In a rare moment of candor, one of our local radicals told my partner they need to have the police arrive at their protests, or else nobody pays attention to them. We have repeatedly responded to protests because somebody among the group of protesters "leaks" the fact that they plan to do something violent. On most occasions when our response was limited or non-existent, the protests did turn violent. Not just Starbucks, but Taco Bell, various Banks, a car dealership, a local furniture store, a Nike Store, and little old ladies in cars have been terrorized by our little anarchist hate group.

They have a weekly TV show on the Public Access cable channel, subsidized by the government. They maintain that if they don't get caught hurting anybody except police officers and rich people, then their "direct action" doesn't count as violence. You see, it all stems from a sincere political belief, yeah that's the ticket, yeah, and a desire to save the world from the evils of corporate greed, you know.

That logic would excuse somebody else using a sincere political belief to rationalize bombing abortion clinics, or head shops, or alternative newspapers, or tattoo and piercing parlors, or vegetarian restaurants or needle exchange programs.

From the flag-burning capital of western hemisphere.