“The fence around the public demonstration zone outside the Democratic National Convention will be chicken wire or chain link, authorities revealed in U.S. District Court today. That may allow protesters to be seen and heard by delegates going in and out of the Pepsi Center during the convention.
But the American Civil Liberties Union and several advocacy groups have filed an amended complaint to their lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service and the city and county of Denver that says protesters and demonstrators may have their First Amendment rights violated by security restrictions.
The ACLU has said it wants to avoid the conditions that existed during the 2004 convention in Boston, where protesters were caged, infuriating First Amendment advocates.
The first phase of the lawsuit asked the court to compel the city and the Secret Service to disclose the information on protest restrictions.
During today’s hearing before Judge Marcia S. Krieger, the attorney for the groups, Steve Zansberg, said the city and the Secret Service had provided the information sought in Phase One.
The second phase of the lawsuit will address whether the restrictions are unconstitutional. Zansberg also represents The Denver Post on First Amendment issues, though the paper is not a party in this dispute.
The groups agreed to go to trial on those issues on July 29 and the judge will visit the site the night before to assess the restrictions.
Guess Pumas and folks that are planning to March on the DNC better be prepared to be caged. Of course, I’m not sure how well Pumas do in cages. Hopefully, this court challenge will stop further erosion of first amendment rights. According to another article in the Post, these are some changes being requested by the ACLU and 13 other groups.
An increase in the size and location of the public demonstration zone in Lot A of the Pepsi Center so that people in the zone can access delegates through sight and sound and an electrically-powered sound amplification system.
Change the parameters of the zone to accommodate more people marching to the Pepsi Center during the convention.
Stop searches of people or possessions where such searches are based on a person’s entry into the zone rather than “probable cause” or “reasonable suspicion.”
Allow for the distribution of leaflets and pamphlets to the delgates.
Allow for parades that pass by the Pepsi Center along the south side of Chopper Circle and the adjoining east side of Ninth Street during times when the delegates are present.
Allow alternative parades requested by Recreate 68 to the federal courthouse on Aug. 25 and by Escuela Tlatelolco to Sunken Gardens Park on Aug. 26.
Right now, protesters will be kept in an area where they will not be able to leaflet convention attendees. They will not be allowed to parade when conventioneers are entering or leaving the Pepsi Convent Center. They will at least be seen. However, this effectively blocks any access protesters will have to their supposedly democratically elected representatives.
So much for Free Speech.
Happy Independence Day!
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If Paul Krugman says there was sexism in this campaign, it has to be true! I have to put you on notice. I let folks criticize Hillary and even me, as long as it’s not nasty. Criticisms of my hero Paul Krugman are not allowed on my blog. So with that, here we go. A link to his blog is included. Praise him profusely!
June 13, 2008, 9:08 am
Sexism? Who, us?
By Paul Krugman
No sexism here
The 2008 campaign has been a very disillusioning experience for a lot of people. You can make a very good case that Barack Obama was the right person for the Democrats to nominate, and Hillary Clinton the wrong choice. But the way we got there was terrible. The raw sexism, in all too many cases coming from alleged progressives — see above — was part of it. So, too, was the inability of many alleged progressives to see that the news media created the narrative of Hillary Clinton as race-baiter in much the same way that, 8 years ago, they created the narrative of Al Gore as congenital liar — by assembling a montage of quotes taken out of context and willfully misinterpreted.
This whole story shouldn’t affect peoples’ votes in the general election: there are huge substantive issues at stake, and a wide difference between the candidates on those issues. So this is no time for a protest vote. But 2008 was definitely the year in which the progressive movement lost a lot of its innocence.
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This thread is a roll call for folks that agree that Obama, the DNC, the MSM, and voices of hate do not speak for ordinary Americans. Those of us that go to work every day, earn an honest wage for an honest day’s work, send our kids to school to develop their better angels, vote because we love America, pay our taxes because we want America to be a good place to live for every one, and watch the fireworks on the 4th of July knowing we’re glad we’re just simple, ordinary Americans.
Hillary Clinton gave voice to me. Her accusers are my accusers. Her detractors are my detractors. Her critics are my critics. I am an ordinary American. I had a woman who spoke for me and she was brought down.
I am one of the 18 million cracks.
Who speaks for you?
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I’m sure every one has watched Hillary suspend her campaign. Her speech was one of the most well-written and delivered of her campaigns with few exceptions. Her ‘endorsement’ of Obama rang somewhat hollow. Oh, we know she had to do what she had to do. After all, even when you’re wealthy and have book deals, $30 million in a campaign debt is a big deal. It is also a big deal when your pledged delegates unpledge themselves.
Saturday, June 7,
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“State Rep. Calvin Smyre of Columbus, the most stalwart African-American supporter of the Clintons in Georgia and a pledged delegate to Hillary Clinton, announced Saturday evening that he would vote for Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
I haven’t talked to Smyre, but this sounds like a reaction to Senator Clinton’s decision — despite her concession today — not to release her delegates to vote for Obama in the first round of convention voting. This could be his way of advising her otherwise.”
It has been difficult to be an African American supporter of Hillary. There were some really horrible rumors out there for many months. Tavis Smiley is a man highly admired down here in New Orleans. He brought his Black State of the Union convention to us and believe me, we really need the business. The only candidate to show up was Hillary Clinton. Senator Obama offered up his wife as a replacement. Smiley said no. It’s important you show up. Obama passed. Smiley criticized him. The hate mail was so bad that Smiley quit a radio gig. He joined the ranks of many being called race traitors simply because he praised Hillary for showing up and criticized Obama for offering us Michelle.
I’m sure that I would not want to be called a race traitor by the KKK for dating black men and having multiracial children (their father is of Japanese descent). However, this is because I fear retaliation and know the violence of which they are capable. I’m sure that AA supporters fear any kind of retaliation too. The history of AA dissent is also a history of dissent suppressed by violence. However, being called a race traitor by folks like the KKK wouldn’t bother me much otherwise. I really don’t consider myself to part of anything but the human race. I try to see every one by the content of their character. I believe this exact sentiment was voiced by Martin Luther King in his “I have a Dream” speech.
Now, I know there are many black folks who say that you cannot know racism when you are white. This is because you are swimming in an ocean of privilege. If I would ever accept the world as a simple black and white pallet, I’m sure this would be the case. But unfortunately, reality and colors are much more nuanced.
I have a friend named Patsy who is a soldier and an African American. She is experiencing such hatred for supporting HIllary Clinton that it makes it hard for me to come to terms with many things. For she is not, and has never been, swimming in the ocean of white privilege. Yet she, and my friend known as Dee4hill (you may recognize him as the young black man with the big red boxing gloves frequently standing behind Hillary at rallies) have experienced untold hatred. Folks are not judging them by the content of the character but by a choice they have made. A choice that is their duty, right, and privilege as a U.S. citizen.
As americans, it is our supreme duty to dissent when our elected officials and our political process do us wrong. This has been the case since the first case of tea was dropped into Boston Harbor. It was also the case when many folks built hideaways in their homes to help runaway slaves reach freedom. It should continue to be the case today.
I suggest we leave the suppression of dissent to the Chinas and North Koreas of the world and embrace the diversity of opinion that is America. After all, what binds us together as Americans is not our skin color or religion as some would argue. It is not our ethnic heritage or even our language as some nativists would like. It is our constitution. This is the document which lays out American values. I remember memorizing the Preamble as a kid and being very proud that I had a grand something or rather that had signed it. (Charles Pinckney from South Carolina)
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more Perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America.”
There are 25 amendments that we argue over ever so often and the courts decide meaning and intent. However, we can determine that most of them have to do with rights that the US government cannot take away. The First Amendment is of course the granddaddy of them all.
When we disrespect each other, when we expect every one to vote according to party, according to race, according to whatever thing we put out there, we forget the thing that binds us together. That is the promise that the first US government made to us and that ALL elected officials (yes, even YOU DICK CHENEY) are expected to hold above all us, and that is the very principles outlined in that very constitution.
If you surrender to identity politics, you surrender your identity as a citizen of the United States of America.
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The Sky Dancing banner headline uses a snippet from a work by artist Tashi Mannox called 'Rainbow Study'. The work is described as a" study of typical Tibetan rainbow clouds, that feature in Thanka painting, temple decoration and silk brocades". dakinikat was immediately drawn to the image when trying to find stylized Tibetan Clouds to represent Sky Dancing. It is probably because Tashi's practice is similar to her own. His updated take on the clouds that fill the collection of traditional thankas is quite special.
You can find his work at his website by clicking on his logo below. He is also a calligraphy artist that uses important vajrayana syllables. We encourage you to visit his on line studio.
No sexism here
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