Three School Teachers Threatened With Arrest at Bush Rally

[Roland99]

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_101504_news_bush_teacher_peaceful_protest.33035f77.html

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. -- Three Medford school teachers were threatened with arrest and thrown out of the President Bush rally at the Jackson County Fairgrounds Thursday night, after they showed up wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Protect our civil liberties."

All three women said they were carrying valid tickets for the event that they had received from Republican Party headquarters in Medford, which had been distributing event tickets to Bush supporters.

...

The women said they were angered by reports of peaceful protesters being thrown out of previous Bush-Cheney events. They said they chose the phrase, "Protect Our Civil Liberties," because it was unconfrontational.

"We chose this phrase specifically because we didn't think it would be offensive or degrading or obscene," said Tania Tong, 34, a special education teacher.

The women got past the first and second checkpoints and were allowed into the Jackson County fairgrounds, but were asked to leave and then escorted out of the event by campaign officials who allegedly told them their T-shirts were "obscene."

[Sparkly]

1. Wow -- they ought to be on all the talk shows!! Send it to Keith!! n/t

[Roland99]

5. Good idea...sent it to Keith!

[cmf]

2. so protecting our civil liberties is considered obscene?

:wtf:

I don't even recognize my country anymore.

[Wickerman]

3. Obscene? No, Bush* and his thugs are obscene

[trogdor]

4. I bet they'd let this one slide, though.

[skylarmae]

6. what I want to know is where is big bad oprah on sh*t like this...

why isn't she all over this, miss 'I got Arnold elected' by coming on my show and .....

[scarletwoman]

35. Glad you brought up Oprah...

I emailed the story to her. :D

[Bandit]

7. This story needs to be kicked

and spread across the nation. Protecting civil liberties is obscene in the GOP's opinion.

[bif]

8. The American Taliban

Cracks me up that they were upset when called that. But that's exactly what they are.

[Vincardog]

9. Kick this up. I want to see this on Jon Steward maybe 60 minutes

[Roland99]

10. I want to see this on MSNBC, CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS

[MatrixEscape]

11. Wait ...

Who owns the media? We don't have a democratic media.

I think it is time to disabuse ourselves of any notion that media serves its own best interests, i.e., the interests of the Corporate Elite. It is like people are still expect the media to do anything else but filter, manage, and distract.

We even,(myself included) act surprised when we notice this flaw.

[HughBeaumont]

15. They're too busy talking about Kerry's "remark" rather

than his three debate victories or his momentum as a result. Find something . . ANYthing to disparage someone who's genuinely trying to make change. Fuckers.

When I read about what Rethugs do and say, it seriously makes me want to beat their asses bloody for being so damned arrogant, unread and retarded. Is that wrong?

[Vincardog]

22. Kick

[ClassWarrior]

27. Our one hope is the fact that it's still a Corporate Media....

...first and foremost. If we threaten their profits - i.e. boycott, damage their credibility, etc. - they'll start listening.

24.

[Ladyhawk]

38. How much has that helped us with Sinclair?

:shrug:

[Bluzmann57]

56. Well Sinclair will probably broadcast that trash

but their stock is waaaaay down, advertisers are pulling out, and people are realizing that they ABSOLUTELY SUCK! So overall, I'd say that it isn't doing all that bad. We will win in this Sinclair thing, and we will win in November. But we have to keep on working. Never quit.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

12. OMG!!!!!! OBSCENE!!!

So protecting our civil liberties is obscene?

This needs to go out everywhere. If I had only one wish today it would be that everyone in this country hears the message that the bush administration thinks protecting our civil liberties is OBSCENE!

Fuckers.

[progdonkey]

13. kick

:kick:

[Roland99]

14. kick

[Roland99]

16. EMAIL this to EVERYONE!

[Bandit]

17. Kick

:kick:

[insanity]

18. I knew one of them

I am from Ashland Oregon, and I spent 5 hours yesterday protesting Bush. I almost got arrested for "disorderly conduct" when I was yelling, "John Kerry is nessecary" at passing cars, when I demanded the badge number I was told that if I wanted to come get it he would "kick me" (this was a county sheriff) Also, I saw how deeply disturbed the right was. A parent was flipping me off with her baby on her back. It made me so sad to see what America has become.
Also, one of the teachers was one of my friend’s mothers and to see her get kicked out made me so furious. They were told it was a private event, and that they could refuse entrance to anyone. BULLSHIT my tax dollars went into securtiy for that event, it should be open to me. There is an intresting documentry that was shot there that I am on, and it will be out soon.
On the lighter side of the event was that Bush gave 10 times to many tickets so there was a lot of pissed of repubs.

[newyawker99]

36. Hi insanity!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

19. That's insane...

Bushies want to throw people in jail for wearing t-shirts that say "Protect Our Civil Liberties". That must mean they don't want to protect civil liberties. It is funny that they took that as a direct critique of Bush's policies.

[Supersedeas]

20. a valid ticket is only half the price of admission

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

21. Nominated for homepage

This is an important topic.

[pop goes the weasel]

23. new t-shirt

Back: T-shirt front called "obscene" by Bush campaign

Front: Protect Our Civil Liberties

[Roland99]

24. Great idea!!

[insanity]

25. kick

:kick:

[geniph]

26. The Bill of Rights is now officially pornography

remember the good old days when we had the rights of free expression and free assembly?

I hope everyone who reads this joins the ACLU. This is exactly what the ACLU is for, to protect this kind of free expression.

"Obscene." What's obscene here is the very concept of civil liberties being offensive to any American. That is sick, sad, disgusting, and infuriating.

[Technowitch]

28. There you have it

The true Republican agenda: Civil liberties are obscene, and therefore need to be eliminated.

Anybody who's still voting Republican at this point clearly has NO idea what the words 'freedom' and 'liberty' actually mean.

[depakid]

29. Of course, the headline read: Bush Rallies His Base

I won't watch what passes for "local news," but it would be interesting to know whether any of the channels actually covered this angle. No one else I know does either, so hopefully some Portlander on DU will check up on it.

[scarletwoman]

30. They hate us for our freedom.

I hope this story gets some major legs -- and THIS is the perfect tagline to it: "They hate us for our freedom."

sw

[Roland99]

31. Then be sure to EMAIL it to EVERYONE!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x816939

:)

[Roland99]

32. kick

[karlrschneider]

33. Bushco: "Bill of Rights now Obscene"

This is what it has come to, people.
:grr:

[young_at_heart]

34. Is this America?

My country has almost disappeared!

[Roland99]

37. Sad, isn't it?

:(

[Free2BMe]

39. This is beautiful..we need more examples just like it at Bush rallies..

and blow it wide open all over everywhere...Oprah should have these teachers on or the View...Starr Jones could do a great job with this.

[Free2BMe]

40. yea, better yet..let Starr Jones on the View haveatit!!!

[SpinalTeeJoint]

41. Is there a picture of the shirts?

They would have to sport more than those three words to be obscene. Has anyone seen these shirts yet?

[Roland99]

42. Right here...

[SpinalTeeJoint]

44. They look harmless to me

What is the big deal?

[Roland99]

45. What do you mean what is the big deal?? It's obvious!

We can't have people thinking freely!

WTF is wrong with you!

Ok, time for your next dosage.

[ProudDad]

43. I can understand this

The concept of protecting Civil Liberties is "obscene" to the bush kind of republicans.

[Elminster]

46. What utter bullshit.....

That fuckhead taking up space in the white house so loves
to micro manage everything that it is unthinkable to have
a person with a desenting view in the crowd! Thats why
they have such tight control over who gets let in to his
bullshit sessions! Hundreds of lambs that have no brain
playing follow the unich. If that idiot told the crowd
that the sun revolved around the earth those stupid
fucks would believe him. And this is the person they
call the President.....I for one call him a fucking retard.
Those ladies and their story should be front page on
CNN, CBS and NBC and it should be blasted to all the media
outlets there are.
Throwing 3 ladies out because they wore shirts proclaiming
that they want protection for their civil liberties is
utter bullshit.
I hope that big-eared monkey retard burns in hell for the
shit he's done to our fine country.
I'll be glad when we can finally vote his sorry ass out
of office Nov. 2nd.
Peace all.

[Tabasco_Dave]

47. kick

n/t

[Skinner]

48. Unbelievable.

This is a disgrace.

[Mr_Spock]

49. I'd like to forward the story to a brownshirt at work.

Too bad the link requires a sign up to that remote website. The workmate is on the fence about Bush because he knows he is an ass hole - I wanted to show him why I call them fascists. Is there another link I can forward directly?

[Roland99]

50. You can go here to bypass registration

http://www.bugmenot.com

[Mr_Spock]

51. Doesn't work

n/m

[Roland99]

55. This works for me

http://www.bugmenot.com/view.php?url=kgw.com

[quaoar]

61. Here's a link that does not require registration

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1015-06.htm

[Diana52]

52. Amazing...

While I am ashamed that this has happened in my country, I have to confess, that I hope the mental midgets responsible, continue with their obscene attacks.

I just find it incredible that "The President" is so proud that a 19 year old woman voted in Afghanistan, but these ladies, these educators are expelled from a political event for displaying support for civil liberties.

Ummm, wait a second. He is also anti-choice and pro death penalty. I guess it makes sense, after all.

P.S. Didn't you think those three ladies looked rather dangerous???

[Rjnerd]

53. Song to sing....

I heard this a couple of weeks ago at a folk festival. I can just imagine a bunch of people sitting in cuffs, waiting for the bus to haul them to someplace unpleasant, singing this for the press.

audio of the chorus and text of the words or audio of the whole song


HAVE YOU BEEN TO JAIL FOR JUSTICE?

© 1998 Anne Feeney (BMI)

Was it Cesar Chavez? Maybe it was Dorothy Day
Some will say Dr. King or Gandhi set them on their way
No matter who your mentors are it's pretty plain to see
That, if you've been to jail for justice, you're in good company

Have you been to jail for justice? I want to shake your hand
Cause sitting in and lyin' down are ways to take a stand
Have you sung a song for freedom? or marched that picket line?
Have you been to jail for justice? Then you're a friend of mine

-dp-
The New England Rubbish Deconstruction Society; The NERDS

[The Wielding Truth]

54. Hasn't this sort of thing been happening since Reagan. in the rep party.

[carnie_sf]

57. As Ben Franklin

so eloquently stated, "Those who would trade liberty for security
deserve neither."

[tedoll78]

58. I think I'll be blasting it to CNN and MSNBC.

True, they'll probably do a segment on "Ties at the Debates: A History." And they'll probably run that segment two times an hour for three days.

But I'll still take my chances.

[Roland99]

66. Yes! Send it to ALL News Organizations!

[RollergirlVT]

59. wow.

Last night I watched Unconstitutional and it was scary. I think it may be the best movie to show to alien supporters. It'll scare the shit out of them. Things are gettin crazy man.

[Buns_of_Fire]

60. Silly ladies...

...had their t-shirts only read "PROTECT OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES -- SO WE CAN SHOUT OUR UNDYING LOYALTY AND ALLEGIANCE TO OUR LORD, PROTECTOR, AND SAVIOR GEORGE W. BOOSH ALL DAY AND NIGHT AND DRINK FROM HIS NEVERENDING FLESH CUP OF COMPASSION AND I DESIRE HIM TO KNOW ME CARNALLY AND INJECT ME WITH HIS DIVINE SEED THAT I MAY HAVE HIS BABY"...

Betcha THAT would've passed muster with the Guardians of the Bunnypants. (But then, that's a lotta words to digest at one time for the Kool-Aid drinkers protecting His Imperial Cleanliness.)

[NicRic]

62. Whats obscene is.....

those trying to defend this pResident. I just dont understand how they try to claim this diasaster of a White House, has done anything good ? If he should win ,(cough,throw up) I will be totally disgusted with those who would give him four more years to screw up our country even more! A true patriot would put party preferance aside and do whats best for our country !

[Toots]

63. This story really needs to get some legs

It is a really important illustration of exactly what we are up against and what America has in it's future....unless.

[spotbird]

64. Absolutely

The mother who was arrested outside a rally didn't move people, but maybe this will.

But then Kerry mentioned the sexual orientation of a woman who has made the foundation of her career her sexual orientation, that has legs.

[gordianot]

65. This really burns me.

How dare they suggest that civil liberties are a valid concern at a Republican rally. What kind of people do we have trying to educate our children that do not realize that.

Sorry my cynicism is getting the better of me this morning.

[Roland99]

67. Damn free thinkers

We'll learn 'em.

[lfs5]

68. Finaly, Hope is on the Horizon!

"We cannot simply suspend or restrict civil liberties until the War on Terror is over, because the War on Terror is unlikely ever to be truly over," Judge Gerald Tjoflat. "Sept. 11, 2001, already a day of immeasurable tragedy, cannot be the day liberty perished in this country."

This is from the opinion of a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit which ruled unanimously Friday that protesters may not be required to pass through metal detectors when they gather next month for a rally against a U.S. training academy for Latin American soldiers.

Michael Greenberger, law professor and director of the University of Maryland's Center for Health and Homeland Security, said the ruling could have broader implications if it is used to challenge aspects of the USA Patriot Act.

Finally, a break in the facist armor!

http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W9RH04782C754873DF17F3F7A3F660