Here at Real Change In America we strive to keep ourselves politically unbiased. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions and we welcome the diversity of America. It’s meant to make us unique and to help us progress and evolve with the times. However, there are some events that really make me feel like it actually makes us go in a reserve direction.
I want to show you a video of a man that came to the 9/12 protest and held a sign expressing his view on health care.
This man was spat on and pushed around for expressing his view at a protest. Granted the protest was for the opposite reason of his view, he is entitled to his own opinion. He has as much right to be there as the rest of everyone else. This shows the ultimate sign of disrespect and a skewed perception of our entitled rights. If it’s one thing I wish you take from this website, even if it’s not our main goal, is that an open mind is required for America to work the way it was intended. This country was founded on the idea of freedom of expression. Just because you have a different vision of how this country should be ran, it does NOT give you the right to disrespect another human being (Yes that is correct, a HUMAN BEING. A fellow flesh and blood man, just the same as you and I. A person who is entitled to his own opinion). He was not infringing on their pursuit of happiness, and in fact, continued to act with respect even though his actions were not met with the same courtesy. This I applaud, as it makes him the bigger man in this situation.
This is not an attack on people who are against the current administration’s health care plans. This is just a wake up call to those who are too hard headed to understand anybody but themselves or similar people. We are all guilty of it at one point in time or another, but what separates those who are blind and those who are able to see, are those willing to see. If you do not want to respect a fellow man’s idea (and I emphasize respect, not agreement), then you are the so called buzz word “commie” (in which the true definition is skewed beyond all recognition by now). You are undermining the very system that was created by our forefathers and made this country what it is today.
EDIT: I wish to clarify that the boos are just, but the physical actions are uncalled for.
EDIT 2: Thanks for a visitor pointing out the derogatory named title of the YouTube video. We’d like to note that this not our views of this protest, but that of a the user who posted this on the Internet. This video is just for additional media purposes to assist in clearly understanding the subject of this article.
Tags: 9-12, 9/12, glenn beck, health care, protest
7 Responses to “Appalled by the conduct of the 09/12/09 protest”
I did not see the man get pushed, touched, or spat on. At one point someone may have grabbed his banner but the way it was flopping around that might have been an accident as well. Frankly, showing up at a sporting event wearing the wrong colors can result in worse treatment than this man got. You Tube is full of video of Liberals and Democrats doing the same type of thing, so don’t even start pointing fingers. And by the way. If your site “strives to keep politically unbiased” Then why do you have the word “teabagger” up at the end of the video. It’s well known that Democrats use the word as an insult to the Tea Party protesters and I find that derogatory and offensive.
Hello Anonymous,
The video was included to show a sample of what the man was doing there. We do not have control of the name of the video, so our apologies on that (I’ll search around for a more properly named video, but it’s a bit hard to find. As you said, there are a lot of liberals on the Tube.). I also find that phrase short sided and offensive from the left-wing side. The reports about the man being pushed and spat on we’re not in this video, but were discussed on other websites by eyewitness accounts.
And yes I agree, if you show up at the other camp I could easily expect that kind of behavior. However we feel there is a line to be drawn here. For example, even with the “controversy” around the 2000 election, I don’t feel that Bush should have gotten such a horrible response (ex. car being pelted with eggs) on his Inauguration day.
Not to knock your article, but, I think your statements would have more validity if the video you attached actually contained footage of the purported assaults you lead off with. Otherwise it’s all a bunch of he said she said. I’m well aware of the fact that there are elements on both sides that will twist anything they can to gain an advantage. Spitting on someone is considered a pretty serious offense these days and if it had occurred I would think arrests would have been made and publicized. Though I do admit I am not actively looking for any evidence of that happening.
With regards to the “teabagger” comment I was just yanking your chain. Thank you for addressing it though.
Although I agree that video footage would have been nice, it was widely reported across multiple news outlets (both right and left wing) that this behavior occurred. And ultimately, as said in the article, the real issue here is not political in nature. It is the lack of respect for other people, their beliefs, and ideals. Before any real change will occur in the United States, this problem will have to be solved.
JRT
I completely agree with your observations regarding a lack of respect for other people in this country. Although I feel that a large part of this attitude is generated by special interest groups that believe everyone else needs to conform to their standards. Examples such as people expecting services here to be provided in their native language, or demanding Christmas decorations be taken down because it “offends” them can be found throughout the country. I think the majority of Americans are perfectly willing to “live and let live” but when we are constantly being told what we have to do in order to make some other group happy it is just a matter of time before people will start to get fed up and say “what about me?”. Especially when the person being told to make the sacrifice sees the fruits of his/her labors being taken away and given to someone who has done nothing to deserve it.
This country is full of people who are working their butts off and are doing no better now then they were twenty years ago. Yet they see other people come here who have no respect or regard for our way of life and who expect us to provide them with everything they need to be comfortable. And to a large degree our government is doing just that by taking it away from us. So how do you respect people who think it is our obligation to support them when we are barely able to get by ourselves.
Exactly. having people (as well as the lobbyists) who are so headstrong about their own beliefs, it turns into an I am right and you are wrong fight. Those with the louder voice usually end up getting their way. It makes me feel like that the definition of freedom has been skewed just as much as some of today’s buzzwords (commie, socialist, etc). Unfortunately, this problem would only cease to exist in a perfect world. There is no right way to respect every and all people by defining rules. It really boils down to the fact of people developing tolerances to differences they may not agree with.
This discussion is along the lines of one of the reasons we’re trying to promote more options for representation in this country. Clearly things work in the United States at the moment, however, the situation has broken bits attached. At least to me, it doesn’t seem like we’re getting an adequate representation when we really only have “two choices.” Now, I’m in no way expecting this to be the so-called silver bullet to our major problems, but it will at least help reflect the real ideals of the majority.
Also, I just want to make a side note: Thank you for the discussion so far Anon (assuming you’ve been the same person). It’s been great to interact with a returning visitor who has a viewpoint they like to share and in a civilized manner discuss it with us. Hopefully more people like you will end up here in the future.
At this point your pretty much preaching to the choir. While there was never much love between the two major parties in the past, it seems that lately they are both bent on doing things just to stick it to the other side, and the citizens are caught in the cross fire. It would be nice to see a third, or more, party emerge and shake things up a bit, but with so many voters going along party lines without even considering the qualifications or stance of the candidate, I wonder how bad things will have to get before people will start looking for alternatives.
And to answer your speculation, yes, it has been the same person writing these post’s, and I have enjoyed the conversation as well.