A QUICK TRIP TO MOAB, a novel by Kevin T. Jones; published serially beginning June 21, 2015 on Medium: https://medium.com/@kevinjones_4399
The story begins tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, when a protest against the federal government's closing of an area to off-road travel gets out of hand. Stan Watson is driving from Salt Lake City to Moab to pick up a painting and visit a friend, when he is caught up in violence that has spun off from the protest, and is threatening average citizens.
It is not too far-fetched to think that something like this could happen. The protest that arose when Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy's cows were to be taken for non-payment of his grazing fees is an example. Hundreds rallied to his side, including many who seemed to be there just for the excitement. Anti-government sentiments are rampant in some quarters, and there appear to be many who are ready to take action, to engage what they fear is government over-reach.
Two who showed up in support of Bundy, but who were sent away for being too extreme, later went to Las Vegas and gunned down two policemen as they ate breakfast. It's a testament to the Bundy camp that they spotted the problematic volunteers, but it is also a reminder that any sort of civil disobedience or protest has the potential to attract extreme actors. The Bundy group accepted and encouraged firearm-brandishing participants, which amplified the potential for something to go wrong, and with protesters aiming assault-style weapons toward federal agents, it is very fortunate that violence did not erupt.
Even peace marches, with flower-carrying, love-song singing barefoot marchers seem to attract some who are there for the thrill, the excitement, the ability to blend in to a crowd, and possibly participate in mayhem. Once the first rock is thrown through a storefront window, other crazies join in, and soon, it is not a peace march, but a riot.
And with protesters carrying AR-15 rifles, the possibility that something could go awry is increased. And when things involving firearms go awry, they really go.
The anti-government off-road-no more wilderness-give the lands back to the state kind of protesters may also have deeper animosity toward the federal government. They likely tend toward fundamentalist, Tea-Party and Libertarian philosophies, support and exercise the right to bear and carry firearms, and may have considerable support in local, regional, and even state-level law enforcement and legislative arenas.
Could one of these protests go bad? Could violence erupt? Or is the question more likely to be when will things go bad? How bad will they get? Will the government back down? For how long? Does the fact that most of the protesters are white and fly American flags protect them? What are the long-term consequences for resource protection?
This does make a certain amount of sense to me.
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ReplyDeleteJeffJune 21, 2015 at 12:08 PM
Sorry for the epistle that follows... I am just venting
An Arab proverb says:” don’t promise others when you are happy, and don’t react when you're angry” because persons at this state can give invalid dissension and loose reason.
Underlying the new Politik in this nation are some very basic new constructs. We have lost our ability to compromise. If there is some value that has permeated our short lived legacy as a nation; it has been our ability to roll up our sleeves and solve problems....remarkable given the constitutional separation of powers. We are now seeing how important that foundational skill is as we become mired in polarized politics. Where does it come from ? New technologies, obvious.... that allow the loudest irrational fearmongering voices to "blaze" away 24/7. These new extremes both left and right elevate the temperature of anger and thus loss of reason.
NEXT: The rise of money in politics. May I point to a very damning event. "Citizen's United" ...the rise of the cash cow. Democracy as we had once understood it is now in the hand of a few mega power brokers. Our voice is lost to a 15 second sound bite pad for by your local agent of Corporate greed. Not to be a conspiracy monger... but there is a well organized "paid for" misinformation machine.
it is my belief that the "Renaissance Man" that made this Nation so great has been buried beyond recognition. You do not abandon art, music, history, fittness and philosophy and then expect children to develop healthy and happy and productive lives. Playstation is not the real world. Sitting in classrooms regurgitating mindless data days on end is a recipe for insanity, obesidy, depression, anger, rebellion, ADD, and another dozen acronymns of boredom.
Lastly, that which separates us from the beast of the field is our simple humanity. The ability of humans to reason, create, problem solve, and to have some measure of joy is so basic to what we are. Humans can analyze. Not to offend the multide of mythological Gods out there.... but the simple application of the scientific method or the simple application of providing proofs as support of a concise statement is the foundation of Western Civilization. That is not to disclaim a need for a spiritual or ethical basis for making choices. Rather..... to be hostile to science, to be ignorant of the past, is to turn our backs on the founding fathers and even more detrimental to the fundamental principles of liberty and equality so espoused in our most sacred document..... epistle done.