Same thing happened in LA in the Watts riots of '65.  About 2-300 peaceful
demonstrators and a dozen or so idiots screaming 'Burn it down'.  Guess
where the TV cameras were focused?

Mike
85 Westy[I coulda used it in Watts]

----- Original Message -----
From: Doktor Tim <doktortim@ROCKISLAND.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 1999 9:15 AM
Subject: Re: words, WTO, DM /F

> At 10:27 AM 12/03/1999 -0800, you wrote:
> >A friend and I were discussing the media coverage of the WTO meeting in
> >Seattle.
> >
> >The word "curfew" came up and she told me that it is from the French
(old)
> >cuevrefeu, couvrir (cover) + feu (fire). Meaning, its time (in the
evening)
> >to cover or put your fire out - perhaps to help hide from attack?
> >
> >Now it means to stay indoors.
> >
> >Now, Dr. Tim should agree that the Germans have a much better term,
> >
> >"Ausgangverbot - it is forbidden to go out"
> >
> >Mind you I just can't imagine the authorities using the German term!
> >
> >Alistair
>
> Doktor Tim's reply:
>
> Oxford English Dictionary:
>
> Curfew: (cover + fire) A regulation by which, at a fixed hour in the
> evening, a bell was rung, as a signal that fires were to be extinguished.
>
> Cassell's German-English Dictionary:
>
> Ausgang: 3. time or day or afternoon or evening off (for a servant), free
> time.
>
> Verbot: prohibition; inhibition; suppression; veto; ban.
>
> Translation, free time forbidden to servants.
>
> The meaning may be similar, but it is not quite the same as putting out
the
> fire. Just goes to show how poorly language translations can sometimes
> create misunderstanding.
>
> Further from Cassell's:
>
> Curfew: ...., Polizeistunde.
>
> Polizei: Police
>
> Stunde: hour; period, lesson; distance covered in an hour.
>
> I think "police hour" is most appropriate to the Battle in Seattle. I am
> amazed that the throwing of tear gas at the peaceful, permited crouds of
> legitimate protesters was of greater concern to the authorities that 3 or
5
> officers were not given the responsability to arrest the dozen or so of
> hooligans responsable for destruction of property. The media as well
should
> be truly asshamed at focusing on the few a**holes who used the legitimate
> civil disobediants as a cover for their vandalism. Social sanctions were
> grossly miss applied here. The lawless got away with bulls**t, the lawful
> were penalized. One more flag flies to signal social deterioration by this
> blatant misapplication of otherwise good law by those charged with the
> pursuit of justice. Proof that in this case that justice was surely blind.
>
>
> T.P. Stephens aka Doktor Tim
> Surveyor, Mechanic, Poet, Philosopher
> San Juan Island, WA