The Young Turks

Oh man, I'd be there too.  I sense something historical going on with him and would jump at the opportunity to go and see him speak live.

Let us know what he says. 

by bfaul on 03/21/2008 01:07:58 PM EST

---

There were about +- 2000 people, which is pretty phenominal for Medford in primary season. The speech was fairly run of the mill; a stump speach.  The audience had everything from babes in arms to an 80 something grandma, with ample representation of all ages and sexes in between. Those are the bare facts.

I was in the "overflow" room, which featured a huge screen to show the speech he was giving in the main room. Before he gave his main speech, he came to the overflow room, greeted and chatted for about 15 minutes. It was nice that he acknowledged us. So I did get to see him from about 20 feet away. In our area, a smile was almost always present. He looked like he was enjoying himself; not bad after the week he's had.

I blame the cynic in myself but somehow I don't feel the need to applaud, even at obvious applause lines, when I am in another room watching a big video screen. I was in the minutest of minorities, evidently, because the other people in the room burst forth with much gusto at the slightest opening.

I observed something which worried me. While Obama was in our area, some Rightie was waving a sign (one side "Abortion Kills," the other "Jesus Saves"), following Obama around the room, no doubt annoying the hell out of the hundreds of phone-camera wielding fans. No one said much of anything. After Obama had gone to start the speech, there  was a commotion in the corner of the room the sign guy was in. Security started moving in that direction. A female security guard reached out and plucked the sign from the guys hand. About 30 of the people closest to him were gesturing with their thumbs toward him and shouting, "Get rid of him! Get rid of him!"

Then the the guy next to the female security guard took the sign from her hands. A pretty BIG guy, but not in any kind of security uniform. And he ripped the sign in two, then iinto confetti. The immediate crowd cheered. Oh, did I mention? In this room of 7-800 people, the man who ripped the sign was one of less than a dozen black people. I cringed.

The police took the sign-man out the door (right next to him) as he was animated in protest of his treatment. I don't know if he was arrested. I hope not. And I feel shame for those involve directly in such a scene.

When George Bush came here last, people had to be Republicans to be invited and once there, sign Republican loyalty oaths to get inside. People were arrested for very non-violent protests (one guy, a Bush supporter, accidently walked in front of the Bush car. Spent a night in jail.), anti-bush t-shirts and the like and it all felt very 1984ish.

I don't want the Democrats to emulate this exhibition of power. I don't know if the sign-guy said something to whip up the surrounders and he very well might have deserved being escorted out, I wasn't close enough for details, but he in now way deserved to have his property taken away and destroyed right in front of him - I don't care if it was two sheets of paper they were HIS. Fold them up, ask him to put them away; use them as bait to lure him outside - no problem. Destroy them out of disagreement with a philosophy?

I don't have to like it. And I don't.


Got me two buttons and put them on my hat.

I NEVER put buttons on my hat.

"He's Black and I'm Proud!" says one; the other holds the images of JFK, MLK, and BHO and the words, "Hope Change Believe."

I'll spare the details of the agonozing walk to and from. Suffice it to say I stopped halfway home and had a shot of Jameson's so I could finish the walk in a partial numb state. Wish buses ran on weelends here.

by MedfordTim on 03/22/2008 06:06:40 PM EST

---