So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls.

[r0beph]

I keep seeing newscast after newscast, print after print, blog after blog. "It is an assault on free speech" "Trying to silence the public dissent?" and so on. Seriously guys, where was your concern for "free speech" during the free speech zones. I'll admit the first free-speech zone was at a DNC in Atlanta. However where things differ is that the DNC free-speech zone was for ALL political activists, pro and con the DNC. During the last 8 by Bush, the free-speech zones saw a distinct shift. Only detractors were required to stay in the FSZs while the pro-bush activists were allowed to do their thing in full view of the public, not being put off site by a couple blocks as the detractors were. This is where the policy shift became stifling to free speech, allowing one to speak while censoring another. If you place all who have a message in one place, then their voice is the same and this shows no government censorship of the message by separation tactics.

Now another thing that gets me about these town halls is that the Republican/Conservative side is saying that this is wrong, they're trying to act as if the problem that exists within the town hall meetings is similar to the Bush era FSZs. Of course they don't mention the Bush FSZs because that'd lessen their argument. There is a huge difference though, town halls are not open forums per se. They're open to the public, but speaking is done on a per person basis, if you want to speak, you wait your turn, and when you do get to speak don't act like a child and form your speech on the hope for reactionary response from your opposition. If they'd do this, I assure you they'd have as much chance to speak as everyone else and there would be no problems.

if you reply, don't forget to include a response including the fact that bush used disparate free speech zones, Bush's Dept. of Homeland security (with the Bush Admin approval) labeled people a opposition protests as "threats to national security", that Bush's DOJ raided several (and without a single prosecution related to the original complaint) activist groups. Seriously, if you can't make a decent argument for all of that, I don't want to hear anything else about this falsely similar "blackout on freespeech"

 

[Little-Acorn]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

Poor liberals. They just vcan't get over the fact that people don't want their Nanny-state policies - and are not reticent in saying so, at long last.

All the leftists can do, is the worn-out "Bush was terrible!" rant, time and again.

It's not a happy time to be a Democrat. Awwww....

 

[r0beph]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

Poor liberals. They just vcan't get over the fact that people don't want their Nanny-state policies - and are not reticent in saying so, at long last.

All the leftists can do, is the worn-out "Bush was terrible!" rant, time and again.

It's not a happy time to be a Democrat. Awwww....

Typical drivel. I was simply pointing out that the complaint from the right wing at this point is akin to complaint during the bush administration. Except that during the bush administration the protesters who were forced into the free speech zones WERE protesting in what is normally a public venue. Town Hall Meetings, while public, are not public venues in so far as they abide by rules which the dissenters are not following. Protests in the street also have to abide by rules, the problem arose in that the Bush admin decided that only DISSENT was to follow these rules, being placed 5 blocks away from the RNC and other functions. The DNC setup of FSZs was to include ALL dissent and proponent. I have no problem with opposition at the Town Hall's if they're there to actually debate. The action of shouting down their opposition and not even allowing discussion is not dissent, it is quite actually exactly what they themselves complain of, the stifling of free speech.

So again I ask, if you wish to actually make a statement regarding what I had to say, follow the requests at the bottom of my previous post, elsewise keep the snark away.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

I have put into place in both the Democratic party and Indendence party , things to ban the use of of protest zones by the party ( not that the IP ever has)

 

[r0beph]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

I have put into place in both the Democratic party and Indendence party , things to ban the use of of protest zones by the party ( not that the IP ever has)

I've no real problem with protest locations (which can be absolved of constitutional stigma by supreme court support of permit requirements for orderly protest), the problem that bothers me is when it is a disparate separation. Supporters go on ahead and "protest" right at the gates, all dissenters please assemble ten blocks away.

The reason I support protest locales is that many situations require order and public safety is often a cite. For example, we had the westboro baptist "god hates fags" lot here during the funeral of some school children who died in a tragic bus accident. They were told by the city that they had to maintain a several 1000 feet distance from the funeral AND procession route. This was because the city refused to acknowledge their safety as being maintainable by the city if they continued closer than that.

Although political protest at the RNC/DNC differ from this as the emotions are rarely so far flung as a parent who lost a child, there is still the need to negotiate orderly procession within the function. When conventions/meetings garner large crowds it is a reasonable expectation that protests would be limited near the entrance/exit of the location. If not it could disrupt the proceedings (which is not part of the constitutional free speech), create fire hazards (blocking mass exodus from the buildings), and so on. Of course I'm sure different reasons are used often times by the city when they place these protest restrictions, but whatever the reason, I feel as long as it is equal among both opposition and proponent groups, there is no violation of rights.

 

[top gun]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

Poor liberals. They just vcan't get over the fact that people don't want their Nanny-state policies - and are not reticent in saying so, at long last.

All the leftists can do, is the worn-out "Bush was terrible!" rant, time and again.

It's not a happy time to be a Democrat. Awwww....

We're doin' so good it's killin' ya huh? We are so frickin' happy it's a party every single day!

Bush and Cheney the henchmen of TORTURE are gone. The American people kicked Republicants out of office by the droves. We have a great new President and we are moving progress forward with almost light speed.

I LOVE AMERICA!

 

[bododie]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

We have a great new President and we are moving progress forward with almost light speed.

Solid example with facts please.

 

[TheFranklinParty]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

Solid example with facts please.

I really like this response. I think we should use it every time a politician speaks (both parties). Can you imagine how quiet the room would get...lol

 

[top gun]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

Solid example with facts please.

No problem at all...

Obama's First 100 Days Most Productive Since FDR
By Major Garrett
April 21, 2009

"This isn't Biblical," a senior White House adviser said of the 100-day marker. "You don't do 100 days and rest."

Even so, this senior official, a long-time adviser to the president who spoke on the condition he not be quoted by name, said "you would be hard-pressed to find another administration that's done so much in such a short period of time. It's been a very productive 100 days."

For most of the 45-minute session the White House adviser spent with a small group of reporters, the suggestion that Obama had been more productive than Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his first 100 days (the president whose scale of activity first generated 100-day assessments of subsequent presidencies) was left on the table. When asked if that was the proper interpretation, the adviser said Obama's had been the most productive since FDR.

Here is the list of the accomplishments the White House actively touts, even as it disdains what it calls the "Hallmark Holiday" of the 100th day in office.

Passing the "largest" economic stimulus bill in American history.
Ordering the closing of Guantanamo Bay military detention facility and abolishing "enhanced interrogation techniques."
Setting a fixed timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq.
Ordering 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and enlisting, with modest new assistance, European allies in a new multi-layered strategy there and in Pakistan.
"Returning science to its rightful place" by lifting the Bush restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
Signing laws to expand children's health insurance (financed by a 61-cent per pack increase in the federal cigarette tax the adviser did not tout).
Signing a law meant to improve the ability of women who allege pay discrimination to sue their employer.
Diminishing the role of lobbyists in the White House
"Forge a meaningful statement from the United Nations" criticizing North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile.
Lifting travel and remittance restrictions for Cuban Americans who seek to travel more frequently to the island and send more US currency to their immediate family.
Engaging world leaders in Europe, Turkey, Latin American and the Caribbean with "strength and humility."
"And this is just the beginning," the adviser beamed. "The president is governing consistent with the way he campaigned as a candidate."

And this adviser was well-equipped to describe, in lush and laudatory detail, how the president has adapted to the rigors of the job.

"He's slipped into that chair (in the Oval Office), you know, as if he's been there all his life," the adviser said.

"It's been kind of eerie. He's a real ballast for everyone. I've been struck by the fluency with which he moves from one issue to another. I remember one day he was briefed on the North Korea missile launch situation, then there was a meeting on GM and Chrysler, then a briefing on the Afghanistan policy, and there was another meeting on GM and Chrysler. And then (White House Chief of Staff) Rahm Emanuel came into my office and said Fargo (North Dakota) was under water and, at that point, it became a West Wing (former NBC TV show) episode."

The adviser said nothing has slowed the president down or dimmed his confidence. The roughest spot, not expectedly, was calling "a military family who has lost a loved one."

In the main, this adviser said, he couldn't be more proud of what's transpired -- even if day 100 is, as he said, no more or less important than day 97.

"It's really been thrilling to watch him embrace this role as he has."


All this plus the stabilizing of our banking industry... the stabilization of our housing industry... getting Chrysler & GM in and out of bankruptcy in record breaking time... having the first Latina Supreme court Justice confirmed and now very close to a Health Insurance Reform Bill.

Our new President has definitely been a busy man and as an American makes me very, very proud!

 

[r0beph]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

Solid example with facts please.

Don't be needlessly trite. Is it so hard for you guys to look up what is considerably widely available information? Unlike my request for proof of the often ridiculous right wing declarations, yours is done ironically, try to be civil.

 

[bododie]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

So what you have listed is the proposals, and not results of them. You cannot say that ANYTHING he has done has helped, because the statistics that you seem to believe when they suit you, have not come to light.

 

[bododie]

Re: So I keep hearing the right-wing chatterbox go on about the dissent at town halls

Don't be needlessly trite. Is it so hard for you guys to look up what is considerably widely available information? Unlike my request for proof of the often ridiculous right wing declarations, yours is done ironically, try to be civil.

Lol. Aren't you special. First of all, you are wrong. I'm not so right wing, but nice try. The reason for asking for examples, was simply asking for the examples that Top Gun was basing his opinion on. Second, I don't need some ass-uming person to tell me how to be.