Cantor buy me love
Poor guy, he just wanted to be able to say his piece. Instead, he has to carry one.
Cantor buy me love
We throw around phrases like “freedom of speech” an awful lot. Some of us do it smugly, secure in the knowledge that however offensive our comments might be, they are protected by that glorious first-in-line amendment (unless, of course, you’re spouting obscenities or creating a clear and present danger...like Snookie, who creates a clear and present danger that I am going to stick knives in my ears whenever I hear her voice.)
But when push comes to shove (literally, at rallies for example) we have a strange way of showing how much we care about opposing views.
Whenever Ann Coulter appears at college campuses, there is invariably that crazed trust funder who threatens to hit her in the face with a pie. I don’t agree with Anne on everything, but arrogant as she can be, she has the ability to string together some coherent sentences with intellectual heft. That’s not the case with many of her critics, who call her Nazi, horse face, and worse (all covered by the First Amendment, by the way.)
Now comes word that the crazies have essentially forced Eric Cantor to abandon his trip to the Wharton School, where he was going to give a speech about the disparities between rich and poor. Personally, I would have stood my ground, stuck my congressional finger in the eyes of people who carry signs written in crayon, and shown up at Penn.
But I don’t blame him for being afraid for his safety, given recent incidents of violence caused-and let’s get this straight-not by the fascist police in New York but by over-excitable, over-caffeinated and over-indulged protestors.
Our own home grown brand of dissidents seem a bit calmer than their Big Apple brethren. But Cantor must have sensed that his message was going to be lost in the maelstrom and the chaos, people who don’t want reasoned debate but, rather, revolution.
When you chase away the people who can effect change in the misguided sense that only your opinion counts, well, you’ll be speaking in an echo chamber.
And making a mockery of true, robust debate.
Of course, some people like our friends over at Clout think Cantor’s a hypocrite for not showing up. But when the dress code at your speech includes a flack jacket, I can understand sending your regrets.
flak jacket , please he is just a hypocritical piece of poop. Cut cut cut spending . I didn't here anything about him taking less than his 180,000.00 dollar pay per year.— Snoddy- Eric Cantor is a disgrace to the Republican Party as I knew it. I assume he has a safe District and that's why he says and does so many ridiculous things. He's an example of how low the people we elect have fallen. Given that, I agree he has a right to his views and to express them. As to the cancellation, I'm not surprised because he is a coward. Adequate security could have been provided. He just didn't want to answer questions from people and media who really know the issues facing the majority of Americans. Let him stay in Washington with the rest of the politicians who only care about their own selfish rearends.— lport
- Aw, lport my good friend, you can hate the message, but don't blame the messenger for not wanting to mix it up with some very scary people (and please, don't tell me their just good ole fashioned protestors.) I've seen some of their signs, and heard some of their heckling at me as I've passed by City Hall, and frankly, I neither respect them or their message. — Christine
- I knew "flack" didn't look right. Thanks, Snoddy. But as for the rest of your commentary, I'll just respectfully disagree. We can take issue with what he's done, or with what he has to say, but to threaten him so as to make it impossible for him to speak, well, I think the poop is on the other foot (or feet)— Christine
- Hi, Chris. You said earlier that you welcome respectful argument and that is something I have always tried to model.
I read the explanation for Cantor's cancellation and it was based on a change in attendance policy from a controlled audience of faculty and students with news media... to "the first 300 people" to enter the hall. Of course he knew he would be facing the occupiers. But no one threatened him with violence.
I think he knew exactly the kind of reception he would receive from the disgruntled protestors. He would have been heckled maybe but do you really think that someone would have thrown a pie in his face?
You are right. He should have shown some courage and appeared anyway.— Magistra - This would be like the Eagles deciding they weren't going to play because there were some Giants fans at the Linc. Come on and man up, Mr. Cantor. If you're going to reap the benefits of a career in public office, you've got to be able to face all of the public and not just your base.
philly, you are funny. Just imaging Andy Reid standing before the multitudes in the stadium making a speech on his superb coaching record this season. You would have been able to hear a pin drop. The Eagles do not make speeches. They attempt to play football.
Magistra, you are funny, too. Cantor would not have gotten past "Hello, my friends," before an unending shouting and hooting and "shoe throwing" until the National Guard was called in.— PlumberJoe- Is Magistra really doubting that a leftist would throw something like a pie at Cantor? Perhaps Magistra has purposefully allowed herself to be unaware of incidents where Pat Buchanan, Bill Kristol and Ann Coulter have had food items, like pies, and salad dressing, thrown at them. True stories. Please show me where a leftist was the object of a projectile from a conservative. The true cowards are the mindless, dialogue preventing leftists who do nothing but shout down their opponents.— Thoughtful&concernedvoter
- TCV - I may not be able to produce a video showing a conservative throwing food, but I know a conservative senator who once called our president a liar during a session of Congress. And have you ever checked out some of the raucous town hall meetings where tea partiers would not allow a speaker a moment to answer questions? And then there was Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver who was walking to a meeting and said he clearly heard the word n****r shouted and he was also spat upon by a protester
Not pies, just spit.
Rudeness is not exclusive to one group more than another.— Magistra - philly is right. Cantor needs to show some courage and attend the meeting. He should be able to answer questions about why he voted against the jobs bill.
He is not afraid for his life. He is afraid he won't be able to speak above the objections. Sort of like those who yelled "Yeah!" when a moderator asked Ron Paul, during a debate, if a comatose uninsured man should be allowed to die.— Magistra - Magistra; In your recent posts you have gone off the deep end into total partisanship. Cantor should be able to show up and speak without any concerns for his safety. Any liberal politician could come here w/o fear of being heckled or abused. Where is that fairness and sense of moderation you pride yourself in having? You are going to alienate people with your unwillingness to acknowledge the truth about these Occupiers. I see that even Christine has seen fit to directly address your partisanship lately. Would YOU heckle or throw something at a conservative speaker? I think not. How would you teach your students to behave toward a speaker with whom they disagree? Then why defend or deny the filthy anarchist Occupiers. You, and others who consider themselves principled progressives should distance yourselves from them. You are in essence defending mob rule. It is a disgrace. I am hoping you will see the light before this gets totally out of hand. Think a second time.— retour
- Retour, you should join my dear PJ and cool your jets.
Eric Cantor was not in fear of his safety. No one sent him threats. He was invited to speak at Penn just like hundreds of other speakers. No special attendance arrangements were made, nor needed to be made. He wanted a restricted audience. That is not how that university or any university operates.
I read in today's INKY that the protestors had planned to remain outside, and not interrupt the speech. If a heckler got in, there was enough security to keep it under control.
You are right. I would have had more manners than to heckle someone the way Tea Party activists heckled and silenced congressmen - in town meeting after town meeting - who tried to explain the health care bill to them. The Occupiers are no more a mob than they have been.
Protesting whether from the left or right is a highly American activity. We are obliged to assemble and present our grievances to those who represent us.
And people do get emotional sometimes and lose it.
But please do not get holier-than-thou with me.— Magistra - See, how I look at it, Cantor thought he was going to speak to affluent business school students and faculty...in other words...his people. When he found out that such gatherings are also open to the unwashed masses, he balked.
Buck, buck, buck, buck,buuuuuuck.— Magistra - And retour, I replied to your gracious greeting. 8-)— Magistra
- Magistra, let's get the facts straight. It was not the T Party people who heckled Congressman at their town halls, but all their constituents who were frustrated about not being heard.
No one spat at Jefferds (spelling) when he and Pelosi marched in a mocking fashion carrying the "ten ton" gavel.
And there were reports of heckling by the "unwashed" and disturbing classes on the Penn campus at the time scheduled for Cantor to speak. You have no idea what their ultimate objective was. Surely it was not to sit in silence and be respectful.
You are fast becoming a rumor monger.— PlumberJoe
Email Christine M. at cflowers1961@yahoo.com Reach Christine M. at cflowers1961@yahoo.com.
