[watersb]

35 years ago, protesters blocked the Golden Gate Bridge.

I'm pretty sure they were protesting the war with Iraq (Bush the First) in response to Iraq's invasion and capture of oil wells in Kuwait.

But far more clear is my memory of the searing rage of a coworker that day. She was flying on it, the hatred coming out of her mouth.

It shocked me for a couple of reasons. She was close in age to me, just out of school. I think that my college years had led me to presume to most young people would be more sympathetic to opposition of general warfare. There was lots of talk of forcing military enlistment among people our age.

But the main reason was that the trigger for her rage was the temporary threat to her right to drive her car wherever she wanted to.

You think Americans are nuts about their guns, don't you ever threaten their right to kill people with cars.

Any sympathy she could have felt for the protesters' cause was gone because they blocked a highway.

[cool_dude85]

And nowadays, if this happened in Florida, she could pretty credibly run the protesters down in the street and avoid even getting charged.

[ThrowawayTestr]

Unpopular opinion but blocking traffic is akin to cutting power lines. Don't fuck with people's utilities.

[ronsor]

Ignoring things such as emergency services being blocked, imagine if protesters could "block" the Internet.

That would not garner much sympathy.

[krapp]

Unpopular opinion but social progress never been made while the government or the people feel safe and comfortable.