The missus and I were invited by friends to attend the Heritage Foundation dinner with Donald Rumsfeld in Nashville. A couple of hundred folks filled tables to hear some words from the HF and remarks from Rumsfeld. A pleasant evening with mostly like minded folks listening to a polarizing man give his historical accounts of working along side Reagan, Thatcher and Bush among others. Truly interesting to hear a man who was there when historical moments, good and bad, were being made. Outside of the political arena the man is quite affable.
Unfortunately the Occupiers found out about the event. They protested outside the hotel on some public land that was their right to stand on. At the beginning of the Rumsfeld talk a woman got up and began yelling “war criminal” at the man. She was unceremoniously hustled out. Unnerving but probably shouldn’t have been unexpected.
5 minutes later a young woman behind us, another young woman and a bearded radical dude across the room began screaming the same shit. They were thrown out on their asses. The hotel security was quick to establish control, Rumsfeld's HUGE bodyguards were not playing around and when we left the discussion there were cops standing outside the door to the conference room. We overhead them (cops) say that the hotel security took care of the problem before they were needed. I was happy to note the cops holding conservative brochures from Heritage.
I wish I was more aware because one of the young woman came up to our table looking for a seat and I heard her say briefly “oh this is reserved”. I didn’t think much about it. I found out in news reports today that some anonymous benefactor paid for their tickets and were apparently properly credentialed. My money says it was a "Code Pink" operative. They were also dressed appropriately for what it's worth.
If you do not agree with Rumsfeld that is more than fine. But there are honorable ways to show your displeasure. These idiots pissed a lot of decent people off and did nothing to advance whatever cause they are squawking about.
It made my wife extremely nervous. These particular Occupiers were bottom line rude and obnoxious. It did, however, awaken me to the possibilities of these radicals doing harm to me and mine at any venue. I am on alert now. If they can infiltrate and disrupt a hotel with security during a paid for dinner and discussion then there is reason to believe they could achieve mischief most anywhere they choose. They are dangerous and have seemingly little to lose, based on how little respect they have for themselves and apparently others. I choose not to dismiss any longer the possibilities of their violent tendencies.
In his days as a community organizer the President put stunts like this together often.
ReplyDelete"These idiots pissed a lot of decent people off "
ReplyDeleteOh Splork, don't you know that Occupiers would never consider you, your wife, or any of the people you hang out with "decent people"? They would spit on you if they could. That's just the kind of people they are.
I was trying to figure out what disturbed me so much about this movement, and I came to the same conclusion - these people have little, if anything, to lose. That is fucking terrifying.
ReplyDeleteYou were correct in your previous post - that some of this movement has a lot of the same points as the Tea Party. I kind of wonder if the whole intention, or perhaps an unintended consequence of this movement, is to flush those out from the left side who just thought the Tea Party had good things to say, but refused to go right, and were just complacently voting democrat. Maybe a third party has a chance here - not one about left/right, republican/democrat, but that has those beliefs that are shared by the Tea Party, and the "Occupiers" (the one's that aren't rapist, thieves, and lazy - few and far between, I know) and can respectfully disagree, or compromise on the areas in which they disagree. Probably not. I dunno, I'm new to this whole "politics" scene.
Either way, radicals are scurry.