Civil liberties speech draws catcalls

USA Today newspaper ^ | December 17, 2001 | John Bacon with staff and wire reports

[johnandrhonda]

Hecklers drowned out a commencement speech when the speaker said the federal investigation of the Sept. 11 attacks might threaten civil liberties. Janis Besler Heaphy, president and publisher of The Sacramento Bee, was speaking Saturday to 17,000 people at California State University-Sacramento. When she raised questions about racial profiling, limits on civil liberties, and the establishment of military tribunals, the audience interrupted by heckling, clapping, and stomping their feet for five minutes. Heaphy stopped speaking but said she plans to continue to voice her concerns about potential civil liberties violations.

[Roscoe]

Harry the Clowne Browne?....Mr. 1.5% of the vote.

I think it was 0.4% last time around.

[scottiewottie]

As a libertarian, trust me, this woman ain't no lady and there is nothing Libertarian about her! She was shut down for what she "is". Deservingly so.

While I may profane the curried remarks by the conservative slime that does not know the pot is boiling, her being shouted out is a good thing, if you lived here you would know.

[OWK]

Take your happy butt to Cuba to see what a real police state is.

Interestingly enough, I didn't say anything about a police state.

I said socialist state.

See what I mean about the whole "stupid" thing?

[Moby Grape]

0.4%....I think you are right. There is a trend here for the libertarians.....With the legalize drugs mantra, coupled with their name calling and Chicken Little scare mongering, they could possibly make history by becoming the first political party to move into the minus vote tally.

[OWK]

coupled with their name calling...

Amazing.

[Moby Grape]

Take your happy butt to Cuba to see what a real SOCLIALIST state is. You think I am stupid because of what I say. THANK you. Another Badge of Honor from the HEAD Koolaide drinker. (you guys are SO FUNNY).

[Moby Grape]

You stay in a state of amazement.....Can you get Japan with the antenae on you tin foil hat?

[OWK]

You think I am stupid because of what I say.

Yes.

I've encountered houseplants that were more thoughtful.

[OWK]

You stay in a state of amazement.....

Sadly, I do... yes.

[Moby Grape]

I have long thought that you converse with houseplants. They are the only ones listening to your comedy routines.

[OWK]

I have long thought that you converse with houseplants.

I think this coversation stands as evidence to that point.

[NittanyLion]

Take your happy butt to Cuba to see what a real SOCLIALIST state is.

Exactly! So long as our government is not so oppressive as Cuba's, there's no need for concern. These Chicken Littles that think there's some sort of spectrum we're sliding down need to understand it's black and white! Until we're ruled by a dictator, stop complaining! Sheesh!

[Moby Grape]

I rise above the level of houseplant since I, and 99.6% of the nation, do not swallow the Chicken Little rants of the LP.

[fod]

good grief, man, you'd need a chainsaw to cut through the irony on this thread...

[OWK]

I rise above the level of houseplant

Congratulations.

Given your obivous disabilities, that's quite an achievement.

[OWK]

good grief, man, you'd need a chainsaw to cut through the irony on this thread...

My thoughts exactly.

[Moby Grape]

You misread me. I do not say that there is no need for conern, but those who froth at the mouth labeling Ashcroft a fascist and claiming we live in a police state, are silly. The ONLY other outlet of such trash is found in the ultra left.

[OWK]

I do not say that there is no need for conern...

Yes you do.

Who are you trying to kid?

[Moby Grape]

And how many votes did YOUR canidate get for president....there must be millions of housplants out there.(if we do not join you, then we are thick of skull, dull of wit, blinded by party loyalty, or simply ignorant. The arrogance shown by the practioners in the Libertarian Party is one of the reasons you guys can't draw flies to your party.

[scottiewottie]

If I were at the commencement address, I would have joined the shouting down of this leftist media mogul because she does not stand for liberty nor libertarian ideas.

What is stupid is to imagine that you think that any part of her agenda is libertarian. To the degree that you think she is libertarian, you are ignorant, and deserve to be shouted down just like her and Harry Browne when he speaks in passive tomes on 911.

.04% simply shows that Libertarians will not be fooled. Sometimes it is a battle of evil against evil and you must pick the lesser evil because of the magnitude of the greater.

What Libertarians want now in the wake of 911 is to "destroy evil and preserve the liberty that makes us good." What we are seeing more of is a conservative voice of "destroy evil at all cost" liberty damned in the wake.