Set up your straw man and knock him down. Robert has never in my presence made any pretense of being anyone he is not. By personal observation, he has been generous with his time and advice towards those who have been willingly or unwillingly arrested or cited. Lincoln wasn't a slave, but he freed (some) of the slaves anyway. Blaming Robert for panhandlers being arrested would take the most cynical of views - in fact, the City Ordinances on panhandling are so complex, unconstitutional, and unenforceable that I doubt many Police Officers fully comprehend them. Robert is remarkably intelligent, witty, and informed as to the operations of our local shopkeeper's democracy. The level of personal attacks against him are indicative of his effectiveness.

Jerry let me provide a summary of the point you are trying to make:


Do not trust Robert Norse because he pays his bills with money he got from his family.


Ok, so what the fuck?

Disagree with the way he goes about his social activism if you want, but don't try to convice people not to trust him because he received money from his family.

There are many interesting aspects to Indymedia, but you throwing in your 2 cents about Robert Norse is not one of them.

Hey Jerry, have you acted to promote the well being of someone without food, money, and shelter lately?

If so, why don't you stick to helping them and stop trying to put down other people that are working for peace and basic human rights and dignity.

~Bradley

Can we cease with all of these ad hominem attacks?

Isn't truth where you find it?

Don't even broken clocks and politicians tell the right time every now and then?

Can we examine Norse's positions and statements for their value and truth content, and not impeach them out of hand, simply because some don't like the source of Norse's financial wherewithal?

Apart from the source of his finances, can you find fault with Norse's positions or claims? If so, might you spend some time to share those insights with us? If not, might discretion be the better part of your valor?

Who declared the zero-sum game that takes a point away from you if Norse makes his point?

Isn't the dream free speech for all, and let the merits of the argument attract the attention they deserve?

If you're jealous of Robert for his supposed (because I have yet to see him even confirm this for us) financial indepedence from the necessary evil of working for a living, that's your problem.

Whatever schism you suffer that causes you to hate anyone who enjoys greater fortune than you, is only a reflection upon your character.

I don't care if Robert's theoretical fortune came from regular employment, dot.com stocks, drug dealing to consenting adults (which is just free market capitalism anyway), the lottery, or a rich uncle who kicked the bucket.

So long as it didn't come from robbing banks, fraud, extortion, or war profiteering, then it's his by right and I wish I were so lucky.

Really, this petty jealousy is unbecoming. Many wealthy people contribute their money to various charities. What is wrong with one who uses his money (if he has any) to contribute *vast quantities* of his time and effort instead?

And so what if, as you claim, he has a bit of an ego? What's wrong with being proud of himself for standing strong in a long battle for a cause he considers noble? News flash - it requires an ego to think you can make the world a better place.

Furthermore - this is a newswire, not a bulletin board. Please post NEWS to the newswire, not your personal rants. If you want to rant, comment on an existing NEWS ITEM (preferably a relevant one, dont just choose one at random. And if there are none relevant, maybe we can be spared your character assassination garbage altogether.)

-Van

As a longtime friend and co-worker of Robert Norse, I am well aware of the types of accusations that have been leveled at him over the years. We at HUFF have a rather thick file filled with Norse-bashings. As to his accomplishments, Robert Norse has produced over 600 radio shows on Free Radio Santa Cruz 96.3FM featuring on the street interviews with local poor and homeless people -- effectively giving them a voice ---their own!

In 1996 he went to jail on a 60-day sentence for giving free food to homeless people in San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza free food with Food Not Bombs. Amnesty International at that time declared their intent to declare him a prisoner of conscience in a letter to Governor Pete Wilson. Robert served 28 days of that sentence when jail authorities urged him to leave early after he successfully circulated a petition in English and Spanish in all cellblocks in the jail, not just his pod, demanding that prisoners have access to a law library, per their legal right. Apparently jail designers forgot to include one in County Jail 8.

Robert Norse was arrested with Sister Bernie Galvin in San Francisco for a home occupation in the Presidio with Religious Witness for Peace. He was arrested twice with Rev. Scott Wager in San Jose by occupying both the mayor's office and refusing to leave the podium at a City Council meeting until Mayor Ron Gonzales provided more shelter for homeless people.

In addition to hundreds of articles written by Robert Norse in Street Spirit, a San Francisco-based homeless newspaper, he has edited a homeless newspaper of his own, the Street Shit Sheet which he has self-published over 160 issues.

His on target accurate and detailed reportings on the actions and inactions of the City Council of Santa Cruz, the SCPD, the Redevelopment Agency, the County Board of Supervisors, the Parks and Rec, and the courts have been invaluable to activists throughout the years. At least one city councilmember would never have gotten elected if it weren't for Robert Norse.

More recently, Robert Norse was one of 13 arrested in Capitola while protesting at the military recruiting center on 41st Ave.

Since he is not paid to do any of this, and in fact funds many of these activities himself, it is amazing to hear the chief criticism Jerry has is that Robert Norse does not work for money. However, one cannot say that Robert Norse does not work.