loevy

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Lewis [mailto:Mark4Lewis@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, April 08, 2007 9:51 PM
To: Robert D. Loevy
Subject: St. Patrick's Day Parade

Professor,
I am one of the organizers of the Bookman entry into the St. Patrick's Day parade and I can assure you that there was no intention to create a publicity stunt to get attention in the parade. I don't know where you would presume to come up with that idea, aside from cynicism, but it's not true, and your analysis of our intent is completely wrong. Your presumption is out of line in it's arrogance, and scope. We were as shocked as everyone else to see things deteriorate over so little.

There is little in the political history of the 20th century that should lead you to think that people that sit down and take whatever injustice the self assigned authorities visit upon them, are the ones who have made the political advancements of our time, but somehow you seem to think they define the road forward. We do not, and when it became apparent that we were to be brutalized for marching for peace, we resisted as the Germans should have done in 1938, and many others that did not learn the political lessons before them.

We stand by our decision, but premeditation is a conclusion on which your crystal ball has failed you.

Mark Lewis
Csaction.org

Robert D. Loevy wrote:

Mark Lewis,

Please forgive me, but I do not know what quote of mine you are referring to. If you have time, 
could you please remind me of what I said and where it was printed.
Then I can respond to your criticism, which I am glad to have.

Bob Loevy
Colorado College
From: Mark Lewis [mailto:Mark4Lewis@comcast.net]
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 2:18 PM
To: Robert D. Loevy
Subject: Re: St. Patrick's Day Parade

Professor,
Go to this page and play the video at the bottom of the page where it says "News coverage so far". It has an interview of you saying that we planned the whole thing to get attention, and that the arrests were just what we wanted, which is a direct quote of the gazette editorial. Simply not true. We never expected what happened and certainly didn't want it. You and Sean Paige are wrong about that. It's not the most crucial issue in the whole thing, but it is an incorrect assessment of the truth about our intent.

You and Sean Paige simply wouldn't know if we planned all that in a meeting, which we did not. We expected a simple, fun, display of peaceful messages just like 2006, and would have never brought our children to be traumatized by the police brutality, which is not justified by any alleged permit violation.

Mark Lewis
Csaction.org

Mark Lewis,

Thank you for sending me the tag for seeing my stand-up for Channels 5 and 30 on YouTube. I did not see it on television.

I am going to stand by my comment. There is an extensive literature on non-violent protest, primarily the works of women suffragists, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., James Peck (who was beaten senseless at Birmingham during the Freedom Rides). From what I saw, your group was following all the rules of Civil Disobedience and Non-Violent protest, and with considerable success. The Gazette reported this morning that one of the demonstrators poked a police officer three times to make certain she was arrested.

I actually thought I was complimenting your group. The police fared less well, I thought. The rules call for having protesters removed by ambulance crews with stretchers and medical personnel standing by. Dragging a protester across the pavement produced very negative television, which benefitted your cause.

The news media are caught in the middle. They have to cover the event, and thus have no choice but to publicize the views of the various groups involved.

How appropriate it all took place in front of the Congregational Church (now the Church of Christ). The Congregational Church pioneered non-violent protest in its opposition to slavery in the United States.

Thanks again for sending me your comments. Full discussion can lead to a more accurate view of historical events on everyone's part.

Robert D. Loevy

Professor of Political Science

Colorado College

CC political science prof. Bob Loevy's email address so you can tell him what you think