Pepper Spray Pike is a meme!

Recently Lt. John Pike went all trigger-happy with his pepper spray on a row of peaceful protesters.  The Internet responded by launching him to memetic jerkfame.  Pepper Spray Pike is now all over everywhere.  He has become as ubiquitous and disturbing as Creepy the Clown.

Read an essay discussing the symbolism of pasting PSP into famous images.  It's a good take on the history of satire and art in activism.

See the Tumblr feed "Pepper Spraying Cop" collecting satirized paintings.  Here's a slideshow with many others.

Also on Facebook I've seen Pepper Spray Pike hosing My Little Pony, Disney critters, various movie heroes, and God.  See some copies in the "Pepper Spray Pike" gallery of my LJ scrapbook.

There is also a controversial image including Pike's name and phone number.  Yes, that's playing dirty.  But you know what?  When following the rules does not keep people safe and meet their needs, some people will decide that following the rules is no longer in their best interest.  They will then switch to other tactics.  That is what happens when those who are supposed to enforce the rules become abusive.  It is an unbreakable rule of history and there is nothing anyone can do about it except avoid triggering it by practicing oppression.  It really sucks that humans have not yet learned this, because solving problems rationally is much more efficient and human than solving them irrationally.

You can sign a petition against the use of chemical weapons and violence against peaceful protesters.  Remember, Americans have a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.  Our ancestors fought a war over that, in part, because King George wanted them to shut up or else.  They said fuck that noise and here we are today, losing an argument with ourselves, AGAIN.  Epic facepalm.

Please try not to turn any ensuing discussion into a rant, as is happening in many other threads on this topic.