CovOps
 Location : Ether-Sphere
Job/hobbies : Irrationality Exterminator
Humor : Über Serious
 |  Subject: Funny: Tomato-tossing techies, don't take protesters' bait  Sat Apr 19, 2014 7:56 pm | |
| As we well know, things are not always the way they seem in San Francisco - particularly when it comes to politics. Everyone has an agenda, and in many cases the real story is behind the scenes.
As a case in point, take Tuesday's march by the Service Employees International Union on Twitter's Mid-Market headquarters. Purple-shirted SEIU workers protested in front of the building, railing against the tax break the city has given companies to induce them to move to the chronically underdeveloped neighborhood.
The protest was well covered by the media, but late this week a tweeter named Jeremy (JspiderSF) wanted to know: "Why hasn't the press covered Twitter on public worker violence?" This was a reference to a tweet by Nato Green, who wrote: "Twitter employee just threw a tomato from their office windows at@seiu1021 workers protesting@mayoredlee's corporate tax breaks."
Who knows if a tomato was actually thrown? God knows you can't believe everything you read on Twitter. But for the sake of argument, let's just say that that happened and use the phantom tomato to look at larger issues.
First, let's deal with the trivial. They said it was a tomato, not a cannonball. The concept of tomato and "violence" is a stretch. Granted, it would be a dumb thing to do, but it is doubtful anyone would be hurt by a flying tomato.
With that in mind, full marks to the Twitter commentator who snarked, "So that's why they won't make their rooftop garden public: They're weaponizing produce!"
Also, I have no doubt that if that tomato hit anyone the protester would surely have dropped to the ground like a European soccer player. Photos on the Web! Film at 10! Oh, the humanity!
Now, let me add one more thing. If someone in the Twitter building actually did heave a tomato over the side, I would like to make a suggestion to the employees in the building.
Stop acting like freakin' morons. Stop playing into the other side's hands, which tech workers seem to be good at as they set themselves off from the rest of the city.
Why do you think those union members are out there chanting, banging on things and marching? They are hoping to incite you. They wanted you to do something stupid and, if someone engaged in tomato-pitching, you obliged.
Pushing the buttons
Tech employees are consistently portrayed by protesters as clueless and entitled. And then the techies consistently do things that are clueless and entitled. If it isn't the CEO of AngelHack posting a blog complaining about the city being overrun with "crazy, homeless, drug dealers, dropouts and trash," it's the Google Glass woman filming people without their permission at a Haight Street bar. You guys are your own worst enemy.
And finally, let's have a little straight talk here. The protesters are not doing this because of a deep belief in tax inequity. This is about a new contract for their city workers and a hefty pay raise. The tax break is a diversion, just like the BART strike was supposed to be about passenger safety. SEIU wants to say the city gave huge handouts to Twitter, but won't spring for a raise for its city employees.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Tomato-tossing-techies-don-t-take-protesters-5414113.php |
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