The Closing of the Collegiate Mind

Orchestrated outrage: fake protesters disrupt healthcare town hall meetings

The First Amendment is one of the most doggedly protected and proudly lauded rights of all American citizens. It is often cited as a distinguishing feature of our democracy. Regardless of the virtue of the speech, nearly all of it is tolerated and thought to contribute to the marketplace of ideas.

As healthcare reform becomes a larger source of political concern, many Democratic members of congress have taken the issue directly to their constituents through town hall meetings. The intimate setting of roughly 100 individuals creates the perfect atmosphere for true discussion. However, it has proven to be a breeding ground for manipulation and intimidation.

Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Arlen Specter (D-PA), as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have been among the government officials that have experienced the rambunctious protesters firsthand. From shouting down speakers to toting Bibles and attempting to condemn opposition with the word of God, the protesters have had an unmistakable influence on the success of discussion at town halls. Usually, the presence of opposition is welcome as fundamental to progress. However, these particular demonstrators have set themselves apart.

Rather than focused on generating discussion and furthering the debate, these protesters are scripted and directed to merely disrupt the discussion. The demonstrators were given a memo of instructions entitled “Rocking the Town Halls-Best Practices,” written and distributed by FreedomWorks. Lobbyist Dick Armey, former Republican majority leader, is the organization chair. The website “Think Progress” obtained a memo from a group called Right Principles that details behavior “Inside the Hall.”

Among the recommendations, demonstrators are instructed to “…rock-the-boat early in the representative’s presentation. Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the representative’s statements early.

Gee, I think I'm seeing a pattern here....




#tooinformedtovoterepublican

Mitt Romney supporters drown out Obama adviser David Axelrod at heated Boston rally

BOSTON — Supporters of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney today shouted down President Barack Obama’s senior strategist David Axelrod, Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and other Democratic Massachusetts legislators in a heated rally outside the Massachusetts Statehouse.

“You can shout down speakers, but it’s hard to etch-a-sketch the truth,” Axelrod said, referring to a Romney adviser’s comment earlier in the campaign about Romney resetting the campaign after the primaries.

As Axelrod spoke, Romney supporters, including some staffers, yelled, “Where are the jobs?”

Gee, I could just go on, and on, and on, and....

Don't you love playing "They did it too"?





#tooinformedtovoterepublican

LadyJazzer wrote:

Orchestrated outrage: fake protesters disrupt healthcare town hall meetings

The First Amendment is one of the most doggedly protected and proudly lauded rights of all American citizens. It is often cited as a distinguishing feature of our democracy. Regardless of the virtue of the speech, nearly all of it is tolerated and thought to contribute to the marketplace of ideas.

As healthcare reform becomes a larger source of political concern, many Democratic members of congress have taken the issue directly to their constituents through town hall meetings. The intimate setting of roughly 100 individuals creates the perfect atmosphere for true discussion. However, it has proven to be a breeding ground for manipulation and intimidation.

Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Arlen Specter (D-PA), as well as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have been among the government officials that have experienced the rambunctious protesters firsthand. From shouting down speakers to toting Bibles and attempting to condemn opposition with the word of God, the protesters have had an unmistakable influence on the success of discussion at town halls. Usually, the presence of opposition is welcome as fundamental to progress. However, these particular demonstrators have set themselves apart.

Rather than focused on generating discussion and furthering the debate, these protesters are scripted and directed to merely disrupt the discussion. The demonstrators were given a memo of instructions entitled “Rocking the Town Halls-Best Practices,” written and distributed by FreedomWorks. Lobbyist Dick Armey, former Republican majority leader, is the organization chair. The website “Think Progress” obtained a memo from a group called Right Principles that details behavior “Inside the Hall.”

Among the recommendations, demonstrators are instructed to “…rock-the-boat early in the representative’s presentation. Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the representative’s statements early.

Gee, I think I'm seeing a pattern here....




#tooinformedtovoterepublican

Once again you are missing the point. I don't support the GOP rude slobs who shout down others. You support the muzzling of minority women who you don't agree with.

No, I support the right of people who are forced to pay someone for speaking fees to have the right to express that they don't want people like a lying warmonger to speak at their commencement.

Rice could have ignored the protest and spoken anyway. It was her choice to back out.

Seems that the real "muzzling" here is teabaggers--with a list of "best practices" on how to do it, from FreedomWorks--shouting down and taking control of any meeting where views they don't like are expressed.

It appears that YOU are the one "missing the point." You wanna play "They did it too"..? Let's go.

So you do agree with letting a loud minority get their way simply because they are "offended". How mature those whiners are. It doesn't matter if they are Republican or Democrat, they think they have the right to deny the majority of people the right to hear someone's words.
:Speechless: The new America.

God, you are dense... Any sentence of yours that starts with "So you agree ____" gets immediately ignored.


No, I support the right of people who are forced to pay someone for speaking fees to have the right to express that they don't want people like a lying warmonger to speak at their commencement.

Rice could have ignored the protest and spoken anyway. It was her choice to back out.

Seems that the real "muzzling" here is teabaggers--with a list of "best practices" on how to do it, from FreedomWorks--shouting down and taking control of any meeting where views they don't like are expressed.

It appears that YOU are the one "missing the point." You wanna play "They did it too"..? Let's go.

I can type it again, slower, if you're still having trouble with the concept.



#tooinformedtovoterepublican

Just like a politician can't give a yes or no answer. Just boilerplate. So the students who shouted down Petraeus were Tea Partiers?

We now pause for a 30 second obscene profit making time-out.........

Lalalalalallala PLEASE BUY OUR STUFF!

We now return to our regurlarly shceduled bickering and intellignet debatin!

:rofllol

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1 ... 1291725062


..."No one could possibly count the compromises of intellectual honesty made on American campuses to reach this point. It is fantastic that the liberal former head of Berkeley should have to sign a Maoist self-criticism to be able to speak at Haverford. Meet America's Red Guards.

These students at Brandeis, Smith, Haverford and hundreds of other U.S. colleges didn't discover illiberal intolerance on their own. It is fed to them three times a week by professors of mental conformity. After Brandeis banned Ms. Hirsi Ali, the Harvard Crimson's editors wrote a rationalizing editorial, "A Rightful Revocation." The legendary liberal Louis Brandeis (Harvard Law, First Amendment icon) must be spinning in his grave."...

Brandeis is especially upsetting. The university was founded to provide education to those who were blackballed at other universities. So for them to cave in to and muzzle a feminist is sad.