Lost Freedoms

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Then I see the pandering, exploitation and manipulation by the GOP/Fox/Talk Radio and I'm back to my original thought.

Some college kids from Wright State in Ohio have started New Left Media. They are videographers who have been making the rounds of Tea Party rallies and interviewing attendees. they play it totally straight. No trick questions, no gotcha interview techniques. They just let these people talk, answering basic open-ended questions like "What freedoms have you lost?" and sitting back and allowing the interviewee to answer to the best of their ability.

I think that if you were to watch these videos you'd be confirmed in your original thought forever.

John

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by finnbow

I think that it is nothing but a cynical ploy to empower and give meaning to the deluded, shallow and bitter lives these people live. .

I like this post.

[finnbow]

I mean, really, if Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin represent the solution to your problems, your problems truly must be infantile or idiotic.

I think that if you were to watch these videos you'd be confirmed in your original thought forever.

Case closed.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

I agree that foreign bit is troubling. However how can we justify restrictions on free speech?

Pete

". . .or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

To have a grievance some action must have taken place, e.g., redress is a post facto function.

The people - in this context I must assume they are referring to citizens of these United States.

How any halfway intelligent person reading it cane even hallucinate that the First provides for lobbying (which generally preceeds legislative action) is due for a remedial reading class.

BTW a bennie is not a "petition"

Bribery - lobbying has nowt to do with restricting speech.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Boreas

There's always a tension between the rights of the individual and the rights of society collectively. As I see it, the Teabaggers are about settling the dispute once and for all by making individual rights the standard and society be damned.

They think they've lost their freedom when they can't smoke in a crowded elevator.

They think they've had their property seized when they have to let those porch monkeys eat in their hash joint.

They think they've lost their right to the free exercise of religion when some other religion wants to build a house of worship in their country.

They think they've been disenfranchised when the other guy wins.

They think they're being oppressed when they can't take their MAC-10 to class with them.

They think............

Actually, they don't think. They react.

Amygdala uber alles!

John

I just had an argument with a twenty five year old kid over your first point. Seems this young man believes no one outside of his family matters at all.
He also has this notion in his head that all conservatives are lean and mean and have no need of health insurance. And of course liberals are the opposite, fat, lazy, cigarette smoking drunks that the wingnut supermen must carry on their backs. I told him; "Pull your head out of your ass and look around. You have a lot to learn."

Point is, your statement seems to bear a deal of truth.

Dave