Advent: shopping, protests, projectiles.

From the RantWoman department of Holiday Grinchitude, Protest Solidarity, and other desirable Values regarding #Seattle #Ferguson protests and #Ferguson protests in general:

--Good on ya St. Louis Rams(team name?) for the #HandsUPDon'tShoot gesture. Boo to whichever law enforcement body objects. Dear Police Agencies, which part of "Y'all got A PROBLEM" do you not understand?

--Dear Seattle Mayor and new police chief, THANK YOU for showing up. We are lucky to live in a city where people in your position DO show up. There is plenty more to do, but showing up is a good start.

--Dear Downtown Business Association? How many of you pay your workers a living wage and provide health benefits? See, RantWoman would find it easier to sympathize about interruptions to the holiday buying orgy IF ....  Unfortunately, RantWoman also is working on some testimony on integrity issues closer to herself about this issue. Stay tuned.

--Dear #Seattle #Ferguson protestors, RantWoman has no time this year to think about shopping themed protests. HOWEVER, RantWoman thinks it should be possible to stage FUN protests that inform and encourage and do not scare small children. RantWoman thinks this but is too busy showing up in other ways to work out details, so just sayin'...

--Dear #Seattle #Ferguson protestors, One more thing: LOSE THE DANG PROJECTILES, the rocks and bricks and even canned food. The cops are going to bring whatever they bring, but lose the projectiles! RantWoman really does not care if you are just chucking canned food. It's STILL A PROJECTILE and can do serious damage. Here, as RantWoman dodders into geexzerhood or at least middle age, RantWoman requests a moment to reminisce from protests past. RantWoman has sundry personal reasons for WTO flashbacks besides the 15-year anniversary.

But RantWoman also remembers the 1-year anniversary. People applied for a permit. The city refused to issue a permit. Thousands of people came anyway. The police came too, but in everyday uniforms, not in protective gear. The atmosphere was VERY warm and positive until....something went sour at the end of the night. People wound up throwing rocks and a police officer lost his eye from getting hit in the face with a rock. RantWoman thinks police officers usually have pretty good disability insurance options but is really sorry this officer has to use his this way and again just urges people to TRY to keep it positive!