From: kaldis@romulus.rutgers.edu (Theodore A. Kaldis)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.bush,talk.politics.misc
Subject: Re: GOP Cowardice at Penn State and Elsewhere
Date: 30 Sep 92 13:10:03 GMT
Followup-To: alt.politics.bush,talk.politics.misc
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In article <92268.142017TAF102@psuvm.psu.edu> TAF102@psuvm.psu.edu writes:

> More on the violation of civil liberties at Penn State by Bush
> supporters...

While the violation of civil liberties here at Rutgers four years ago
by Dukakis supporters at a Dukakis rally on the Rutgers campus was
somehow overlooked.  Instead, those of us who vociferously complained
about it were assailed as "brown shirts".

> From the Daily Collegian, Penn State's student newspaper:

From what I recall about the aftermath of the Dukakis rally, The Daily
Targum here wasn't nearly as outraged about the conduct of the Dukakis
campaign.

> "This lady, she told us that a private citizen--George Bush--had
> rented out this land and was throwing a private party," says senior
> Jeff Martin while describing the rationale for sign confiscation.

There is something here that is somehow overlooked.  Just because an
event takes place on some college campus does _NOT_ necessarily mean
that there is a standing open invitation to all the students of that
college to participate.

> [--Aside: Bush/Quayle DID NOT rent out Penn State!!]

"Bush/Quayle" (which isn't the proper name of the national campaign
organization, btw) is an entirely different and separate entity than
citizen George Bush (who does _NOT_ relinquish his rights as a citizen
simply because he happens to be President).

> Freshmen Claire Murray met similar opposition when a woman sporting
> Bush paraphenalia yanked signs out of her hands.  "She said that the
> Secret Service would not let us through with anti-Bush signs," Murray
> said.

[Yawn]  So what else is new?  This isn't the first time something like
this has happened, and it won't be the last.  And it happens regularly
with both democrat and republican campaigns.  Moreover, must it be
assumed that the woman was an official agent of the Bush campaign?
How do we know she wasn't just a private citizen who is just an overly
zealous Bush supporter.

College is generally a place where, it is hoped, young people are to
become acclimated to adult life, where there are lessons to be learned
from the school of hard knocks as well as from the classroom.  Welcome
to the real world, folks.

> "But Secret Service agent Dennis McCullough said that his agency did
> not stop anyone from entering because of a sign.  Such confiscation
> would be in violation of the protestors' civil rights." [Thank you,
> Agent McCullough!!  You obviously understand the Constitution and
> the Bill of Rights better than many Republicans!]

And Democrats.

> "Bush volunteers can't force them to give up their signs," McCullough
> said, adding that he thought the WHITE HOUSE (!!!) staff ordered the
> no-sign rule

Is Agent McCullough an official spokesman of White House policy?  Was
this an official statement, or is this just what he, as a private
citizen and possible Clinton supporter, thinks?

> because similar situations had occurred before!!

If a no-sign rule is in effect, then it applies equally to all signs,
regardless of content.  When we were at the Dukakis rally here at
Rutgers four years ago, we were not allowed to enter the cordoned,
roped-off area close to the podium.  We were told there was a no-sign
rule in effect, which was enforced by the Secret Service and campus
police.  But once that area was filled in, Dukakis signs were then
distributed to people within.  "They changed their minds" we were told
by the Secret Service.

> So...once again I ask all the pro-Bush people out there...Why have you
> been silent on this issue?

Probably for the same reason that the Dukakis people were silent about
what happened at Rutgers.  No, wait a minute ... they weren't silent
-- they called us "brown shirts" for complaining about it.

> Is freedom of speech only important so long as it is guaranteeing YOUR
> rights but not those of people who have different views?

Hah!  Liberals ain't got a pot to p*ss in with regard to this.  After
all, how many conservative proponents of political correctness do you
know?

> This smacks of cowardice to me...and reminds me of Mr. Bush who said
> at Penn State yesterday that he was ready and willing to debate
> Governor Clinton at the same time that his people did not show up for
> a meeting set up to negotiate this debate situation.  This morning, as
> a result, the 2nd debate which was scheduled has been canceled.

George Bush has proposed a compromise -- and Slick Willie now wants to
compromise on the compromise!  (But there is nothing new or unusual
here -- the candidates are just jockeying for position, as candidates
always do.)

> Cluck, Cluck George...

Cluck, Cluck Slick Willie, as it stands now.
-- 
The views expressed herein are my   ||  Theodore A. Kaldis
my own only.  Do you seriously      ||  kaldis@remus.rutgers.edu
believe that a major university as  ||  {...}!rutgers!remus.rutgers.edu!kaldis
this would hold such views???       ||
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