Romney 'glitter bomber' fired from internship

[The Northerner]

DENVER (AP) — The college student accused of "glitter bombing" Mitt Romney after the Colorado caucuses has been fired from his unpaid internship with state Senate Democrats.

Police say 20-year-old Peter Smith threw glitter at Romney as the Republican presidential hopeful greeted supporters in Denver on Tuesday. Smith faces charges of causing a disturbance, throwing a missile and unlawful acts.

Colorado Senate majority chief of staff John Cevette says Smith was terminated on Thursday. He was interning as part of a course at the University of Colorado Denver.

Some activists have used "glitter bombing" to protest politicians' opposition to same-sex marriage. Smith has said glittering Romney was worth it, but he worries he could be expelled from school.

A conservative-leaning blog, Colorado Peak Politics, first reported that Smith worked for Senate Democrats and had been fired.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-glitter-bomber-fired-internship-005818989.html

[Syrinx]

1. glitter is a "missile?"

[niyad]

3. I read that this morning and thought, "you have got to be kidding", along with the fact that this

guy faces six months in prison for throwing what we call fairy dust. absolutely absurd.

[Syrinx]

4. and I just noticed he's also charged with "unlawful acts"

Is that an actual charge? Sounds pretty broad.

[jberryhill]

7. Any thrown object is

It's what the word means

[Syrinx]

2. Did any of the Brooks Brothers Rioters get fired?

Democrats are more civilized than Republicans. But they can also be such wienies sometimes.

[jsmirman]

5. Stories on what those bastards went on to do next

Rachel Maddow: Guess where the Brooks Brothers rioters are now
http://vodpod.com/watch/2022569-rachel-maddowguess-where-the-brooks-brothers-rioters-are-now

Miami 'Riot' Squad: Where Are They Now?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31074-2005Jan23.html

[HughBeaumont]

13. They not only should have been fired, they should have been imprisoned.

What they were doing was a federal offense on at least two counts (tampering with a recount of a national election in a government office, crossing state lines to incite a riot in a government office - the same thing the Chicago Seven were charged with, BTW).

But remember folks: IOKIYAR!!

Let's see what would happen if Democrats/progressives tried the same thing.

[glowing]

6. All these Puke's r getting their fair share of glitter bombings everywhere their hateful

selves show up... I think the kid is being made an example of so that young people may think twice about glitter bombing these candidates/ politicians in the future. They really are getting hit quite a bit with glitter, and you can tell Mitten's doesn't like it at all. He's probably made a big stink about this and is behind trumping up charges to try and stop so many glitter attacks.

[Yo_Mama]

8. Apparently it's not totally safe

This article has a statement by an optometrist:
http://thehill.com/capital-living/in-the-know/209573-eye-doctor-warns-of-dangers-of-political-protest-on-gay-marriage-

Sometimes the glitter gets in the eyes and causes a scratch and it can be inhaled and cause serious injury that way.

I didn't know this, but I would think the Secret Service would kind of hate anyone throwing a cloud of anything at a candidate. I would be very pissed off if this happened to President Obama - they don't know what's in the dust and it distracts them and could be exploited by a serious attacker.

I'm sure this kid did not mean any harm and did not think about these matters.

[Enrique]

9. someday someone will invent safe glitter

i know it can be done, glitter that won't hurt anyone's eyes and which is safe to inhale.

[Earth_First]

10. They make food-grade glitter...

Mostly sugar; available in your grocer's baking aisle.

[Snake Alchemist]

12. What if you're a diabetic?

[Earth_First]

25. There's always a devil's advocate!

Back to the drawing board...

[jberryhill]

17. That still misses the point

I continue to be amazed that any adult believes it is okay to throw anything at a person who does not want things thrown at them, or that any adult thinks it is okay to distract the security detail assigned to protect a presidential candidate.

It's not a question of whether the glitter is "safe". When some stranger throws something at a candidate, nobody knows what is being thrown and it distracts security.

It is a crime to assault people whether by using your body or thrown objects or substances. That anyone is surprised by that is simply astounding.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

22. If you want attitudes about this to change you'll have to wait until

Tea Partiers start lobbing red, white and blue confetti baskets at progressive speakers. Then it will be an outrageous terrorist attack against the very soul of democracy.

[Kwarg]

26. Thank you

For a rare and reasonable post. No lice bitten degenerate of any political persuasion should throw crap at other people.

[Enrique]

27. does that include shoes?

i'm just kidding, I'm not going to throw shoes at anyone.

[JSnuffy]

11. Rightfully so...

Here's an idea... Don't throw @#$& at anyone, let alone presidential candidates.

[KharmaTrain]

14. The Shoe On The Other Foot

I'm sure those who are cheering this stupidity would sing a whole different tune if this occured to President Obama or their favorite candidate/politico. It is a stupid tactic that is good for a few chuckles but from a security standpoint it is a nightmare. There are plenty of other ways to embarass these douchnozzles...just ask them a serious question and wait for the gaffe. The glitter bomb shtick is counter-productive and downright dangerous when done in a crowded room with heightened security. The kid who threw this is lucky he didn't get his ass kicked and deserves to get the boot. Hopefully this fad will pass...

[jberryhill]

18. Well now they get to claim this is authorized by Democratic officials....

...since he was an employee of one apparently.

[TwilightGardener]

19. Yep--can't do that, no matter what. He's 20, though, they do stupid things.

[WI_DEM]

15. 1970, San Jose, a group of protesters threw pebbles and stones towards President Nixon

and Governor Ronald Reagan when Nixon mocked them by delivering his patented Victory sign. They were not arrested. In 1932 Herbert Hoover had to endure eggs and tomatos as he campaigned all over the country--I don't think many of those people were arrested. But throwing glitter can get you arrested and lose you your job!

Mind, I'm not saying that people should be doing this type of activity but it really shows how times have changed.

[Fla Dem]

21. Yes, sadly times have changed. Once upon a time there was no fence

around the White House. Up until WWII the public had access to the White House grounds except for a few restricted areas.

[Chiyo-chichi]

24. Times have changed, indeed.

Wasn't it quite common at one time for anti-abortion protesters to throw eggs at pro-choice Democrats?
I was at a Ted Kennedy rally in 1980 -- he wasn't hit, but had an egg thrown at him on his arrival at the event.
My memory is that that egg-throwing was "a thing" for a while in the 70s/80s and that it was related to the abortion issue.
Don't know whether the egg-throwers were typically arrested & charged in those days.

[joeglow3]

16. Good. He is lucky if he doesn't get jail time

Charging someone with Secret Service detail and attempting to pull something from your pocket and throw it at said candidate is beyond stupid. He is lucky he was not hurt.

[limpyhobbler]

20. That glitter stunt was really lame. It didn't seem to get any point across.

I kind of think the glitter thrown at Santorum right before the Iowa caucuses might have helped propel him to victory there. It made him look like he was a victim being assaulted by radical gay militants.

[backscatter712]

23. Hits close to home for me.

I did an almost identical internship at the Colorado State Capitol, except mine was through UC Denver's rival, Colorado State University.

It's a shame - the internship is a great experience, and I certainly don't think Peter Smith sounds like a bad kid - he's an activist, he committed an act of civil disobedience/direct action, and then the Rethugs turned him into a political football.

Of course, all the authoritarians are demanding he gets burned at the stake. What would that accomplish? Give him a fine and community service. And don't expel him.