Birthday Biking and Parenthood Planning

Last night I had the opportunity to celebrate my birthday joining (according to the NYPD) 5000 bike riders in a critical mass bike ride through Manhattan streets. That some 264 riders were arrested is ridiculous – at worst there were some traffic violations of riding through a red light – riders never impeded an ambulance or other important vehicle. These were misdemeanours, not offences warranting arrest.

Last night I had the opportunity to celebrate my birthday joining (according to the NYPD) 5000 bike riders in a critical mass bike ride through Manhattan streets. That some 264 riders were arrested is ridiculous – at worst there were some traffic violations of riding through a red light – riders never impeded an ambulance or other important vehicle. These were misdemeanours, not offences warranting arrest. I can report of at least one enterprising individual who due to a strategically situated pocket-knife was able to cut himself out of his plastic handcuffs and sneak off without being charged…

Saturday morning was the Planned Parenthood march across the Brooklyn Bridge, a wonderful, huge turnout, and definitely the place all progressive single men should have attended, given the number of progressive young women peacefully and vocally protesting their right to choose their reproductive destiny. I’d put the turnout at 50000 easily, I have to chase up some official numbers. The only downside was the amount of time to enter onto the bridge walkway, not at all helped by the NYPD insisting on using barriers to impede marchers entering. In NYC where everyone always has somewhere to get to, it became a battle of patience between the NYPD and the protesters and the protesters won – it was a great expression of the rejection of the bigoted policies of the Bush administration to womens reproductive freedom.

We finished up by checking out a new documentary by Matt Kohn “Everywhere but Florida” which details some very informative issues around the 2000 Presidential election and the Florida recount. It certainly illuminates that there are many issues which have not been given sufficient coverage by the mass media.