Seattle bus ad controversy escalates (WA)

American Thinker ^ | December 22, 2010 | Thomas Lifson

[jazusamo]

Seattle's Metro bus agency, a public entity, set off a controversy by accepting anti-Israel advertising to run on the sides of its busses. The ads were sponsored by a group calling itself the Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign, run by a veteran anti-Israel protestor Ed Mast, also known as an activist in the terrorist-linked  International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

Because Seattle has a history of antisemitic violence by jihadists (local media called the murderous gunman who invaded the Jewish Federation in Seattle 5 years ago "mentally ill," but he was unmistakably a jihadist), the bus ads set off a wave of fear and controversy, lest similar violence be provoked. The transit agency was besieged by telephone calls and emails protesting the acceptance of the potentially provocative advertising.

But now the incomparable Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs (and an AT contirbutor), as is her wont, has responded with action that puts the ball squarely in the other court: sponsoring counter-advertising to run on the busses.

All of a sudden, Metro is reviewing its advertising policy. While the public agency was fine with the anti-Israel ads, the anti-Hamas terror ads apparently are cause for worry.

We salute Ms. Geller heartily. Stay tuned as the Metro grapples with the issue. Can you imagine someone like her running the RNC?

[jazusamo]

Good for Pamela Geller.

[jazusamo]

Ping!

[Nachum]

Good work Pamela. Quick thinking.

[Halgr]

God’s Blessing upon Pamela Geller

[sionnsar]

Thanks to jazusamo for the ping.

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

Quick link: WA State Board

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Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.

[Lazlo in PA]

Freepers, Tea Partiers and other concerned citizens need to remember this as an effective tactic to stop the left. Throw their own radical ideals in their face and make them defend it. Excellent counter-Commie work by this group.

[3niner]

While the public agency was fine with the anti-Israel ads, the anti-Hamas terror ads apparently are cause for worry.

That's because Jews respond to anti-semitic ads with their own anti-jihad ads, but jihadis can be expected to respond to the anti-jihad ads by killing people.

[zeestephen]

Just over a year ago we (Seattle) had full side bus ads supporting a national atheist convention.

[sergeantdave]

Some American cities should be visited only in airplanes while occupying the bombadier seat.

[jazusamo]

LOL! There’s something to be said for that.

[narses]

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[justiceseeker93]

Good for Pamela Geller.

Very astute move on her part, offering pro-Israel and anti-jihadist advertising to counteract the enemy's ads. The transit agency will probably issue a directive banning both of them, but that's a much better result than the Israel-bashing propaganda ads being allowed alone.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Freepers, Tea Partiers and other concerned citizens need to remember this as an effective tactic to stop the left. Throw their own radical ideals in their face and make them defend it. Excellent counter-Commie work by this group.

Reagan used it. Maybe we should take a page out of his book and do something.

[ChicagoHebrew]

Very astute move on her part, offering pro-Israel and anti-jihadist advertising to counteract the enemy's ads. The transit agency will probably issue a directive banning both of them, but that's a much better result than the Israel-bashing propaganda ads being allowed alone.

My hunch is that they'll get sued, and rightly so, if they ban both. Government agencies, like a public transit system, can't discriminate against speech based on its content. Unless they broadly ban all kinds of political ads (including campaign ads), my guess is that they can't just ban pro or anti Israel ads.

[SunkenCiv]

The ads were sponsored by a group calling itself the Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign, run by a veteran anti-Israel protestor Ed Mast, also known as an activist in the terrorist-linked International Solidarity Movement... Because Seattle has a history of antisemitic violence by jihadists... the bus ads set off a wave of fear and controversy, lest similar violence be provoked. The transit agency was besieged by telephone calls and emails protesting the acceptance of the potentially provocative advertising. But now the incomparable Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs... has responded with action that puts the ball squarely in the other court: sponsoring counter-advertising to run on the busses. All of a sudden, Metro is reviewing its advertising policy. While the public agency was fine with the anti-Israel ads, the anti-Hamas terror ads apparently are cause for worry.

Bravo, Pamela Geller. Thanks jazusamo for the topic.

[Pharmboy]

Just an historical side-note: Tom Lifson was an early Freeper, and I met him during the March for Justice in Octorber, 1998 with many other Freepers. He is also related to General Washington, and gave one of the introductory speeches at the reenactment of Washington’s funeral on its 200th anniversary in December, 1999.

[sheik yerbouty]

They’ll drop TROP ad campaign. Very good!

[Gene Eric]

>> All of a sudden, Metro is reviewing its advertising policy.

Because it is not the Jews that blow up buses.

[PRePublic]

a genius move.

[jazusamo]

Thank you for the background on Tom Lifson, you made my day. I like posting his pieces because they’re always right on and I’m glad to hear he was a Freeper.