When King George travels, liberties suffer

The Capital Times ^ | May 13, 2004 | John Nichols

[tiamat]

When Bush MK1 came through town, there were protesters at the depot where his train came in. I was there, too, on the other side. Nobody hindered them.

Now IF protesters are being barred by the Bush administration, perhaps it is because SO MANY on the Left will get VIOLENT at the drop of a hat, which most of us here will not do. If you have been to DU recently, yo will see many many people over there who would HAPPILY put a bullet through Bush's head and devil take the hindmost, all in the name of "freedom" of course.

( I find it interesting that if you scratch a Liberal, so often you find a fascist underneath)

President Bush is very often not ALLOWED to make decisions that concern his security: Secret Service does that for him. We are in a state of War, and it would be HIGHLY irresponsible for the Secret Service let President Bush get potted by some nut.

If *I* were Bush's Security Chief and had to cover him in Wisconsin, I'd be awfully cautious about who I let close to him too.

[An.American.Expatriate]

And you opinion on the shutdown of Boston during the DNC Convention this year is??

EVERYTHING which is stated in this article is going to be imposed on Bostonians during the Convention. It is "well known" (ie. Bostonians and some here on FR have seen the articles). I have NOT seen the media outrage as in this case.

AND, a little less bias and a bit more fact would have lended more credence to the authors report. As it is, it is impossible to tell what is fact and waht is fiction. For example, were there no free speech zones, or is this something the reporter *thought* were there. The careful reader is left to wonder.

[Christian4Bush]

"Beelzebubba?"

OMG...I need a new keyboard and monitor!!!

[roses of sharon]

LOL, freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee thinks the President of the United States does not know people hate, disagree with, think he is Hitler, Saddam, OBL, mendacious, devious and sinister??

And if they only could get those signs in front of his face, he would change his policies or resign?

Hilarious and sad.

[Servant of the 9]

Exactly what is the connection between protesters and assassination attempts?

There is no connection, but if the worst happens, the SS wants a full file of 'steps taken' to cover their asses. It doesn't matter that the steps taken were senseless, only that there are lots of them.

This policy has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with a nice clean photo-op.

It has to do with neither, it's purpose is to look good on paper, just in case.

So9

[dirtboy]

Up the road in La Crosse, the clampdown on civil liberties was even more sweeping. Wolf and hundreds of other Wisconsinites and Minnesotans who sought to express dissents were videotaped by authorities, told they could not make noise, ordered not to display certain signs and forced to stand out of eyesight of Bush and his entourage.

Well, I do understand the free speech implications here - but the protestors also miss a certain point. They are obsessed with telling Bush what they think of him. Bush really doesn't care. However, if they were more saavy, they would play to the media covering the protest and get their opinions out through the media to a larger audience with the power to vote one way or the other in the upcoming election.

I have been herded into "free speech" zones before - and they have a certain benefit of having the press swarming over them, and I've gotten several interviews as a result. So I think the free speech implications here are not nearly as profound as folks wish to make them out to be, if your goal is to be effective to voters instead of trying to make a point to a politican who could care less.

[freeeee]

Also I want to know where your outrage is when anti-kerry people are removed because they are protesting. it's happened plenty of times.

I don't support Kerry and wouldn't vote for him because he too has no respect for free speech or assembly.

But he's not "our guy". This is your candidate. When he acts like Democrats we're supposed to convey our displeasure

[freeeee]

Blah, blah, blah. Yada, yada, yada. Who cares if you are promoting an article by someone who no doubt is among the hate America crowd.

I didn't think you'd address the topic. You had your chance for debate. Consider yourself on ignore for the rest of the thread.

[Types_with_Fist]

Go sell crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here.

As an aspiring screenwriter, I love special lines in dialogue. That one's good. But, the better one is when the young lady at the publisher's asks Mr. Udall, "How do you write women so well," and he replies, "I think of a man... and I take away reason and accountability."

Good stuff. Um... I forget... what was this thread about?

[tiamat]

You say you don't want to elect Clintons.

Who do YOU think would be YOUR perfect candidate?

Do you have a solution or are you just here to complain?

[freeeee]

LOL, freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee thinks the President of the United States does not know people hate, disagree with, think he is Hitler, Saddam, OBL, mendacious, devious and sinister?? And if they only could get those signs in front of his face, he would change his policies or resign?

It matters not what he thinks of the protesters, or if their message has any effect on him.

It does matter that he respects the basic rights of the American people of free speech and assembly.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Has Dubya gotten a haircut on Air Force 1 while shutting down an entire airport yet?

[dirtboy]

The SS does what the pres says. If he says non violent protesters stay then they do.

A lot of the protestors on the far left have a history of violent protest, whereas there is no such history with FR protestors.

I had an opportunity to "Freep the Creep" my first time I went to the Saturday Freep at the White House. I got there before anyone else, and wasn't sure where to go, so I wandered around the perimeter of the White House with my sign and my costume (Clintonstein) looking for the right spot. Well, lo and behold, as soon as I neared the SW gate, a motorcade started to pull out - a Presidential Movement! I started to reach into my bag for my sign - and then realized that it wasn't such a good idea to be reaching into a bag for something with Slick's limo approaching and armed and nervous Secret Service guards all about. So sometimes it's best to not worry about the president and instead make your point to the media or fellow citizens.

[MEG33]

Perhaps you are too unhappy in this oppressive country. Perhaps you might discover another country is freeeee-er?

[KJacob]

How did this become a free speech issue?
The constitution says something about "Congress shall pass no law......"
Did congress pass a law I am not aware of?
The first amendment is a restriction on congress not presidential motorcades.

[Dane]

I didn't think you'd address the topic. You had your chance for debate. Consider yourself on ignore for the rest of the thread

I did address the topic and part of the topic is the journalist who wrote this article and the political bent(hate America leftist) of this paper.

Sorry that you don't like those apples.

[roses of sharon]

Are you typing from jail? A political prison for protestors?

[jimt]

You're getting some amazing reactions on this thread.

You'd think the fact that Komrade Klinton did it would have FReepers expecting something different from our current president.

Apparently not.

[freeeee]

Was there no where (bridges/overpasses, hillsides etc) these people could have "free-speeched"? Just because we have a first amendment, doesn't mean people are allowed to get in his face to disagree with him.

They allowed supporters to remain on the street, and arrested or moved dissenters.

The government holds no legitimate power to make such distinctions, especially where dissent is concerned.

To do so is to behave like a monarch or dictator, not the defender of freedom we expect of our president.

[discostu]

So the president isn't allowed to get a clean photo-op?! Now your impinging his free speech. Here's the news, the First Ammendment doesn't garauntee you time, location or audience. No one's speech was impinged, get over yourself.