Thanks, UC Davis

Congrats, UC Davis — You've managed to do what no one yet had been able to do.


Your police department has managed to take "abuse of force" and make it into a tangible, visible icon.

That photo of Lt. John Pike pepper-spraying non-violent, seated people on the ground — at point blank range — not only shocked the conscience; it was so blatant that people have begun using it as an example of its absurdity. The photos at right give you an idea of how bizarre this action was.

But I have to thank you for bringing it into the spotlight.

You see, in recent decades law enforcement everywhere has hailed "non-lethal weapons" as the Second Coming. The common wisdom is that they provide an alternative to things like bullets and death. The thinking is that these weapons are much better and prevent use of force.

The problem is, as we've seen, is that it doesn't replace the use of deadly force — it merely increases the likelihood of the use of force.

Are we to believe that this 84-year-old woman in Seattle who was pepper sprayed — are we to believe that without pepper spray, this woman would have been shot?

Are we to believe that without the pepper spray Lt. Pike would have shot the protesters?

The rubber bullets we saw flying around at non-violent protesters in New York — are we to believe that if rubber bullets didn't exist, NYPD would have used real ones instead?

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg tried his best to do the unthinkable with his stormtrooper attacks on people exercising their First Amendment rights, but he failed. He failed in that America wasn't shocked by the images they saw.

You, UC Davis — you have succeeded where even New York failed. You were so blatant in your abuse of power that not only has it become an Internet meme, but people are beginning to question both authority and the rationale behind "non-lethal weapons."

And more importantly, you were so blatant that people who aren't part of the movement are waking up.

Look at Vietnam. It took massacres on TV before the nation had enough and demanded a chance. Kent State was an extremely visual wake-up call to the nation about what unchecked power can do. And now, forever written in the annals of American history, will be Lt. Pike and UC Davis.

Congratulations, and thanks for motivating thousands, if not millions of others, to join in their own versions of "occupations" nationwide.

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