Professor Louis L. Lucas (hero of "A Neurotic in an Exotic Land") comments:
You've seen the headlines:
"Violent Protests"
"Protests Turn Violent"
How many times does the press talk about "violence" when what's really happened is only damage to property?
(Oh, yes, there may be pushing and shoving between demonstrators and police, but the question is whether the press routinely and systematically exaggerates in order to promote a negative view of legitimate protest....)
Comment/Objection:
Are you saying that if a protester throws a bottle at a policeman, that's not violence?
LLL replies: If you throw a bottle at someone, that is an attempt to injure them. That is an attempt to do physical violence.
But, then again, was the policeman protected by a riot shield? What damage was really done? To be sure, policemen, like soldiers, are doing a job and they are not members of the rulling class......So, what I am really saying is that we need more context. And I am suggesting that there is a broad tendency to portray events in one direction, so as to under-mine any legitimate grievances. The same thing happens when unions who strike in France are portrayed as lazy--not by exactly using that word, but by more subtle shading of the reports....
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