Civil Disobedience in Central Park, N.Y.

[Jumpin' In...]

A good read and a decent strategy:

http://www.reddit.com/r/electronic_...well_this_is_certainly_a_first_for_me_i_just/

Imagine if hundreds showed up, all were ticketed by the authorities and each pleaded "not guilty" and demanded their individual right to a trial? Too funny!

 

[Katya]

So how did it go? I can't find anything in the news about the actual event...

 

[rothenbj]

I think it ended up to be a bust and I'm not talking of the police type. I've been searching for a story all weekend, nothing.

 

[Tom Servo]

Nobody got ticketed, and the police didn't seem too concerned about the whole thing.

...which, for this kind of event, makes it a failure. That said, I'm not sure it would have been effective either way. This sort of civil disobedience is best done when the public has strong opinions on an issue. For the most part, the general public is ignorant towards vaping, or they don't care.

Demonstrations like this aren't the way to go. Educating the public (and our politicians) on the health concerns is.

 

[stevegmu]

Too bad. The Occupiers really turned public opinion in their favor; surely the same tactics will work for vaping...

 

[aubergine]

Sigh.

Citing Martin Luther King, Thomas Jefferson and Gandhi, Some People Will Use E-Cigs In Central Park | Village Voice

 

[Tom Servo]

Sigh. Citing Martin Luther King

I've seen other causes try to play the King/Rosa Parks/Anne Frank card, and it doesn't work. It comes off as melodramatic and in poor taste.

 

[Jman8]

Why not do one of these every day month week, hopefully growing in numbers and fun in doing it?


That's right boys and girls, civil disobedience is fun, when no one is getting hurt.

 

[Racehorse]

Last time I read about this organizer, he was suing the City of NY in tandem with a group of smoking activists.

Does anyone know the status of the lawsuit right now?

I've seen other causes try to play the King/Rosa Parks/Anne Frank card, and it doesn't work. It comes off as melodramatic and in poor taste.

Be careful posting that. I made that mistake and got blasted here for saying I perceived a *difference*.

After reading the Village Voice article, I guess I"m not the only one who feels that way though, and now, your post.

Admittedly, I failed to see the (apparently very close?) relationship between vaping illegally/not being able to vape in certain places and being hunted down, placed into a concentration camp, tortured then incinerated, but that's just me.

 

[Kent C]

Why not do one of these every day month week, hopefully growing in numbers and fun in doing it?


That's right boys and girls, civil disobedience is fun, when no one is getting hurt.

Would we have to chant inanities?

 

[aubergine]

Gonna have to draw a different crowd to play in NY, Jman.

The writer is fine with vaping; he's annoyed by a particular rhetoric/political subculture. (So am I, actually, drives me nuts in here sometimes, but I have a horse in this race so I cope. Usually. )

 

[Katya]

The writer is fine with vaping; he's annoyed by a particular rhetoric/political subculture. (So am I, actually, drives me nuts in here sometimes, but I have a horse in this race so I cope. Usually. )

The writer is also condescending and full of herself.

Why not do some research and write about what drives people to do what they do? Actually do some real journalism? It's not about Gandhi, it's about idiotic bans (salt, soda, vaping, horses in Central Park). But no, it's so much easier to write a snarky lazy piece--no work involved. Just 10 minutes at the keyboard. Easy money. Since it's VV, they can't scream "Barrels of poison!" They have to be cool, liberated and hip--while subtly ridiculing vaping and vapers. Just as effective as screaming "barrels of poison" and "save the children"--if you ask me. Or even more so.

First you isolate, demonize and/or ridicule. And then you squash them. Just like they did with smokers.

Rant over.

 

[thebanik]

It's not about Ghandi,

Gandhi????

 

[Tom Servo]

Be careful posting that. I made that mistake and got blasted here for saying I perceived a *difference*. (...) Admittedly, I failed to see the (apparently very close?) relationship between vaping illegally/not being able to vape in certain places and being hunted down, placed into a concentration camp, tortured then incinerated, but that's just me.

I'm involved in pro-gun advocacy. There are two groups of people who claim to do so. The first is composed of people who work through lobbying and focused litigation. It's not glamorous, wearing a suit in summer weather stinks, and you don't always get to wave at the cameras on the evening news, but it gets things done.

The second group are the guys who strap on rifles and mill around in a parking lot somewhere shouting slogans. When questioned, they rant about Hitler or Pol Pot, or they compare themselves to someone who has lost life or livelihood through tangible oppression. To an outsider, that comes across as being in really bad taste, and it pretty much shuts down any chance to make a valid point.

The sloganeers with the rifles don't seem to get much in the way of results. In some cases, they actually cause damage to the cause they claim to support. What's more, most of them don't do anything (even vote) when they're not looking for cameras to pose for.

 

[Kent C]

I'm involved in pro-gun advocacy. There are two groups of people who claim to do so. The first is composed of people who work through lobbying and focused litigation. It's not glamorous, wearing a suit in summer weather stinks, and you don't always get to wave at the cameras on the evening news, but it gets things done.

The second group are the guys who strap on rifles and mill around in a parking lot somewhere shouting slogans. When questioned, they rant about Hitler or Pol Pot, or they compare themselves to someone who has lost life or livelihood through tangible oppression. To an outsider, that comes across as being in really bad taste, and it pretty much shuts down any chance to make a valid point.

The sloganeers with the rifles don't seem to get much in the way of results. In some cases, they actually cause damage to the cause they claim to support. What's more, most of them don't do anything (even vote) when they're not looking for cameras to pose for.

That's really a small group, however it is what the lapdog media highlight, so it appears bigger than it actually is. Kinda like NOW.

 

[Katya]

I've seen other causes try to play the King/Rosa Parks/Anne Frank card, and it doesn't work. It comes off as melodramatic and in poor taste.

Admittedly, I failed to see the (apparently very close?) relationship between vaping illegally/not being able to vape in certain places and being hunted down, placed into a concentration camp, tortured then incinerated, but that's just me.

Nobody quoted/mentioned Anne Frank, with due respect, but Tom.

The only quotes in the original call to action come from Gandhi, Thoreau, M.L. King and Jefferson.

Please, let's be accurate.

 

[Racehorse]

It's not about Ghandi

With all due respect, the writer didn't introduce that, the activist did.

Once you start throwing around names like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, then you have placed yourself into pretty high stature.

And yet, you say it is the VV writer who is "full of herself" when surely you must see that people reading the "manifesto" in which these names are brought up are going to think the activist is full of himself.

This is why I beg people not to go there, into that territory, but it does no good. But MLK and Gandhi are a hard act to follow, and if you invoke them then you better have something very very lofty to bring to the table....lofty enough that you will NOT be poked fun at and lofty enough that enough man-in-the-street type people will feel in sympathy with.

Unfortunately, that isn't happening. I wish it was, but it isn't.

I look at outcomes, not process. Results. The result of this vape-in was not successful. Back to the drawing table to see what does work, and I would say that should include a very indepth understanding of your audience. Not just fellow vapers, but people who are going to side with you because they see parallels in your cause.

 

[Katya]

Once you start throwing around names like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, then you have placed yourself into pretty high stature.

And yet, you say it is the VV writer who is "full of herself" when surely you must see that people reading the "manifesto" in which these names are brought up are going to think the activist is full of himself.

Racehorse, I'm not disagreeing with you. I would not have invoked any of those names myself in my call to action. But you're still missing MY point. The author zeroed in on the part she wanted to (the quotes--easy target--I admit) and completely ignored the main issue, which is a protest against the vaping ban. She ridiculed the quotes and did no work whatsoever to investigate the rest.

And that's not journalism.

 

[Katya]

Gandhi????

Thanks, can't spell when I'm upset.

 

[stevegmu]

I can't believe there were no references to nazis... I at least hope they were subohming, because that really persuades the public in favor of vaping...