Ted, I said criticized Sheehan's right to protest. I never said arrest her. I haven't heard anyone ask for her arrest........not yet.
The poll was all about having the "freedom" to protest. Criticizing a protester is not denying that protester their 1st amendment rights. Unless, of course, you think anyone who does exercise their right to protest should be "free" from criticism or offense.
Look you can move the argument ever so slightly in one direction or another as you are wont to do in your attempts to make and secure your point. However, let me tell you now.........its a wasted effort.
The truth is that for the past three years, freedom of expression in this country has been sorely limited by the right......mostly not by threats of attack and/or imprisonment but rather by intimidation. In response, you might say that that's the problem of those who were intimidated.........and you would be right to a degree. However, the intimidation was not your normal intimidation......it took the form of questioning one's patriotism and loyalty to one's country. That's huge in a conservative country like the US.
First, the argument was carefully set up and put into place by the right, and then exploited whenever someone objected to GOP policy and objectives. It was a very effective maneuver...........its very hard to refute an accusation of unAmericanism when the country has been attacked and the recipient of the accusation is criticizing the policies of the people purportedly going after the perpetrator of the attack. Consequently, this administration has had a free ride for a long time. Eventually, some people gave up and stopped criticizing......the public embarrassment was not worth the effort......particularly, since Americans did not seem to comprehend the magnitude of the malignancy that was taking place in this country, and so the accusations would end up flying over their heads.
But then a change occurred earlier this year.......if you were listening, there was an accompanying snapping sound to that change. The American public finally got what a mess you all have created for this country. And with that realization has come the pent up anger finally finding a voice of legitimacy and getting a chance to be released. Sheehan currently is the spokesperson for that pent up anger. That won't last long......already many people are starting to add their voices to her's. And its just the beginning.....we are seeing only the tip of the iceberg. The anger will turn to rage. And it will continue to grow and when its done, I expect some heads will be rolling.
Hell have no wrath like Americans scorned! ;~)
ted |
