March, 2008
"That's Too Much"
Jaclyn Janero
I was attempting to reiterate some of the topics mentioned at Gonzales's speech for a brief email to a conservative friend, so I researched his speech online. To my dismay, all of the media coverage was oriented towards the two protestors that went on the stage in hoods, and were promptly arrested. There were, at the most, two quotes from Gonzales himself, and the articles mentioned that he was jeered at after making them. This made me seriosuly reflect at the display I saw the night prior put on by such organizations as MoveOn.org and Code Pink.
Why does the media encourage these acts of false bravado by posting pictures of protestors when the reason they were there was to report on Alberto Gonzales's speech?
As a Democrat, I don't find what these protestors did impressive, or admirable; I find it out of context and immature. When Senator John Kerry came to the school, a Democrat, did the Republicans protest his speech? The answer is no, and instead, a liberal conspiracy theorist attempted to speak in a manner that was undoubtedly offensive and ended up being tased. Can we have just one speech where the school is represented as an open-minded campus? We shouldn't segregate the two political parties because we don't agree with the other's ideas. We should accept the other's beliefs as if it were religion, or skin color.
When I was passing out the latest issue of The Florida Frontier for the audience at the speech, people insisted they couldn't take a free magazine. Members of my own party sneered at me, and threw derogatory comments in my general direction under the assumption that I was a conservative. One of the protestors nearly assaulted me, throwing the magazine back in my face and screaming belligerently. For the rest of the night, I completely avoided them out of fear. That kind of behavior is completely unnecessary and absolutely uncalled for. I did nothing even remotely close to aggressive towards them, and they are the ones there to protest unfair treatment of human beings. What about the unfair treatment of your own brothers and sisters, in your own country?
The entire speech, the protestors were screaming incessantly, participating in sarcastic clapping, and jeering at everything he had to say. I find this behavior completely disrespectful, not just towards the speaker, but towards everyone that had gone to go and listen to him speak.
In conclusion, I just want to point out that the way liberals reacted to this speech is only making the gap between the two parties greater. In a time where unity is necessary in order to succeed and overcome the hardships we've come across, increasing that gap is the last thing we should be attempting to accomplish.