Where's your MOTHER??
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009 10:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serai.
How great is Barney Frank? Let me count the ways...
Barney Frank to Protester: "On what planet do you spend most of your time?"
Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 05:26:12 PM PDT
Representative Barney Frank is holding a town hall meeting today in Dartmouth. While the meeting is mostly temperate, there have been a few moments of contention, as well as the occasional outburst from the obligatory protesters.
Although Frank seems to enjoy solid support for his positions from the audience, he is encountering a degree of cynicism about the Obama administration and government in general.
At one point, confronted by an audience member holding a picture of President Obama defaced to make Obama look like Hitler who asked how he could support Nazi policies, Frank asked "on what planet do you spend most of your time?" When asked if he would respond to the question, he said "trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table."
When accused along with Obama and others of being secretly in favor of a single-payer health system, Frank responded "It's been twenty-one years since I had a secret."
Several audience members asked how they could trust the government on health care. Frank admonished "I never asked you to trust the government. The government is not your mother or father, or your doctor...No one should ever trust the government, people should use their rights as citizens."
Also:
He continued by saying her ability to deface an image of the president and express her views "is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated."
In that he's right, although I wish it wasn't true. Yes, the First Amendment gives people the right to be all kinds of loud hateful asshole, but you know what? When people take that kind of freedom, it impinges on the freedom of others to have civil discourse and work to be good citizens.
Really, we should add a clause to the First Amendment: "...so long as you behave like adults." Democracy is not for spoiled, whiny children who throw tantrums.
How great is Barney Frank? Let me count the ways...
Barney Frank to Protester: "On what planet do you spend most of your time?"
Tue Aug 18, 2009 at 05:26:12 PM PDT
Representative Barney Frank is holding a town hall meeting today in Dartmouth. While the meeting is mostly temperate, there have been a few moments of contention, as well as the occasional outburst from the obligatory protesters.
Although Frank seems to enjoy solid support for his positions from the audience, he is encountering a degree of cynicism about the Obama administration and government in general.
At one point, confronted by an audience member holding a picture of President Obama defaced to make Obama look like Hitler who asked how he could support Nazi policies, Frank asked "on what planet do you spend most of your time?" When asked if he would respond to the question, he said "trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table."
When accused along with Obama and others of being secretly in favor of a single-payer health system, Frank responded "It's been twenty-one years since I had a secret."
Several audience members asked how they could trust the government on health care. Frank admonished "I never asked you to trust the government. The government is not your mother or father, or your doctor...No one should ever trust the government, people should use their rights as citizens."
Also:
He continued by saying her ability to deface an image of the president and express her views "is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated."
In that he's right, although I wish it wasn't true. Yes, the First Amendment gives people the right to be all kinds of loud hateful asshole, but you know what? When people take that kind of freedom, it impinges on the freedom of others to have civil discourse and work to be good citizens.
Really, we should add a clause to the First Amendment: "...so long as you behave like adults." Democracy is not for spoiled, whiny children who throw tantrums.
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no subject
Date: Thursday, August 20th, 2009 01:31 am (UTC)It is way past time the Democrats start calling people on this "Nazi" shit, let alone the other lies that RL has conned the gullible into believing. Bullshit is bullshit, people, and let's call it what it is.
and in other news, the first couple of weeks have got me floored this year, but will be checking back with you this weekend - rooms so crowded that kids are sitting on the floor - hello budget crisis :P
no subject
Date: Thursday, August 20th, 2009 02:12 am (UTC)I'll be happy to hear your thoughts when you get around to it, hon. I'm afraid I'm stalled - Pike doesn't want to talk to me. *grinds teeth*