Interesting Reaction To A Protest Outside The White House

Kaztronic · Post by **Kaztronic** » 04-20-2010 09:36 PM

So, a handful of Gay Rights protesters (six of them by the looks of it) decide to protest the policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - and in full military uniform they handcuff themselves to the fence outside the White House.

When you click on the link below to see the video of the incident, it's quite interesting to note the impact this group of six protesters had to a great many people on such a nice day. Not only the public, but the PRESS that was there to cover the protest.

I suppose that the members of the media, like the general public walking through Lafayette Park on this beautiful day needed to be immediately evacuated from the area because this protest - in a spot where so many other protests covered by the media (it's practically a time honored tradition in this particular spot - a spot you'll certainly recognize as having been the sight of handcuff to the fence type protests in the past). Anyway, they probably had to be evacuated because......... well, actually, I can't come up with an excuse, not even a sarcastic one to explain why the media was not permitted to cover this event initially (only later permitted to be escorted back to the site after inquiries by CBS News regarding this new & unusual procedure).

Kinda interesting the timing and all. I mean, one day after Obama for possibly the first time ever was publicly, and repeatedly shouted down during one of his oh so glorious campaign rally events by a group of protesters taking him to task on this very same issue.

Politico.com

An innocent mistake after decades of protests in the same spot? I suppose........

Then again........ the video below was from one month prior, same protest, same spot, same M.O. - Media was treated a little differently that time though.......

CNN

Kaztronic · Post by **Kaztronic** » 04-20-2010 09:52 PM

Interesting note:

This protest that merited such unusual reaction was organized by "Get Equal" - the same group that had the gall to send protesters to confront Obama yesterday during his speech....... he didn't like that very much (check out his initial reaction to being challenged on this issue. I don't know, I always find body language to be interesting to watch).

"So, I don't know why you're hollering".......... indeed.

Gather.com

SETIsLady · Post by **SETIsLady** » 04-20-2010 09:58 PM

What Kaz, a slow night on your other forum. Funny you weren't here to mention, or just here to throw red meat ?

Obama Orders Hospital Visitation Rights for Gay Partners, Friends of Widows

http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewN ... ows_100419

SETIsLady · Post by **SETIsLady** » 04-20-2010 10:12 PM

BTW, just giving you the diversity that you claim doesn't exist here...

Post by **Linnea** » 04-20-2010 10:35 PM

Wow. This is very chilling information, Kaz. Wonder who ordered the close down of Lafayette Park? I am very stunned by this video. Glad Rich Sanchez was able to get some footage and do some reporting on this. Hope this issue is widely discussed and some explanation is forthcoming from the White House on this. It is sickening...

Thanks for posting this, and glad to have you back. Please keep us posted on this issue.

Linda, I am kind of shocked at your rudeness to Kaz. I would be very glad to have him posting and hear his point of view on issues. We need more voices, not less.

I am hoping this thread stays on the DADT topic and Gay Rights - and this shocking event taking place at the White House.

SETIsLady · Post by **SETIsLady** » 04-20-2010 10:37 PM

Linnea wrote: Linda, I am kind of shocked at your rudeness to Kaz. I would be very glad to have him posting and hear his point of view on issues. We need more voices, not less.

Not being rude just being honest Linnea. I agree we need more voices, its just a shame some can only point out negatives and not positives.

Post by **Linnea** » 04-20-2010 10:41 PM

Linda, I am very shocked at this incident at the White House. It needs an explanation. I am glad Kaz brought this to our attention. Yes, it is negative. It is also vitally important. I am sure you agree this is a shocking event, and I know you support the Gay Rights Movement.

What is going on with this administration? I am truly speechless, and wonder how Obama will react.

Post by **Linnea** » 04-20-2010 10:50 PM

Here is an article that states it was not the White House who ordered the press crackdown, but the Park Police:

White House Press Corps Shut Out By DADT Protest; Mark Knoller Intercedes

...I checked with Park Police Officer Terry Felt, and he said that by the time he was on the scene, a press area had been set up, and that it was not procedure to push the press back like that. He was unaware that it had happened.

The protest, organized by GetEQUAL, was intended to pressure the President into including the DADT repeal in this year’s Defense Authorization Bill. While the President promised to end DADT during this year’s State of the Union address, the effort has been stalled, as it has been since Choi’s story first shined a light on this issue last spring.
Update: Politico has posted the video with the headline “Most transparent White House ever…”

It should be noted that I called the Secret Service Uniformed Division, and they confirmed that they had nothing to do with this action, that Park Police are responsible for the area in question. This was a transparency issue, to be sure, but not with the White House.

Wonder what really happened and if there will be a fuller investigation.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/white-ho ... ntercedes/

SETIsLady · Post by **SETIsLady** » 04-20-2010 10:54 PM

I can guarantee if it was me chaining myself to the Whitehouse fence I would be arrested as well. Thats what happens to protesters, just because they are Gay they don't get special treatment, in fact they don't want special treatment.

Everyone wants this President to fix everything that has transpired over the last 40 or 50 yrs yesterday and its just not going to happen.

Kaztronic · Post by **Kaztronic** » 04-20-2010 10:57 PM

SETIsLady wrote: What Kaz, a slow night on your other forum.

Good to see you to!

SETIsLady wrote: Obama Orders Hospital Visitation Rights for Gay Partners, Friends of Widows

Not that this is in any way on topic; but what, I should say "Thank You" and celebrate for being granted a right I should have had all along? A basic, human, decent right? I should be grateful to be thrown a bone now and then as people crawl towards equality?

This issue has affected people I know, and as far as I am concerned, this is a civil rights issue. I reserve the right to react accordingly so long as those rights continue to be violated in my opinion. I'm not interested in settling, and I'm not interested in being patient while this issue continues to crawl along during the best opportunity for change this country has seen regarding these issues since Bill Clinton was President.

SETIsLady · Post by **SETIsLady** » 04-20-2010 11:01 PM

Kaztronic wrote: Good to see you to!

Not that this is in any way on topic; but what, I should say "Thank You" and celebrate for being granted a right I should have had all along? A basic, human, decent right? I should be grateful to be thrown a bone now and then as people crawl towards equality?

This issue has affected people I know, and as far as I am concerned, this is a civil rights issue. I reserve the right to react accordingly so long as those rights continue to be violated in my opinion. I'm not interested in settling, and I'm not interested in being patient while this issue continues to crawl along during the best opportunity for change this country has seen regarding these issues since Bill Clinton was President.

Thats fine then do what you need to do Kaz, and what exactly are you doing ? Also I have not been involved in Gay rights as much lately because I am too busy fighting with the bigots in AZ.

SETIsLady · Post by **SETIsLady** » 04-20-2010 11:04 PM

Kaztronic wrote: Not that this is in any way on topic; but what, I should say "Thank You" and celebrate for being granted a right I should have had all along? A basic, human, decent right? I should be grateful to be thrown a bone now and then as people crawl towards equality?

And no you don't have to say thank you but I can say without a doubt this would have never happened under McCain someone who you voted for. Every movement forward is just that.

Kaztronic · Post by **Kaztronic** » 04-20-2010 11:05 PM

SETIsLady wrote: I can guarantee if it was me chaining myself to the Whitehouse fence I would be arrested as well.

Anyone chaining themself to the White House fence would be arrested, in fact I provided footage from one month prior showing Dan Choi being arrested for doing the exact same thing (have you watched the two different videos?) - there was a difference however in those videos!

The first one took place a month ago, and you can clearly see that the media was able to cover it. The second led to a highly unusual response to a protest that just happened to coincidentally be staged by the same group that loudly took it to the President within the past day or so at a fundraiser.

The issue here is not the arrests (that comes with the territory), it's with the treatment of the act of civil disobedience by this group, on this issue, as relates to the intention to garner media attention.

SETIsLady · Post by **SETIsLady** » 04-20-2010 11:14 PM

And what does this have to do with the President Kaz ? Can you prove that Obama made these decision to react in this manner ? BTW, I watched the video of Dan Choi last month when it happened.

Last month there were threats made toward Reps of the Gov, Reps and Dems they don't know what someone is going to do and considering the violent climate and the date he chose to do it, bad timing on his part IMO, I can see why they reacted in the manner they did.

Kaztronic · Post by **Kaztronic** » 04-20-2010 11:15 PM

SETIsLady wrote: And no you don't have to say thank you but I can say without a doubt this would have never happened under McCain someone who you voted for.

It's irrelevant, because McCain was never expected to move this issue forward. He never made promises along those lines. Obama was different however, and once elected with certain expectations, and the reality of the balance of government.... well, McCain and Obama become apples & oranges on this issue.

I knew what I would get with McCain when it came to Gay Rights (and I would not have been satisfied, and would indeed be critical) - and I predicted what I would get with Obama (and to say the least, on this issue I am not satisfied with him, and will be critical as I see fit).

Thus far, I don't see much gain considering the incredible opportunity for "hope" and "change" that this Administration represented.