Change Their Minds

I had a Facebook throwdown with someone I have knew thirty years back. This gentleman is tremendously educated with a degree of achievement that includes holding a doctorate and at least one patent. He seems OK with running down those engaged in civil disobedience with cars. I am all for order being restored but was thinking of the twenty year old daughter of a friend who left art school in Rhode Island to go to protest the North Dakota pipeline. My old acquaintance thinks the protesters should be removed "from the gene pool". I would say that is way too far. I think a criminal citation and a fine for those who do not comply with lawful orders is a good start, and maybe some pepper spray for the really recalcitrant. You do not need to slaughter high school and college students because they are in a rebellious phase. This is not Argentina in the bad old days or Pinochet's Chile.