I am always skeptical about third hand stories, but less so when they have names attached throughout their provenance, and this one does. Here's a tale to make you sad at least, and maybe worried,
Detained for Refusing to Clap: i was dragged off the floor of the RNC, just as bush began his speech, by three cops because i refused to accept and wave an american flaglet. earlier, they had already called me and art s. away from our press seats because we were wearing t-shirts with slogans, but they couldnt decipher them, and couldnt find anything “wrong” so we were allowed to go back. . arts t-shirt read “pray for a secular society”, mine just had chinese characters and then the word Bush. i told them the chinese meant i love —bush. then when bush came, i got up, walked downstairs to the central arena, i had a permit to do so, was handed a flag, , said no thanks, and immediately felt a hand on my shoulders. two thugs and a secret service officer hauled me away. they took away all my documents, held me for an hour, called the immigration service to check on my status as an american citizen, took away my phone after i spoke to emily in german, “you dont speak in a language we cant understand here”, i was interviewed by five different cops, including a Good Cop, the secret service man, two immigration experts, and one real gangster. they were going to take away my purse when i persuaded the good cop to google me up on the internet before doing another thing. then he brought me my documents, and he and the original two thugs escorted me to the street, trying to make nice on the way.
When you can be arrested and gang-questioned for failing to wave a flag, then it's not the America I learned about in law school. But it does start to resemble some places I learned about in History class.
Update: Now auditioning for the role of brownshirt.
Indeed, this is a troubling story. But remember, corporations are not democratic, and right now we live in a corporate-controlled country.
I’m confused as to what criteria the RNC uses to determine which Democrats expressing views with which they disagree get the bum rush and which ones get keynote speaker gigs.
I don’t know, sounds like the author was looking for trouble and found it.
I don’t know, sounds like the author was looking for trouble and found it.
Love it. Reminds me of the good old days. “That n*gger was looking for trouble and he got it”, said the leader of the lynching party. “She was no victim … with that short skirt she was just looking to be raped,” said the judge.
The transgressions start small, Randy. Censored speech. Intimidated press.
OK. I used to think I was just paranoid and had an overactive imagination, but maybe there’s something to this.
A couple of years ago–after the whole War on Terra started–my husband, a rising young scientist in his field, was given a major presidential award. We were to go to Washington for two ceremonies–one at the governmental agency that nominated him, and the big one, in the White House briefing room. The whole couple of days was really nicely done and we appreciated all the work by the people who organize these kinds of events, whatever their political affiliation.
Anyways…when Dubya came in, I was seated somewhere in the middle of the audience. Everybody had to stand up, which I thought was weird–he’s our public servant, after all, not our king–and I complied. But I clapped perfunctorily and then stopped, because though I respect the office, I have always despised this man, and I just couldn’t bring myself to fake enthusiasm about being in the same room with him.
A couple seconds after I stopped clapping, I could have sworn he looked right at me–and shot me an evil look that sent a chill through me, as if to say, “How dare you not accolade me?” I think I clapped again a little, just so he’d look away. But I figured it was my imagination. Most public speakers don’t focus on individual audience members; surely, I reasoned, we were all just a blur to him.
But now and again, after reading posts like this one and articles like this one, I have to wonder if maybe I wasn’t just imagining things after all.
I agree with randy on this one. It really seemed like he wanted trouble, but I agree with the rest of you that the Us is´nt so democratic no more. I would advice the US to take a look at their neighbours the canadians.
Boosa
“Finland – The last true democracy”
ps. Guess where im from?!!