Forum Non-Republicans: Does this story....

[dead0man]

Does the left actually not think people are responsible for their words or it just spin for this particular issue?  Probably a little of both and varies by the individual, but this thread isn't making a good case for that.

[Phony Moderate]

Does the left actually not think people are responsible for their words or it just spin for this particular issue?  Probably a little of both and varies by the individual, but this thread isn't making a good case for that.

It depends what you mean by "the left".

[dmmidmi]

Does the left actually not think people are responsible for their words or it just spin for this particular issue?  Probably a little of both and varies by the individual, but this thread isn't making a good case for that.

That's not really the issue. The issue is the "journalism," and whether or not every single word muttered by anyone in any setting should be held against them. Had she said this in a different setting/context (a school board meeting, town hall, calling in to a radio show, the classroom, etc.), you may have a point. As far as this teacher was concerned, this was a casual conversation at the bar. Aside from admitting to a serious crime, I would hope that a conversation at the bar would not ruin anybody's professional reputation.

Should people be held responsible for what they say? Sure. But how does that justify what the journalist did?

[dead0man]

It depends what you mean by "the left".

The red staters responding to this thread for a start.

That's not really the issue. The issue is the "journalism," and whether or not every single word muttered by anyone in any setting should be held against them.

Not anywhere, you have the legal presumption of privacy in a private place or on the phone.

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You can hope all you want, it's not going to change the law.  Talking to a stranger in a public place is not a good place to say something that could have negative repercussions for you later.  Her (and the people defending her in this thread) ignorance isn't going to change the facts no matter how much you all want it to.

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As I've repeatedly said, the "journalist" is a douche, but the "journalist" being a douche doesn't remove all responsibility from the person that said the stupid thing.


...and again..."I feel like I was raped"?  Really?

[Brittain33]

...and again..."I feel like I was raped"?  Really?

Why do you focus on that? You think it was an inappropriate comment for her to make--ok--but I have a problem with that retroactively making her less sympathetic and therefore justifying what is unjustifiable in my eyes.

[Insula Dei]

...and again..."I feel like I was raped"?  Really?

Why do you focus on that? You think it was an inappropriate comment for her to make--ok--but I have a problem with that retroactively making her less sympathetic and therefore justifying what is unjustifiable in my eyes.

Don't you understand that the entire point is that one 'wrong' remark warrants you being destroyed by an elected official for personal gain.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Christie is utter disgusting trash, though luckily in three years he will lose and go away forever.

[Marokai Backbeat]

This is disgusting, and sadly, the new normal for the right-wing in general.

[Poundingtherock]

I'm about as conservative and right-wing as they come and I generally side with Keefe's antics as a way to screw the Democrat Party but this is beyond the pale.

Christie should be ashamed of himself but I doubt it.  What a total clown.

[Rowan]

It's a non-story.

[Marokai Backbeat]

It's a non-story.

Non story? The woman said something stupid when she was drunk and that justifies the ruining of her reputation and the public bullying of her as some sort of "union loudmouth"?

This happens constantly, BS right-wing bully-journalism that is jumped on by politicians and right-wing media figures as some sort of vicious exposé. Whether or not it's true, it has a very serious impact. Less than a week or two ago, Glenn Beck asserted that Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America is some sort of communist front-group funded by George Soros. This is obviously stupid, but that doesn't matter. Hundreds of thousands of people, millions really, hear news like that, and if only one person believes it, it still has a poisonous effect on our national discourse, and by extension, our governing.

Shirley Sherrod was labeled a racist by this same sort of BS bully journalism on the right. Van Jones was considered some sort of radical and was forced out of his position even though he was incredibly qualified and nationally recognized as the perfect person for the job.

Remember Fox News commentators and right-wing media figures losing their shizzit over Van Jones? For days and days, Fox News and right-wing media lost their minds over this guy as an evil radical, someone totally unqualified for the job, and Glenn Beck even went so far as to call him a convicted criminal who "spent six months in jail" when, of course, he didn't. It was a stupid distraction, an attempt by the right-wing media machines to tear down someone legitimately qualified to hold the position he was in. Van Jones was named one of the 100 most influential people in 2009 by TIME Magazine. He was named one of the "heroes of the environment" by TIME. Fast Company magazine put Jones on a list of the 12 Most Creative Minds.

Did that stop Fox from viciously and baselessly attacking someone to prevent him from any success and to prevent serious discussion of actual issues? Not a chance.

One of the usual suspects here, O'Keefe, was directly responsible for the fake ACORN scandal that led to the downfall of the organization. An organization responsible for registering and organizing poor people and minorities, an organization that tries to involve as many people as possible in the small-D-democratic process was destroyed by bogus story that was jumped on by the right and sank without any rational discourse whatsoever.

The ACORN story vomited forth by Andrew Breitbart's website, James O'Keefe, and then heavily promoted day after day after day on Fox News? Pure fiction. Fake. ACORN has been vindicated by the Attorney General of California and New York, by the Government Accountability Office, and various other sources. But that stopped no one from making up garbage, and then the organization, due to the firestorm set off by the bogus coverage, collapsed and no longer exists. An innocent organization that registered and organized poor and impoverished voters now no longer exists because of bogus controversy and baseless news attacks. (In one day, Fox ran seventeen segments on the Acorn story. A single day.)

You may think this is a non-story. I may think this is a disgusting downright evil attempt to slander a heroic lady who loves education and children for political purposes. But the history here is clear, and if you are not vigilant in the fight against stupid, good people have their lives destroyed, and in some cases, major organizations can fall victim to the lies.

People out there believe this garbage. People who only casually listen to the news or browse a blog will see this and think this woman is an evil racist union thug undeserving of her job, and scumbag Christie tried to use it for political hay. It may be a non-story to you, Rowan, but it most definitely shouldn't be.

[Rowan]

I understand all of that. My only issue is saying that her past actions somehow excuses her behavior in this instance. I don't see what her past has to do with what the situation is in the present.

[Insula Dei]

It's a non-story.

Non story? The woman said something stupid when she was drunk and that justifies the ruining of her reputation and the public bullying of her as some sort of "union loudmouth"?

This happens constantly, BS right-wing bully-journalism that is jumped on by politicians and right-wing media figures as some sort of vicious exposé. Whether or not it's true, it has a very serious impact. Less than a week or two ago, Glenn Beck asserted that Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America is some sort of communist front-group funded by George Soros. This is obviously stupid, but that doesn't matter. Hundreds of thousands of people, millions really, hear news like that, and if only one person believes it, it still has a poisonous effect on our national discourse, and by extension, our governing.

Shirley Sherrod was labeled a racist by this same sort of BS bully journalism on the right. Van Jones was considered some sort of radical and was forced out of his position even though he was incredibly qualified and nationally recognized as the perfect person for the job.

Remember Fox News commentators and right-wing media figures losing their shizzit over Van Jones? For days and days, Fox News and right-wing media lost their minds over this guy as an evil radical, someone totally unqualified for the job, and Glenn Beck even went so far as to call him a convicted criminal who "spent six months in jail" when, of course, he didn't. It was a stupid distraction, an attempt by the right-wing media machines to tear down someone legitimately qualified to hold the position he was in. Van Jones was named one of the 100 most influential people in 2009 by TIME Magazine. He was named one of the "heroes of the environment" by TIME. Fast Company magazine put Jones on a list of the 12 Most Creative Minds.

Did that stop Fox from viciously and baselessly attacking someone to prevent him from any success and to prevent serious discussion of actual issues? Not a chance.

One of the usual suspects here, O'Keefe, was directly responsible for the fake ACORN scandal that led to the downfall of the organization. An organization responsible for registering and organizing poor people and minorities, an organization that tries to involve as many people as possible in the small-D-democratic process was destroyed by bogus story that was jumped on by the right and sank without any rational discourse whatsoever.

The ACORN story vomited forth by Andrew Breitbart's website, James O'Keefe, and then heavily promoted day after day after day on Fox News? Pure fiction. Fake. ACORN has been vindicated by the Attorney General of California and New York, by the Government Accountability Office, and various other sources. But that stopped no one from making up garbage, and then the organization, due to the firestorm set off by the bogus coverage, collapsed and no longer exists. An innocent organization that registered and organized poor and impoverished voters now no longer exists because of bogus controversy and baseless news attacks. (In one day, Fox ran seventeen segments on the Acorn story. A single day.)

You may think this is a non-story. I may think this is a disgusting downright evil attempt to slander a heroic lady who loves education and children for political purposes. But the history here is clear, and if you are not vigilant in the fight against stupid, good people have their lives destroyed, and in some cases, major organizations can fall victim to the lies.

People out there believe this garbage. People who only casually listen to the news or browse a blog will see this and think this woman is an evil racist union thug undeserving of her job, and scumbag Christie tried to use it for political hay. It may be a non-story to you, Rowan, but it most definitely shouldn't be.

Freedom Poster.

[dead0man]

So is what she said true?  Did we ever figure that out?

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

Chris Christie is scum. I sincerely hope he loses his re-election and fades into obscurity. He's exactly what is wrong with politics and government.

This post is a lot funnier with signatures turned on.