Anti-oil sands activists steal water from Detroit mayor's mansion in protest about water shut-offs

Detroit River last month

A 1960s leftist wrote, "The issue is never the issue. The issue is always the revolution."

Which is why some people calling themselves the Detroit Coalition Against Tar Sands held a street-theater protest yesterday.

From MLive.com:

A group of more than a dozen activists wanted to make point about water access Monday.

Wearing ventilation masks and carrying signs that read, "Thousands of kids w/o water" and "Water is life," they walked up the circle drive to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's' home, the Manoogian Mansion, hooked hoses to the tap and filled up water jugs.

Daymon Hartley, who photographed the protest for the People's Tribune, said the activists spent about 10 minutes filling jugs and took group photographs on the front lawn of the 4,000-square-foot riverfront home without being approached by Duggan's security detail or Detroit police; although Hartley said he saw an unoccupied, unmarked police car in the driveway.

The Detroit Coalition Against Tar Sands, who are environmental protection advocates, helped organize the protest in response to the growing number of Detroit and other area residents who are forced to live without water because of shutoffs.

Oil sands--which are a valuable source of petroleum that hopefully the Keystone XL pipeline will soon bring to America--and shutting off water of the homes of deadbeats, have nothing to do with each other except for one thing. Opposing each of them is a method for leftists to gain attention.

When holding a protest--a single theme is crucial. Filching water--that's a crime by the way--sends a message, but what about the ventilation masks? Oh, that's about oil sands!

The same rule applies to movies: One of the reasons the 2014 Robocop reboot failed is that the film couldn't decide if it was a commentary on machines and warfare--in other words, drones--or if it was about Robocop's physical and mental struggles after the nearly-successful attempt on the Detroit policeman's life.

But when the issue is never the issue--it's easy to get confused.