Posted on 02/01/2004 8:34:26 AM PST by FourPeas
Michael Moore has never been afraid to offend.
He didn't disappoint Saturday night in an appearance at Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, as more than 2,000 people jammed inside to hear him take on President Bush, Rush Limbaugh, war with Iraq -- and just about everything else on the political right.
Several hundred more were turned away when the church ran out of space in its sanctuary and overflow rooms. They came to hear the brash, outspoken author and award-winning documentary filmmaker, who is also famous for denouncing Bush in March before a national television audience at the Oscars.
"Why aren't we in charge?" Moore asked. "We are the majority in this country, not those crazies standing out there on Fountain Street," referring to a small group that gathered briefly with American flags to protest his appearance.
In the course of a speech that lasted nearly 90 minutes, Moore faulted the political left in America for being splintered and disorganized.
Dressed in blue jeans, a sloppy sweater and tennis shoes, he urged the largely youthful crowd to vote in November's presidential election and to identify "10 slackers that you are personally going to take to the polls with you."
Moore also repeated a line he uttered a couple weeks ago at a campaign appearance for retired General Wesley Clark, in which he called President Bush a "deserter." It refers to allegations that Bush skipped out on months of service to the Texas Air National Guard in the 1970s.
"I want to see that debate between the general and the deserter," Moore said, to loud applause.
He drew his loudest ovation when he said the nation should never send its young to war "unless it's for the self-defense of the country."
Among those cheering for Moore was Emily Hogan, 23, of Cedar Springs, a social worker who considers herself a big fan. In her view, Moore is one of the few who dares to stand up to the powerful and conservative forces that help elect Bush president.
"I have all his books," Hogan said. "I have all his videos."
Of his controversial speech at the Oscars, Hogan gave Moore credit for speaking up.
"I think he deserves applause for that. You need to stand up to something when you disagree with it. That's American."
Hogan thought the sizable turnout proves West Michigan is less conservative than many believe.
That's not quite the view of Michigan GOP chairwoman Betsy DeVos, who took a few swings at Moore prior to his appearance.
"He's free to go wherever he is invited. That freedom is a privilege I'm not sure he values very much," DeVos said.
"Michael Moore is a distasteful character who has made a fortune off of peddling fear, ignorance and hatred while posing as a self-righteous populist. At his core, he is an elitist and a propagandist who thinks that he ... should tell people how do business and live their lives."
As for his attacks on Bush, DeVos said they "reflect his juvenile and incoherent leftism."
Moore, 49, has been linked to populist and left-wing causes since at least the 1980s, when he edited the Michigan Voice in Flint.
He graduated from print to film with the 1989 release of "Roger &Me," a satiric documentary about the loss of jobs in Flint and his relentless pursuit of GM chief Roger Smith for an interview.
He reprised the tactic in "Bowling for Columbine," in which he tracked down an aging Charlton Heston to confront the actor and National Rifle Association president on gun control.
It won an Oscar for Moore in March, when he stepped out on the stage to denounce President Bush and the war with Iraq: "We are against this war, Mr. Bush. Shame on you, Mr. Bush, shame on you."
A pastor at Fountain Street said his appearance is in keeping with a long tradition at the church of controversial speakers, from Eleanor Roosevelt to black activist Stokely Carmichael.
"We could have filled the sanctuary twice," said senior pastor Judith Walker-Riggs. She said she hoped the appearance would spark interest in the political process in a group that has opted out of a recent elections.
"Michael is so popular with the generations that have historically not been voting," she said.
Before his speech, Moore went outside and spoke to the hundreds of people who were turned away when the doors were closed.
"That's usually the group I'm in, the tardy group," Moore quipped.
Mr. Moore is delusional. Fat, balding liars who spout of on topics they have no possible understanding of because their liberal politics get in the way of reality are not the majority in this country. Rational people who have a belief in less government, not more is the majority.
Sheesh. And they gave that moron an Oscar. It should have been for fiction, not documentary. Since he spliced and hacked his way through interviews to get his liberal screed across.
And can we get that room soundproofed, so that we don't have to find out?
You're right nobody has ever been forced into it, they were all conned.
But thanks again for speaking up for the DeVos'. I think they are a really great family doing a lot of good things. Anyway, to continue this type of discussion would require a new thread, so I'll just leave it at that.
Have a great day
FReegards,
Pete
How?
Bwahahaha, another "I'm a supporter, but I never did it". Sorry, lonestar, but everyone I've ever met who says that is ashamed to admit that they were in, got scammed, spent an un-Godly amount of money on 'support material', got disillusioned, imploded and got out. Now I know you're going to hang your hat on the 1977 ruling, but guess what, that's just more smoke and mirrors from Scamway and your upline.
That being said, I'm certainly glad you got out, but there's still some residual brainwashing left over.
Did you go to college? Did you have to buy books when you did? How much did the books cost? did they help you to learn your profession? Are you a millionaire yet? What happened?
These Support Materials are part of the educational system. Not everybody that get's into a business knows what they are doing. So they need education - just like college.
If they imploded and got out - that's only because they were not willing to put the effort into it. That's OK, because not everyone is made to own/run this type of business model.
YOU GOTTA HAVE A DREAM! You're still in, right? What PV level? 2500? 4000? Direct is just around the corner, right? Go listen to another tape willya and when you finally implode you'll thank me for it. Remember, less than 1% of all distributors make the illusion of Direct and nearly all Directs flame out.
No, Mr. Arch - I'm in this for the long haul (because that's what it takes). And yes - YOU GOTTA HAVE A DREAM!!!!! Because what else would motivate a person to step out of their comfort zone to talk to other people about an opportunity that has become so misunderstood because of people like you?
I have a life that you can only dream of tape eater. I have the coolest job on the face of the earth, I fly airplanes and teach others to do so. Am I a millionaire? Nope. Do I care? Nope. So, newbie distributor, your transfer of tape material to this forum affects me not one bit.
These Support Materials are part of the educational system. Not everybody that get's into a business knows what they are doing. So they need education - just like college.
Oh, you mean the college of Britt, Dexter, etc. Look son, I've brought Emeralds to their knees and caused Directs to get out. Don't tempt me.
If they imploded and got out - that's only because they were not willing to put the effort into it. That's OK, because not everyone is made to own/run this type of business model.
No distributor owns his business, if they did they wouldn't be prohibited from selling on E-Bay or any other way. Sorry, dreamer, you are about one year downrange from imploding. When it happens you'll thank me.
I love what I do in the business because I know that I am making a difference in somebody's life. "Imploding" is not an option. So, let's just leave it at that.
Besides, this discussion is way off topic for this thread.
Have a great day, sir.
Pete
These are the same people who hold perverts as heroes and attack the Boy Scouts.
Hey, let's call them as we sees them.... He's publically admitted to being a SOCIALIST. That fact should be repeated and repeated again - until the sheeple with the thick skulls get it memorized!
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