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View Full Version : Occupy Wall Street Protestor and Marine Scott Olson To Need Brain Surgery



jgreer
10-28-2011, 09:42 AM
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/27/occupy-oakland-scott-olsen-surgery?newsfeed=true

Scott Olsen, the Iraq war veteran who suffered serious head injuries after being hit by a projectile fired by police during the Occupy Oakland protests, has woken up and is lucid as he awaits surgery, hospital officials and family members have said.

Olsen, a 24-year-old former US Marine, was struck in the head during anti-Wall Street protests on Tuesday night. He has been upgraded from critical to fair condition.

Olsen "responded with a very large smile" to a visit from his parents, Highland General hospital spokesman Warren Lyons said. "He's able to understand what's going on. He's able to write and hear but has a little difficulty with his speech," Lyons said.

Doctors had not operated on Olsen yet and were waiting to see if swelling in his brain eased, Lyons said.

Olsen's aunt, Kathy Pacconi, told Reuters in an email that her nephew was showing signs of improvement.

What I want to know is why is there not an investigation into the police brutality? Some things happened that night and we have a right to know if the police deliberately injured a protestor.

Mister D
10-28-2011, 10:05 AM
How do you know there will be no investigation?

Conley
10-28-2011, 10:14 AM
Of course there will be an investigation. This is just inflammatory rhetoric jgreer.

"Oakland's police chief has pledged a vigorous investigation into a clash between police and Occupy Wall Street protesters that left an Iraq War veteran in critical condition with a fractured skull."

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/iraq_vet_injured_in_occupy_oak.html (it's an AP story hosted on that site)

Mister D
10-28-2011, 10:22 AM
Of course there will be an investigation. This is just inflammatory rhetoric jgreer.

"Oakland's police chief has pledged a vigorous investigation into a clash between police and Occupy Wall Street protesters that left an Iraq War veteran in critical condition with a fractured skull."

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/iraq_vet_injured_in_occupy_oak.html (it's an AP story hosted on that site)


If it turns out that it was fired in either a deliberate or grossly negligent manner than I would support prosecution.

Conley
10-28-2011, 10:25 AM
I would too. Standards need to be upheld. I believe it is an isolated case though, it is not as though there were scores of protesters being beaten by riot police.

Mister D
10-28-2011, 10:31 AM
I would too. Standards need to be upheld. I believe it is an isolated case though, it is not as though there were scores of protesters being beaten by riot police.


Exactly. Plus, I don;t even know the circumstances. Why did they fire tear gas at all?

Conley
10-28-2011, 10:36 AM
I would too. Standards need to be upheld. I believe it is an isolated case though, it is not as though there were scores of protesters being beaten by riot police.


Exactly. Plus, I don;t even know the circumstances. Why did they fire tear gas at all?


I don't know, truthfully I haven't been following the story. My understanding that they were told they had to move and they didn't. Tear gas is commonly used and effective in those situations. Just a freak accident I suspect.

Mister D
10-28-2011, 10:38 AM
I would too. Standards need to be upheld. I believe it is an isolated case though, it is not as though there were scores of protesters being beaten by riot police.


Exactly. Plus, I don;t even know the circumstances. Why did they fire tear gas at all?


I don't know, truthfully I haven't been following the story. My understanding that they were told they had to move and they didn't. Tear gas is commonly used and effective in those situations. Just a freak accident I suspect.


That's a probable scenario. It's like I said. You run certain risks when you attend these things. Period.

Conley
10-28-2011, 10:39 AM
Yes, attending is a risk and disobeying law enforcement compounds that risk dramatically. You may be within your rights but you're going to lose that physical confrontation.

Mister D
10-28-2011, 10:43 AM
Yes, attending is a risk and disobeying law enforcement compounds that risk dramatically. You may be within your rights but you're going to lose that physical confrontation.


:D Yep.

Obviously, no one is happy the guy was injured but cries of brutality look way overblown.

Pendragon
10-28-2011, 10:53 AM
I know you have been chided for this before, but I will echo the comments of others and state that I fail to see the humor in this situation.

All Americans should have the right to assemble and demonstrate peacefully without fear of physical harm. Did any of you know that tear gas is actually banned in military conflicts under chemical weapons? Yet the American government uses it on its own people. For shame!

Mister D
10-28-2011, 10:58 AM
I know you have been chided for this before, but I will echo the comments of others and state that I fail to see the humor in this situation.

All Americans should have the right to assemble and demonstrate peacefully without fear of physical harm. Did any of you know that tear gas is actually banned in military conflicts under chemical weapons? Yet the American government uses it on its own people. For shame!


I see humor in the hyperbole. Then again, maybe you're right. There is nothing funny about making political hay out of someone's misfortune.

Mister D
10-28-2011, 11:02 AM
I support the use of tear gas. What would you prefer? Rubber bullets? Bean bags? Clubs?

Conley
10-28-2011, 11:14 AM
I support the use of tear gas. What would you prefer? Rubber bullets? Bean bags? Clubs?


:D

Mister D
10-28-2011, 11:27 AM
I support the use of tear gas. What would you prefer? Rubber bullets? Bean bags? Clubs?


:D


Seriously, though. It's a pretty damn useful non-lethal tool for crowd dispersal. Would we prefer physical contact between the riot police and the protestors?

Conley
10-28-2011, 11:36 AM
Yeah, the police have to have something to use. Mobs are scary and can quickly get out of control. They're not something you want to let develop or take a chance with.

jgreer
10-28-2011, 11:58 AM
Let me ask you all, all of you, another question. Why is it that the police attack these encampments late at night? Why do they use the cover of darkness?

I will tell you. It is to keep the media from reporting on their methods. There aren't many reporters around at 2 AM. That is when attacks have occurred across the country from New York, Boston, San Francisco. They wait until everyone is asleep and then they attack. You haven't seen the full news story because the media outlets aren't around to report it.

Mr. Wonderful
10-28-2011, 12:04 PM
Regarding the OP, someone definitely needs brain surgery, no doubt about that!

Mister D
10-28-2011, 12:05 PM
Let me ask you all, all of you, another question. Why is it that the police attack these encampments late at night? Why do they use the cover of darkness?

I will tell you. It is to keep the media from reporting on their methods. There aren't many reporters around at 2 AM. That is when attacks have occurred across the country from New York, Boston, San Francisco. They wait until everyone is asleep and then they attack. You haven't seen the full news story because the media outlets aren't around to report it.


You're joking, right? I seriously doubt anyone had any expectations of keeping anything out of the news. It's 2011, son. That's virtually impossible.

jgreer
10-28-2011, 12:08 PM
Son? I don't appreciate the racist overtones.

It is a fact there will be less press coverage at 2AM in the morning compared to 2 in the afternoon. What part of that do you not agree with?

Mister D
10-28-2011, 01:04 PM
Son? I don't appreciate the racist overtones.

It is a fact there will be less press coverage at 2AM in the morning compared to 2 in the afternoon. What part of that do you not agree with?


The what!? :roflmao: :roflmao:

Greer, there is no way whatsoever that they could keep that story out of the news.

Conley
10-28-2011, 01:06 PM
Is "son" ever considered racist? I know "boy" can be...but...on an internet forum? Really? Where no one even knows what race the members are? I don't think D is black, but who knows and who cares?

O0

Mister D
10-28-2011, 01:17 PM
Is "son" ever considered racist? I know "boy" can be...but...on an internet forum? Really? Where no one even knows what race the members are? I don't think D is black, but who knows and who cares?

O0


I've never heard "son" used with any racist connotations. Who knows though... ;D

O0

Conley
10-28-2011, 01:25 PM
You know really this guy looks more like he has a Jewfro than an Afro.

O0

Hope that's ok to say. ;D

http://julialahme.dk/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/jewfro.0.0.0x0.320x436.jpg

See what I mean?

Mister D
10-28-2011, 01:27 PM
You know really this guy looks more like he has a Jewfro than an Afro.

O0

Hope that's ok to say. ;D

http://julialahme.dk/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/jewfro.0.0.0x0.320x436.jpg

See what I mean?


I do. I'm kind of disappointed now. :-\

Conley
10-28-2011, 01:31 PM
Sorry. I feel terribly about that. Maybe we can get a few different afro smilies. Represent all cultures. ;D

MMC
10-28-2011, 11:35 PM
You know really this guy looks more like he has a Jewfro than an Afro.

O0

Hope that's ok to say. ;D

http://julialahme.dk/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/jewfro.0.0.0x0.320x436.jpg

See what I mean?


Isnt that a Specialty Blend of the Brew? ;) :D ;D