a billion times).
If this isn't a sign that my personal privacy could end up being no more in the future, I'm not sure what is. I have to wonder if press attention can't be far behind if I did end up getting sued and had to form my defense/response.
Nonetheless, I hold true to a fact that only smart people know: no one cares about your own interests more than you. Which brings me to another really good point. Pay attention, folks!
In NYC, there is a continuing rally on Wall Street to end the systemic corporate greed in the US that favors rich people. Here is a general article on the matter.
While I'm not at the point to go out protesting myself & there are elements that I don't agree with (such as allowing incompetents to continue working in jobs they aren't suited for out of mere sympathy), in principle I support this type of protest. At least these people are getting off their asses & doing something, which is more than you can say for the majority of apathetic, whiny crybabies who'd rather sit on the couch with their big fat butts watching yet another insipid installment of the latest stupid reality show. These are the same people who tell you to never argue or stand for anything & just let the Man continue to anally rape you, so to speak. Speaking metaphorically of course though I'm sure some of this group would gladly bend over, spread their butt cheeks & scream out "Thank you sir! May I have another?" There are many weakened, cowed people out in the world & one should never underestimate that number. The legal profession alone is swarming with them.
Recently, I heard about the police brutality. Not content with allowing folks to protest & be heard, the NYPD apparently decided to beat up people who were already handcuffed, pepper sprayed women, etc. I wasn't there so I don't have eyewitness experience but I did see the photographs. So should you. Draw your own conclusions.
After hearing about this, a few thoughts crossed my mind:
1. I really hope some attorneys were present. Ideally, some who are civil rights/1st Amendment lawyers but even the ones from the group that goes to protests incognito would be good. I forgot the name of the group but there is a public interest group of attorneys that goes to protests specifically so police officers stay in line. They are future witnesses & will help people who are brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights.
2. NYPD officers aren't very smart if they're being the henchmen for Wall St. executive types. For one thing, Bloomberg was ready to lay them off last year before the whole "averted terrorist attack" at the theater district by the fellow who lived in CT. Second, I promise you that no Wall St. CEO or political figure will appreciate them or do a damn thing to help them in any layoff threats or concerns for their families. Maybe the higher ups but the rank & file guys actually out there maintaining order?? You're hopelessly naive if you think you're going to get real benefit from it other than maybe some sadistic pleasure of harming someone smaller than you. Bloomberg didn't even invite the first responders at the 9/11 scene to the 9/11 memorial event this year & that was a significant controversy.
I'd like these officers to consider if they'd want someone doing such things to THEIR kids or their spouses. There are methods of maintaining order but at the same time, I'm in favor of free speech. It's not my task to determine proper crowd control & again, I wasn't there so I can't say that wrongdoing indeed happened. But...when you hear no names of people doing this or about any suspensions, you do have to wonder if there's some wrongdoing taking place.
And personally, I think any of the responsible CEOs reap what they sow (they know who they are & who they aren't) + if it were me, I'd never bother protecting them. This is one of many reasons why I would not be a good police officer. I also have way too much righteous indignation & a fiery temper; I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Why can't these people be more like that sheriff who refused to evict people from their homes in the economic crisis in order to satisfy greedy banks? That sheriff should be held up as an example of a GOOD law enforcement officer; someone in favor of enforcing the laws that matter vs. being some corporation's Rent a Police Force.
This is essentially what any officer who engages in police brutality against this type of protest is in my book: a Rent a Cop for whatever corporation they are protecting. Got any clue how security people are treated? From the experience of people I know who've done it, not very well. The pay is definitely lacking, that's for sure. Not to mention the arrogance & shitty behavior from the little Hitlers who abuse their authority & make the sane people look bad!
So, with that brutalization, why in the Hell would you do a damn thing for the raping & pillaging mega-corp that's never going to do anything to help you? Remember, you have to help yourself in life & look after your own interests.
3. As I've said a million times, you leave people with NO means of doing anything good in life you create criminals. As that pool increases, there will be better criminals, smarter criminals.
4. There are also many more poor people than rich people. Everyone deserves to be treated with some basic humanity & let me tell you something else, would be police officer who thinks beating up protesters is okay: you're not part of the elite class & you will not be invited to the table no matter how many people you beat up.
4. Did anybody see Bowling for Columbine? Does anyone remember the message of that film? Oh, and did you know police brutality perpetrators that if you go beating up on the middle class white girls, the press will attack you like a pit bull going after a piece of meat? Especially if the white girl is pretty, related to or has friends in high places. Next thing you know, you'll be beating up some politician's kid & getting suspended, fired, whatever! Psych studies confirmed this.
So if you're going to beat someone or douse them in pepper spray, you may want to be careful & think before you act.
Then again, if you manage to scare some hipsters out of Brooklyn & other gentrified areas with brutality, maybe some of the less feeling hipster haters will overlook it. Especially if you're not otherwise bothering them.
I, however, have a real problem with the idea of the police behaving like the private police force of the corporate elite. Just so you know, you will eventually be the protesters (layoffs anyone?) & if you want the public to support you or your cause, you might not want to be known as those assholes who beat up young people who are doing nothing more than venting toward insulated pricks who refuse to wake up to reality or behave like human beings. You have to wonder if some of these corporate muckety mucks have any souls at all. I'm speaking of highest level folk only, not the lower level crowd. I get a sense a fair amount of them know the score already & don't all behave like drones.
Personally, I think of such folks as just being a bunch of old white guys I can't relate to & who have no clue what living in my shoes is like. Smart people respect the experiences of those whose lives they haven't lived & could never understand but I suspect a good contingent of this crowd isn't very smart. Call me a cynic but I'll reserve my final judgment for personal encounters as I always do.
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