CODEPINK's Jodie Evans Speaks Out

[G_j]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Pelosi-is-an-expert-at-dr-by-Jodie-Evans-090812-762.html

Pelosi Is An Expert At 'Drowning Out Opposing Views'

by Jodie Evans (Posted by Jodie Evans) Page 1 of 1 page(s)


Disruption of the healthcare town hall meetings has triggered some rich debate about free speech in the U.S. In these discussions, CODEPINK has been referenced several times as the group who has most often tested the boundaries of free speech.

Over the years, we've been chided and insulted by the media, Members of Congress, former Press Secretaries, and even President Bush himself. However, when Nancy Pelosi weighed in recently on the townhall "mobs," saying that "drowning out opposing views is un-American," I was compelled to respond.

While the frequent mentions of CODEPINK in these discussions do not surprise me, it saddens me that there are so few groups from the past decade to reference when talking about pushing the edge of healthy debate. Congress has been failing the people in so many ways for so long that there should have been a non-stop primal scream from the people to wake the our representatives up from their corporate-funded stupor.

<snip>
At the time of the meeting, Pelosi had announced she'd taken the impeachment of George Bush "off the table," choosing her "popularity" and conservative funding sources over her constitutional duty. Millions of Americans were not happy but Pelosi refused to have any other town halls for the rest of Bush's term, effectively "drowning out opposing views." Today, over three years later, she continues to work at locking out debate about single payer in the Congressional hearings on healthcare.


<snip>
We should all be attending town halls right now and asking the hard questions, demanding accountability. Our representatives need to feel our anger at the wholesale selling out of everything we value. But this can only happen when we have all the facts and when we respect the other voices in the room. We absolutely must demand to be heard -but never through violence and never at the expense of silencing others!

[G_j]

1. k

[G_j]

2. I thought this to be relevant

since many have brought up CODEPINK in reference to the Town Hall meetings.
considering...

just unrecs?
:-(

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Yes it's very relevant

There are so many very significant differences between CP and the teabaggers. It is actually insulting to compare them, IMO.

[Cha]

28. Not anymore ..and

it's super relevant.

[Luminous Animal]

4. There is a difference between taking

the opportunity to present an opposing view, whether it be holding up a sign, wearing a T-shirt, shouting out a question, or a silent protest of bloody hands; as opposed to an organized attack to shut down any possibility of dialog.

[G_j]

7. well stated

CP has never tried to shut down the dialog. There goal has been to open up dialog.

[Luminous Animal]

10. And when has the corporate media ever given CP's

point of view the legitimacy that they are giving the town hall "activists." The town hall "activist" have one purpose, to oppose discussion. Yes, they have a point of view, but there actions shut down any option to present a counter to their point of view. CP actions invite dialog. They want their targets to respond in order to engage.

The "liberals" made a huge mistake by abandoning and vilifying those who, with facts on their side, vocally and physically challenged the corporate and military industrial complex. They made a mistake by proclaiming that collective protests don't matter. They've laid down the one weapon that mattered the most, grass roots mass protest against the tyranny of the state. We've ceded that protest to written word, that is the bloggers and discussion boards, and dismissed the power of angry constituents facing our elected officials.

What is so fucking depressing to me, is that I read over an over and over again, about these town hall meetings that everybody here and on other Democratic discussion boards can attend to counteract the protests against "Obamacare", but people don't. They are comfortable "protesting" here and allowing the wingnuts to take control.

What the everloving fuck?

[G_j]

11. truly

perhaps we could start showing up at Republican town meetings, demanding some answers!

but everybody just seems burnt out, mentally. spiritually. emotionally and physically...
It's scary, because that's the way the 'dark side' wins.

[omega minimo]

13. This is all very intentional, very orchestrated and very old new, folks.

"We've ceded that protest to written word, that is the bloggers and discussion boards, and dismissed the power of angry constituents facing our elected officials."

"...but everybody just seems burnt out, mentally. spiritually. emotionally and physically... It's scary, because that's the way the 'dark side' wins."


"The dark side" created this situation, starting about 30 years ago. The lazy/dispirited left and duplicitous dems LIHOP.

It's not a recent phenomenon.

:hi:

[G_j]

17. it's the same old..

being perfected..

[Luminous Animal]

19. People have been burnt out since 1982.

The last two generations have completely dropped the ball.

[omega minimo]

23. Would that be X and Y?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6310809

[Joanne98]

5. Code pinkers go to jail teabaggers don't. Big difference.

[ipaint]

6. Code pink and single payer advocates go to jail. n/t

[bobbolink]

8. CODE PINK disrupted meetings and also on C-SPAN.

Some of us were completely turned off by that, and remain so.

Howard Dean was heckled by HR676 supporters, and that is just as ugly. He was disgusted by it, and so was I.

It's time to look at our OWN behavior.

[omega minimo]

14. So you prefer to be shut out of the process and meetings altogether? That's when they speak up --

for YOU!!!

[G_j]

15. a meeting, or a hearing?

CP are best known for confronting Rumsfeld many times at hearings. That's ok with me!
I say we look at our behavior, in that most of us are not as motivated or courageous as these woman.

[Luminous Animal]

20. DISGUSTED!!! C-SPAN and Howard Dean

should be able to speak with absolutely no challenged from dirty fucking hippies!

Dude, there is a huge difference between making your voice heard within a public forum and shutting down discourse altogether. Never once has Cope Pink engaged in a tactic in order cease dialog in a public meeting. The fact that liberals have ceded the power of public protest to be too icky to engage in is precisely why the idiots on the right have grasped it as a slash and burn tactic to intimidate.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. When has Code Pink EVER done anything to prevent others from speaking out?

Your accusation is ridiculous.

[EFerrari]

25. Code Pink has never disrupted a meeting in which they were participants

unlike these undemocratic hooligans.

[earth mom]

9. Go Code Pink!

:yourock:

[EFerrari]

12. K&R

[omega minimo]

16. Spot ON.

I invite you all to the Jello Biafra thread, another prankster who tells the truth and shames the devil. Few and far between.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6310809

[Vidar]

18. Good for Jodie!

[MagickMuffin]

21. I was disappointed with Madea Benjamin this past week during her interview on NPR's

Tell Me More: August 12, 2009.

While I don't have a problem with CP, I did not feel as though her interview addressed the Town Halls as being about the Grassroots. She didn't mention how most of these Town Hall protesters are being formed by Astroturf campaigns. That is the main reason they don't know what they are really angry about. They are being told just to show up and yell and shout and shut down the discussion.

Maybe Madea doesn't know this, (if she ever watches Rachel Maddow's show she WOULD know this) as that IS the biggest difference between CP and the teabaggers, deathers, birthers, and the rest of the loonies.


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111801766

Even Jodie isn't addressing the Astroturf campaigns. It really is too bad that they aren't addressing this issue.

[EFerrari]

24. Omg. That idiot DeMoss brings up LANNY DAVIS as a model of civility

and Medea creamed him.

[MagickMuffin]

27. Yeah, that was pretty funny on Medea's part

Do they think that anybody that claims to be a Democrat is a Liberal?!?!?

Lanny Davis is NOT a Liberal. I consider him to be a Conservacrat Corprocrat whichever you choose to label him he doesn't have the best interest of the Democrats in mind. He only has the "special interest" of his Lobbying firm in mind.

[LWolf]

26. K & R for Code Pink. nt

[Orwellian_Ghost]

29. K&R