Pro-Palestinian protestors completed blocked off access to O'Hare until ~9:30AM.
The videos of people abandoning cars and walking to terminals is interesting.
I mean you're sitting outside in the middle of an interstate with your arms chained to your neighbors, are you really worried about covid ?
You're going to be arrested and they're going to take your mask off, so that makes no sense.
...That's crazy, chester. The posts below are accurate, I think--some might wear them at public protests to mask their identity. Some might have physical conditions or perceptions that dispose them to wearing masks. There is also some documented (via polling) distrust of the government and/or vaccinations particularly among Blacks and Latinos that has led to less uptake of COVID vaccinations and more mask-wearing as there is still some perception of COVID risk.
My anecdotal observations: Our Jewel grocery store at York and Butterfield on the south side of Elmhurst, IL is patronized not only by residents of the pretty lily-white Elmhurst but also from the nearby Cook County suburbs of Hillside and Berkeley, which have higher ratios of Black residents, whom I see in that store regularly. I would say maybe 15% to 25% of the Black shoppers are wearing masks, while I virtually never see a paleface wearing one. It doesn't move me one way or the other.
EDIT: Further anecdotal observations; to airborneirish's point, I was the subject of attempted muggings twice when I lived in Hyde Park (Chicago) eons ago, and each time they were wearing knit caps pulled low. So I guess my conclusion would be--you; can't generalize about why someone would wear a mask.
"Hi-ho Silver---away!"
That got my attention!
Please. Tell us what happened!
mk
If I wanted to hide my identity I'd be using something other than a surgical mask.
I think is a symbol of one's ideological purity.
one of two things. First, I assume they have a medical issue that causes the person concern and they are wearing the mask out caution for their health. Second, I assume if that is not true they have some mentla conditoin that causes them to be so fearful of contracting COVID they wear the mask out of extreme caution.
In both cases I have sympathy for the person and am happy I do not suffer from either condition.
I would say at this point if someone has a covid concern they should be rocking an N95, nothing less.
For some of the people wearing cloth masks, I despair that medical guidance has failed and become politicized and that people are stuck in 2020 guidance, but again, I cannot prove that and it's not my business.
There may absolutely be people who are actively sick, and Asian cultures have worn medical masks for quite a while. There are other respiratory diseases out there other than covid that may benefit from such masks on public transit.
As far as people at these protests, I am fairly sure they are an example of masks as both a political gesture and a means of disguise from authorities.
and a surgical mask you assume is sick or crazy? You don't assume you're about to get robbed? Interesting.
wearing of masks is woke virute signaling, I answered what I think when I see someone wearing a mask.
As an example I was on campus Sunday night and yesterday and saw a number of people wearing masks and that was my thought.
But to highlight your astute power of observations my view would change when you switch the question from a general is it woke virtue singaling to a specific I see a teen in a hoodie pulled down to his eyes and a surgical mask. Crazy thought but yes I might have a different thought in different circumstances. But of course I cant really answer your hypothetical without more information. Is the teen 13 or 18? Is he or she alone or with a group? If there is a group are they also wearing a mask and hoodie pulled down or are can I see their faces? What time of day is it? Am I in my neighborhood or somewhere I am regulalry or somewhere I dont know? Am I near a school that just let out? What time of day is it?
What I find interesting is you apparent need to change the facts to something different to reinforce your view of how right you are and how wrong I am.
Have a good day.
It’s when I see pictures of 40 people standing shoulder to shoulder on the steps of some building and they’re all donning masks.
Surely not everyone has a condition so dire. Perhaps the social media angle carries weight though the need to hide one’s identity would seem to be needless if your icause is so just.
And that was actually during the height of the pandemic.
If you're in front, just drive forward slowly.
They will stop their cars, blocking the rest from moving and get out and do their stupid protests.
They were able to open 2 of the 3 lanes then, but damage was done. The jams took hours to clear.
Tactically, I have to give them credit as they targeted one of the busiest periods for ORD.
I kid, I kid !
(But, at the same time, you could see it happening !)
It's an elective and I have no idea how many kids take it, but certainly some kids are being taught to think this way and getting credit for this.
Leadership for Social Justice
Grade 10-12
Prerequisites: None
Semester 1, One credit
This social studies elective course will consist of three main units. First, students will explore their own leadership strengths and areas of weakness, along with various leadership styles and their levels of effectiveness. Then, students will research and present on topics related to inequity, such as issues associated with gender, race, or sexual orientation. Finally, students will identify specific inequities they see in their school and community and, using a service learning format, will create an action plan including communication, networking and collaboration efforts to influence positive change.
Do you have an issue with a class like this being taught? If they took our the word inequity and said something like students will research and present on topics related to issues of concern in today's society would you feel differently about the class? What if they replaced inequity with an issue you care about and believe is important to
Last week in his social studies class my 9th grade son's teacher held his annual protest simulation. Slightly different format in that he asigns each student a character and gives them a list of issues people faced in 19th century England. The class then has to form coalitions and stage a rally outside to advocate for their beliefs.
I recognize that is different from the class you described and I would even say I would like the class better if it didnt soley focus on inequity. We often read and hear complaints that too many in our society lack basic civics knowledge. Protest and protesters have helped to drive some of the most important and consequentiual changes in our history and likely will continue to do so in the future. Is that something worthy of study in your view?
My son has not taken the class, I don't know who teaches it, nor do I know anything about the class other than the synopsis I provided in my post. Like a lot of things, I think the devil is in the details.
I would hope that the class does not focus solely on protest as the agent of societal change. Certainly protest can be an effective tool, but it's not the only one and I would hope a class would get into various methods and the pros and cons of each.
My bigger concern from the synopsis is that the focus on "inequity" and the provided examples, seem to be playing into the oppressor/oppressed [false] dichotomy that seems to be prevalent these days. If we were in the same town I'd buy you a beer to discuss in more detail why I don't think that's a useful approach to improving society.
Didn’t focus solely on inequity. I don’t like the idea the class is only “open” to those who hold one point of view stopping discussion and the ability to both learn from differing views. I strongly believe hearing different views is how we best develop our views.
Also agree with you the class should focus on more than just protest as needed to effectively advocate for change.
Appreciate the response.
Thankfully the second time the Port of Portland cops were a bit better prepared and kept things flowing. I believe today they are outside of Intel near Portland, which will be hilarious as last time they picketed the entrance nobody used.
I don't wish to wade into the Israel vs Gaza stuff, but I'd like to bitch for a moment about the idea these folks seem to have that "protests shouldn't be convenient", and that somehow if you are inconvenienced enough you will somehow demand to your local congressperson to see it their way.
They seem to like to cite civil rights protests and MLK. MLK had a permit in Selma! Sure, it took a court order, but he had one.
People who were alive in the 60s can probably tell me a heck of a lot better, but my understanding is that when you protested, you directly protested the people who were doing the wrong (e.g. segregated lunch counters). The subsequent overreaction and brutal mistreatment is what brought people around to joining their side, not pissing them off. Nobody had a sit in at a Woolworth's in Chicago, did they?
Not sure I am seeing the connection there unless Intel is building a bunch of fabs in Israel?
It would be more logical to protest Checkpoint's and McAfee's US headquarters...
A few of my friends received text alerts from their workplace safety group stating today might be a "disruption". If it's anything like last time, they had all of 3 people at the corporate drive entrance (RA1) that no employee enters (they all go into the parking garage 'round the back).
The thinking on this is somewhat scattered, but I think they're keying off Intel's financial announcement to expand Fab 28 this year and next. Take that fact plus a bunch of terminally online people with nothing better to do and you generally get this.
I tend to be pretty sympathetic to human suffering everywhere, but I detest that I am being pushed to pick a "side". Bleh.
violence" idea is very irritating, and usually comes from people who don't know (or refuse to learn) the nuance of a very complicated issue.
is Russian/Iranian/Chinese groups hoping to sow discord by producing useful idiots.
Teenage me is super pissed that he ever thought the Internet would be used to break repressive regimes, instead of being used as a grand tool to make everyone distrust everyone else and retreat into their corners with bespoke truth.
As small as NDN is, I'd like to think even the Irish among us wouldn't descend into fist fights and we could all discuss this stuff pretty well when locked into a room. I cannot say the same for the Internet at large.
that today's protests had some level of Iranian coordination and / or influence somewhere in the background.
...a bet I would not take.
Fortunately I was already going to be 3 hours early (dropped kids off at school and just decided to head to the airport) otherwise I would not have made the flight. I90 EB was backed up and stopped for 3 miles when I got there about 8:45. They opened two lanes and I finally got through and parked at ORD at 10:45. By that time it looked like they had cleared the protesters out but the traffic damage was done.
get no one on their side.
It causes me fewer problems and these days the really good ones are covered in anticipation of vandalism by protesters.
ORD was a sitting duck it appears. Some of the pictures are hilarious of the would be travelers. Positive way to start your week if you are someone who travels a lot. So easy for such road warrior workers to sleepwalk through their busy lives and never reflect on their complicity with Israeli genocide.
Bridge either. The pro-terrorist wing has shut it down for the last 3 hours or so. Traffic backed up as far as the eye can see with no movement. Not sure why they're not being arrested.
This happened across the country today. They blocked the Newburgh-Beacon bridge here in the Hudson Valley North of NYC all the way to the Golden Gate.
I'm surprised no one got fed up and ran someone over.
I don't have the quote available to cut and paste (Chicago Tribune website failing for me right now), but it went along the lines of.
Protestors should not shut down major roadways and the Chicago Police Department should do something about it. (Yes that is a complete paraphrase).
Given it's I-190, why couldn't Pritzker call in the State Police to disperse them? That's a serious question. Does CPD have jurisdiction because the airport is city land?
...Pritzker discusses Democratic National Convention security questions after protests near O'Hare
Quotes from Pritzker:
"When asked for his response to the demonstration, Pritzker said people should be able to express their First Amendment Rights, but they should let others move about their day.
"'I do not think that they should be disruptive of the traffic, of people trying to get from one place or to another,' he said.
"The protest prompted some to wonder about what safety measures would be taken at August's Democratic National Convention. Pritzker, speaking to reporters, said he doesn't think anyone would be surprised that protests are planned during the four-day convention.
"'...I don’t think that anybody’s unfamiliar of the protests that have occurred because of the Israel-Hamas war," the governor said. "But I do think that again, we have to make sure that at all times that people are able to get where they want to go while at the same time respecting the people who were protesting.'"