Scary, Scary Monday

[kyburg]

Welcome back to the Nixon Years.

Check This Out. A peaceful protest of Bush speaking at a high school commencement in Ohio sparks a repressive response from everybody from the school police to the Secret Service. Shoot. All these folks are doing is "turning their backs" when asked to stand up for the President.

Gee weeds, it's just like Governor Reagan again. Not President. Oh, no. We had the jerk right where Gray Davis is now when the Vietnam protests heated up in the late 60's. Can't have that - he then closed the college campuses. Period. Protest that!

Not a thing was thrown, not a gun or weapon was found...and not a word was spoken. Give me a break.

Looking for more of a middle ground report...but this is just scary enough to begin with. Sheesh.

Comments

Addendum

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I sent this to Gary Miller, Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein:

I would ask you to examine and consider the ramifications of the action taken against the participants of a high school commencement in Ohio over the weekend.

Let me quote the one eyewittness account - it's unfortunate that he wishes to remain anonymous:

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-snip- (Sent the eyewittness account previously noted)

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If only a fraction of this report is true, how much more frightening does it have to get?

I ask your support in seeing that this kind of civil abuse never reaches our district. And that is is clearly identified as wrong for any part of our country.
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Two of those three people are going to tell me to get stuffed. Oh, well.

My message to Senator Feinstein.

[unclejimbo.livejournal.com]

I am extremely disappointed and alarmed at the recent actions taken during a commencement ceremony at Ohio State University were Mr. Bush was scheduled to speak.

When students and other attendees were asked to turn their backs on Mr. Bush in a silent protest over his policies (including those in regards to the Israeli/Palestinian situation) the faculty, the local police and the Secret Service made it known that anyone who did this would be ejected from the ceremony and charged with disturbing the peace.

What follows is a quote from one of the attendees:

"I didn't get close enough to the 6am rally, but in my search for an organizer of Turn Your Back On Bush, I did indeed hear the announcement. Graduating students were told that they would be expelled and arrested if they turned their backs. they were alerted that dozens of staff memebers and police officers would be watching the stands, as well as the Secret Service. A few students asked for the definition of expulsion....did it mean removal from the stadium or refusal of their diplomas, or both? One of the persons at the front said "Both. And what will your parents do when they are paged from the crowd to bail out their son?" I do not know if this person had an official capacity with the Ohio State University or any police department."

Is this the actions of a democracy? I think not and as the ranking opposition figure from California, I feel it is up to you to advise Mr. Bush that he does not have the right to abrogate the 1st Ammendment when it suits him.

Mr. Bush was quoted on July 26, 2000: "A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it."

He seems to have missed a few classes in Civics. Please assist Senator Daschle in educating him about the Constitution.

Thank you.

That should do it.

Re: My message to Senator Feinstein.

[solidkz.livejournal.com]

Note - This reply was e-mailed to the tybob people as well.

Some people protest just because they can, and as such create their own reasons for doing so, oft-times really reaching in order to do so. Although yes, indeed, George Bush did say 'A Dictatorship would be easier', he also said (and has repeated many times) that he won't take the easy path, he won't compromise on American principles and etc etc etc. That's got to be one of the worst amateur attempts at selective quoting I've ever seen. The entire page looks rather Amateurish, which really doesn't surprise me. While I don't doubt that the silent protest did happen, and I can see them turning their backs and being threatened with academic expulsion and the whole nine, Has anybody actually been expelled? Was anybody's graduation denied? Was anybody actually arrested? Do they have any accounts of the event that aren't from Hardline Anti-Bush types? Personally I don't take sides with this issue. If the Secret Service and/or State Police are arresting people for non-violent protest, then there's a problem. If people are being kicked out of state sponsored events on state owned land for protesting the state, that's perfectly within the state's rights. If people are being ARRESTED, then the state oversteps it's bounds by a long shot and these tybob people have a case.

Remember, you have the right to say or print anything you want, but if you come into my house and insult me, don't think the first amendment is going to keep me from kicking your behind right back out into the street.

Also, just from my own personal experience as a photographer and all, I tend to disbelieve everybody until I see the evidence for myself. If they can show photographs or unbroken/unedited videotape of the event and people being arrested, then I'll buy it, until then, it's just the deluded rantings of a bunch of admittedly anti-Bush types.

Very true

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

The one thing that keeps hammering at me is that there is only one eyewittness account - and getting corroboration from any other source hasn't been possible.

Also, another point to bring up that I was made aware of was that since this was a State University function, then it was a State issue - not a Federal one and that the juridsiction is with the Ohio State Legislature and no one else.

Hmm.

Do I want to wait until someone is actually arrested for such a thing? Do I believe any part of that report was untrue or exaggerated?

The evidence is thin on the ground...but in my heart of hearts, I want it to go no further than this. And that is what I told my representatives, I think. I didn't like what I heard and I didn't want it to happen in my backyard.

If it was a knee-jerk reaction...well, I do remember Vietnam.