Thursday, February 03, 2005
Bushworld: Creeping Fascism
Today 40 residents of Fargo,ND were barred from attending a presidential speech. Those blacklisted included critics of Bush or the war in Iraq, two high school students, a librarian, a deputy Democratic campaign manager and a number of university professors.
Scary. And I thought it was bad enough when Cheney was making those attending his campaign speeches sign "loyalty oaths" or when protestors were put behind fences in ironically named "first amendment zones." Now there are these McCarthyite lists.
Here's a statement from Democracy Now radio host, Ed Schultz, who was "blacklisted":
"News of the Bush blacklist of dozens of citizens from a Fargo, North Dakota speech is as frightening as it has become routine for this Administration. To blacklist a local citizen because he produces a radio program at odds with the political agenda of the White House is dangerous for Democracy.
This Administration cannot promote freedom and liberty abroad while banning our most fundamental freedoms here at home. The pattern of stifling those voices that do not represent conservative orthodoxy has chilling implications for our Democracy.
Consider these recent cases:
A man is arrested and charged for holding a small “No War” sign at the January Inaugural.
The mother of a soldier killed in Iraq is ejected, arrested and charged while attending a rally for Laura Bush in September.
Across the country, citizens are removed from public sidewalks because “the President had requested a federal protection zone."
The greatness of this country lies in our constitutionally-protected freedoms and liberties. To attempt to ban those freedoms here at home hurts every American."
Only Bush would preach an "end to tyranny" in recent speeches and act like a tyrant himself. Oops, hope I don't get put on a "list" for saying this....
Statement on the Bush Blacklist for Fargo
Scary. And I thought it was bad enough when Cheney was making those attending his campaign speeches sign "loyalty oaths" or when protestors were put behind fences in ironically named "first amendment zones." Now there are these McCarthyite lists.
Here's a statement from Democracy Now radio host, Ed Schultz, who was "blacklisted":
"News of the Bush blacklist of dozens of citizens from a Fargo, North Dakota speech is as frightening as it has become routine for this Administration. To blacklist a local citizen because he produces a radio program at odds with the political agenda of the White House is dangerous for Democracy.
This Administration cannot promote freedom and liberty abroad while banning our most fundamental freedoms here at home. The pattern of stifling those voices that do not represent conservative orthodoxy has chilling implications for our Democracy.
Consider these recent cases:
A man is arrested and charged for holding a small “No War” sign at the January Inaugural.
The mother of a soldier killed in Iraq is ejected, arrested and charged while attending a rally for Laura Bush in September.
Across the country, citizens are removed from public sidewalks because “the President had requested a federal protection zone."
The greatness of this country lies in our constitutionally-protected freedoms and liberties. To attempt to ban those freedoms here at home hurts every American."
Only Bush would preach an "end to tyranny" in recent speeches and act like a tyrant himself. Oops, hope I don't get put on a "list" for saying this....
Statement on the Bush Blacklist for Fargo
