Anyone remember years ago when Bush was on his tour of America having town hall meetings trying to sell his plan to privatize Social Security? Anyone remember how law-abiding, ticket-holding citizens were sometimes removed from these events or not allowed to even enter them (some even arrested), because of slogans on t-shirts or bumper stickers on their cars? People who weren’t shouting or being disruptive or carrying placards of protest, but just sitting or standing quietly but opposing the current administration with simple non-offensive messages on shirts or stickers? I remember it well.

At the time, a great many of us rejected the notion that publicly-funded governmental events, such as town hall meetings and speeches by elected officials, shouldn’t be open to any member of the voting public who wasn’t causing an actual disruption. Many people from both sides of the political fence agreed. Many people from one side of the political fence didn’t have any problems with people being ejected or arrested for something as innocuous as a t-shirt bearing the slogan “Love America, Hate Bush.” Lawsuits were filed, and eventually those were either dismissed outright or quietly settled by the federal government for many tens of thousands of dollars. I remember.

I remember many things happening during the Bush administration that were free speech travesties.

Now I regularly see videos of town hall meetings completely disrupted by shouting, screaming, pushing, placard carrying protesters with no intent at all of either taking part in or allowing anything resembling a free exchange of ideas and speech, and I do not see any of them being ejected from the premises or arrested. I have to wonder … why the hell not?

Let them wear their t-shirts and even carry their signs, but if they can’t remain civil and disrupt a meeting with protesting and shouting and screaming … out they should go. Anyone pushing or fighting should be introduced to local law enforcement officers.

As I imagined, the heat continues to rise at town halls, minor violence is beginning to begin, and because no one has the balls to take control of the situation and have these people tossed from said meetings or to maintain order in any way, town hall meetings are now being canceled. Elected officials are even getting death threats. Death threats over a difference of opinion on health care?! Can’t blame them for canceling those public appearances.

I hope the violence won’t continue to escalate, but this situation is still a powder keg waiting to go off, and it feels like the fuse has already been lit. It’s not going to get better unless some law and order is restored and some people learn how to have civil discourse (and act like adults).

Personally, I think acting like fascists worked pretty well for the Bush administration and likely only ended up costing the government a million dollars or less in settled lawsuits. I say toss some of these asses out before they get the “Just say NO!” out of their mouths and toss them in some of those Free Speech Zones we used to have far from any of the action. Worked for Bush and no one seemed to have much of a problem with it.

You don’t think anyone would have a problem with it now, do you? :rolleyes: