jmdrake
06-02-2011, 12:14 PM
I briefly mentioned this in the main Kokesh dance thread, but I thought it deserved its own thread. Last night I had to go to Lowe's to buy some paint. During the course of helping me, the associate told me he was glad to be out of school for the summer. I asked him where he went to school and he mentioned some community college. He was planning to transfer to a 4 year in the fall. I asked him if he had a transfer scholarship and he said he had one along with a Pell grant.
Later in the conversation he mentioned he had been in the Navy. I asked him if he had used his G.I. bill. He laughed and said that he lost it. He was an NCO in the Navy with quite a few years experience. His master chief, whom he respected, had a certain way he wanted things done. Well this officer right out of officer training school told him to do what he was doing a different way. He obediently did it. Then he said his master chief cursed him out like he had never been cursed out before. So he went back and did it the way the master chief told him. The new officer came back, cursed him out himself, demanded that he do it over again "right" and questioned the NCO as to why he didn't salute him this time. The NCO (the Lowe's associate) said "There are a lot of officers that have been here a long time and they've earned my respect and I salute them. But I'm not going to salute you. Not now and not ever." Of course he got written up for this and lost 30 days leave and his G.I. Bill.
Seeing this was a former member of the military and a non conformist, I told him about Adam's protest. I mentioned that Adam was a former marine who had heard about a judge's ruling that you couldn't dance at the Jefferson Memorial and that Adam found that ridiculous and ironic since Jefferson himself said that you had a duty to disobey unjust laws. I told him how he and his friends peacefully and silently danced in protest and were arrested. I mentioned how Adam let himself be bodyslammed on the concrete even though he could have easily manhandled that cop. I said the video was all over the net and he said "I'll have to check that out. It is true that an unjust law is no law at all."
So for everyone complaining about the dance protest, you need to realize what it's for. This isn't something to show at your next GOP fundraiser. Instead it's something to bring up to the free thinking non-conformists, many of whom aren't involved in politics at all. If they are cured enough of their apathy by this to vote, or better yet to become political activists then the movement moves forward.
Hat's off to you Adam Kokesh! And I wish you the best on this next protest.
Later in the conversation he mentioned he had been in the Navy. I asked him if he had used his G.I. bill. He laughed and said that he lost it. He was an NCO in the Navy with quite a few years experience. His master chief, whom he respected, had a certain way he wanted things done. Well this officer right out of officer training school told him to do what he was doing a different way. He obediently did it. Then he said his master chief cursed him out like he had never been cursed out before. So he went back and did it the way the master chief told him. The new officer came back, cursed him out himself, demanded that he do it over again "right" and questioned the NCO as to why he didn't salute him this time. The NCO (the Lowe's associate) said "There are a lot of officers that have been here a long time and they've earned my respect and I salute them. But I'm not going to salute you. Not now and not ever." Of course he got written up for this and lost 30 days leave and his G.I. Bill.
Seeing this was a former member of the military and a non conformist, I told him about Adam's protest. I mentioned that Adam was a former marine who had heard about a judge's ruling that you couldn't dance at the Jefferson Memorial and that Adam found that ridiculous and ironic since Jefferson himself said that you had a duty to disobey unjust laws. I told him how he and his friends peacefully and silently danced in protest and were arrested. I mentioned how Adam let himself be bodyslammed on the concrete even though he could have easily manhandled that cop. I said the video was all over the net and he said "I'll have to check that out. It is true that an unjust law is no law at all."
So for everyone complaining about the dance protest, you need to realize what it's for. This isn't something to show at your next GOP fundraiser. Instead it's something to bring up to the free thinking non-conformists, many of whom aren't involved in politics at all. If they are cured enough of their apathy by this to vote, or better yet to become political activists then the movement moves forward.
Hat's off to you Adam Kokesh! And I wish you the best on this next protest.