NY Times Fears 'Raw...Fearsome,' 'Unchecked Fervor' of Campus Protest Against Obama

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New York Times reporter Michael Brick went to College Station, Texas, to preview a college visit by Barack Obama today commemorating the 20th anniversary of the first President Bush's "Points of Light" volunteer organization.

In the condescending "At A&M, a Dance of  Decorum for Obama Visit," Brick posed fears that campus conservative activists at Texas A&M might embarrass themselves and their college with their "unchecked fervor," which "can be a raw and fearsome thing." Last year, you see, "the Young Conservatives embarrassed the university by throwing eggs at a picture of Mr. Obama."

Brick is being awfully protective of Obama. If defacing a picture of a president is an automatic embarrassment to a university, then every big college in America should be red-faced, since posters of Bush as Hitler were pretty much de rigueur at any decent campus protest.  But the Times never showed any concern for campus hatred of Republicans.

Brick profiled Justin Pulliam, chairman of the campus chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas, who he introduced as "The most dangerous young man on campus," whose group is organizing a protest against Obama.

All across campus, from the large-animal veterinary clinics to the storied Military Walk, students, professors and administrators have been bracing for the arrival on Friday of President Obama, an admitted Democrat and, here, a suspected socialist. For an institution often cast as country cousin to the University of Texas at Austin, a turn in the national spotlight will present the chance to put on a display of diversity, hospitality and achievement. Or not.

Founded during Reconstruction as a men's technical college, A&M (which stood for Agricultural and Mechanical) has nurtured a stoic brand of conservatism steeped in the tradition of its Aggie farmer nickname and the Corps of Cadets.

....

For his part, Mr. Bush has been taking no chances. After a summer of contentious nationwide protests culminating in an outburst during a Congressional address, Mr. Bush issued a call for decorum on the front page of the student newspaper this week.

"Howdy," his letter began, going on to renounce politics for the occasion and conclude: "I cannot wait for Obama to experience the open, decent and welcoming Aggie spirit for himself. This will be an important national moment, and a moment for Texas A&M to shine in the national spotlight as it always does. I hope and believe it will serve as a point of Aggie pride for many years to come."

But among the great Aggie traditions, few outshine the spirit of the Twelfth Man, a reference to the stadium crowds at Kyle Field taking an active role, by force of volume and sheer will, in the outcome of events.

Unchecked fervor, of course, can be a raw and fearsome thing. Last year, the Young Conservatives embarrassed the university by throwing eggs at a picture of Mr. Obama ("He'll throw away your nest egg," was the topical message lost to history) on national television. T-shirts bearing the legend "Beat the Hell Outta Obama," an ad hominem twist on a football slogan, did little to improve matters.

Brick even tut-tutted the college kids's choice of protest-wear:

Believing his fellow students have lost their conservatism to a mix of apathy and professorial indoctrination, he has planned a rally for Friday afternoon involving costumes like Dr. Obama (a jab at the president's stance on health care), the Grim Reaper (a less subtle jab on the same topic), and Uncle Sam (?).

Can you imagine a Times reporter criticizing the costume choice at a left-wing protest at Berkeley, where they do it every weekend?

—Clay Waters is the director of Times Watch, an MRC project tracking the New York Times.


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Today's MSM

Today's MSM says: 

Peaceful protests against Obama = bad!

Pictures of Sarah Palin being punched in the mouth = good! 

 

"since posters of Bush as

"since posters of Bush as Hitler were pretty much de rigueur at any decent campus protest"

Great points, as always.

What percentage of modern "liberals" have reached the point they actually don't want to see any parallel? Those people can't be reached.

___________________________________________________________
Graphical conservative commentary - animations & pictures for posting on forums: http://ubama.org/chu...

Conservatives will save unchecked fervor for Nov 2010.

at least I will. 

"Democrats; Breeding voters like farm animals since 1962"

Full circle!

So, the children of the campus protesters of the 70's are afraid of the campus protesters of today? We've come full circle!

The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
The US Constitution

Unless you're a fetus.
The US Supreme Court

Oddly enough... Michael "As

Oddly enough... Michael "As thick as a" Brick seems entirely more sympathetic to PROTESTS against President Bush in 2004...

Of course, this was an EXTREME LEFTIST protest that turned  violent.

The money quote about these 2004 protesters...

"Some people have decided they're going to go there anyway," said Bill Perkins, a city councilman from Upper Manhattan. "It reminds me of the Boston Tea Party. It's as American as apple pie."

August 9, 2004
Permit Denial for Big Park Rally Adds to Push for Protests There
By MICHAEL BRICK

To officials of both New York City and the largest coalition of protest groups expected at the Republican National Convention, negotiations over the use of Central Park for a huge protest rally during the convention had ended more than two weeks ago with an agreement to hold the rally at an alternative site, along the West Side Highway.

However, to many protesters from all across the political spectrum - from self-described Clinton Democrats to Libertarians - losing the battle for Central Park was a galvanizing moment, a new cause for protest and all the more reason to gather in the park, although individually or in much smaller groups than originally planned by the coalition, United for Peace and Justice.

"I think they can expect a lot of people are going to end up congregating in Central Park during the convention," said Christopher Dunn, the associate legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. "There's widespread unhappiness with the city's decision. Many people will go there simply to protest that closure."

The Parks Department has granted eight permits for Central Park events that it describes as convention-related, including rallies, races and readings that range in size from groups of 80 people to more than 32,000. Several are scheduled for the week leading up to the convention, which opens on Aug. 30. All are in parts of the park officials describe as less susceptible to damage than the Great Lawn, the site for which United for Peace and Justice had sought a permit for 250,000 people to gather on Sunday, Aug. 29.

City officials said their response to protesters gathering without permits would depend on how they behave.

"They can carry signs, they can stand up on benches and declaim to their hearts' content," said the parks commissioner, Adrian Benepe. "They just have to respect the rights of others."

"Anybody's welcome to go to Central Park," Mr. Benepe said. "On a busy summer weekend, you'll get 200,000 people in Central Park. It'd be hard to notice a few more."

The Police Department's chief spokesman, Paul J. Browne, said that small groups of protesters who are not using amplified sound would probably draw no response from officers. "You can think of permits as sometimes allowing things that would not otherwise be permitted, such as blocking a street," Mr. Browne said. "Free speech is allowed at any time, but if
you're going to use amplified noise or speakers, we would react accordingly."

United for Peace and Justice spent more than a year seeking the permit for the Great Lawn demonstration. The Parks Department rejected the request on the ground that a group that size would severely damage the grass. The coalition ultimately agreed to accept the West Side Highway location rather than sue the city.

"At this point, the park has become symbolic of the First Amendment," said Jim Lesczynski, chairman of the Manhattan Libertarian Party, which has publicly called for what it describes as an unauthorized protest in the park on Aug. 29. "Just because of the fact that there were negotiations, there's outrage that they could be told when and where they can protest."

At the Democratic National Convention in Boston last month, protesters largely ignored so-called free speech zones set up outside the convention center, deriding them as cages and choosing instead to hold impromptu gatherings in other parts of the city. In doing so, they established something of a precedent for protesters at the Republican gathering in New York, among them Erik Henriksen, 29, a graduate student who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Mr. Henriksen said he plans some kind of personal protest in the park, but he is not sure what form it will take. "It's just to be there, just to claim my couple square feet to stand on," he said. "I'm not killing the grass, I'm not part of any organization, and I'm not seeking a permit."

Last Tuesday, the Not In Our Name Project, the group that organized a Central Park gathering that drew thousands of people to the East Meadow in October 2002 to protest the planned invasion of Iraq, issued a statement calling for a reopening of the permit application for Central Park.

"There are things circulating around the  country, people have put out things saying, 'Do not go to the West Side Highway, go to Central Park,' " said AiMara Lin, an organizer of the group. "We're trying to tap into that popular sentiment."

These calls for a convergence on Central Park have won support not just from the fringes of anarchists, Maoists and assorted malcontents, but also from mainstream opponents of the convention.

"Some people have decided they're going to go there anyway," said Bill Perkins, a city councilman from Upper Manhattan. "It reminds me of the Boston Tea Party. It's as American as apple pie."

Edward I. Koch, who was mayor during a huge June 1982 protest in Central Park against the buildup of nuclear weapons and who is chairman of the convention volunteers' committee, said that demonstrators who intend to break the law to protest the denial of a permit should remember the definition of civil disobedience.

"I believe in civil disobedience, so long as it's nonviolent, and so long as you're willing to pay the penalty," Mr. Koch said. "When you're arrested, you can't go before the court and say, 'Don't punish me.' "

For all their anger, some demonstrators may find the whole exercise little more than a tense but ultimately uneventful day in the park.

"I don't plan to make any signs and parade in the park," said Drew Olewnick, 44, a protester who lives in New York and works in the finance industry. "I'll try to time my biweekly bike ride for that day, then meet people on the Great Lawn, like I normally do. But I'm picking this particular time on this day for a reason."

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

Hey seniors! Ready for Terri Schaivo healthcare? Perfected in the UK. Exported the US. To die for. 

NY Times Real Issue w/ Texas A&M

Texas A&M is one of the few public universities in this country where the student body is overwhelmingly politically conservative.  That is what the NY Times real issue is.  They can't stand that fact.  Had Obama been selected as a commencement addressee at Texas A&M, he would be lucky if 50% of the students did not walk out or refuse to participate. The Pro-life position of the Catholic church actually means something to A&M Catholics who are nearly the majority at A&M (Notre Dame ought to be ashamed). 

Obama, The New York Times, and the Mainstream media will have some friends there though --- the faculty and the Young Democrats  on campus.  Amongst those friendly to Mr. Obama will be Dr. Joe Feagan, who stated in my sister's sociology class ' All White people are born racists ' .  Even in conservative TAMU, some nuts do persist. 

I think I'm becoming an

I think I'm becoming an Aggies fan.

BTW - I wonder if the NYT was as worried about the raw, fearsome, unchecked fervor of the 2008 GOP Convention piss-bombers and window-breakers.... didn't think so.

Texas A&M

The NYT "reporter" who called a 100-acre pasture in Texas a "spread" may want to visit before declaiming further about this fine school. As an Aggie alum, I went to a football game there a few years ago, and I never saw such courteous student and crowd behavior before, during and after the game. Could Ivy League schools boast similarly?

Amen, Ben

I went to the A&M football game last Saturday, and the almost 80,000 fans, students, and alumni were friendly and courteous, even to the OK State fans, giving directions, helping as needed.  Just great to watch those young people doing the right thing time and time again, not expecting (or demanding) anything in return.  

That's how they were raised, and that's the culture at A&M.

But don't be bringing hate, divisiveness, or folks who talk down to them, or they'll set you straight.  Loudly!

I'm betting that will be Barry's last visit to Aggieland. 

WHOOP!

'73, '05 x 2; '08 x 2 

Wow, 'unchecked

Wow, 'unchecked fervor'.

Would that be like Congressional Democrats calling Bush EVERY NAME IN THE BOOK on the floor?

How about a leftist protester biting the finger off of an elderly man?  Does that qualify as 'unchecked fervor'?

What about the phrase "Get in their faces!"?  No?

Ok how about the MSM continuously tearing down the economy when it was actually GREAT during Bush's terms?  

 

I have NOTHING but contempt for anything the MSM discusses, opines, or otherwise LIES about.  Besides terrorism, they are the number one threat to this great nation.  

The Times' paranoid fear of

The Times' paranoid fear of anywhere in the world except upper-West-side coffeehouses has grown stale. Really, do we need a bunch of sissy liberals screaming that the world is a scary, scary place because they are sissy liberals? No-one wants to hear your effeminate cauterwauling any longer, guys. You are are bankrupt for a reason, you know.

-----
Random-jumbled-thoughts.blogspot.com

I must have missed all of

I must have missed all of the stories expressing concern when George Bush was protested by liberals every time he set foot on a college campus. 

I seem to recall that holy

I seem to recall that holy hell was raised at SMU when it was announced that Bush would build his library there.  

Semper suprene nitens

OBAMACARE: If it ain't good enough for my Congressman then it ain't good enough for me.  

 

Campus protestors

JWF posted some good information on the Open Thread in regard to campus protests.

(Hope you don't mind my referencing your post, JWF. I think it says a lot about how the word "violence" is so readily bandied about by the libs when it comes to the free speech of conservatives.)

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
- P.J. O'Rourke

"Unchecked fervor" = Free

"Unchecked fervor" = Free speech.

His audience

Brick is writing to an audience (and to their perspective) where conservatives are racists and ignorant. He's not writing to the rest of us, who are normal and fair-minded. He's writing to a small, narrow group of people who can be counted on to agree with his bigoted assumptions.

That's the key: is he writing to everyone? Or just to bigoted liberals?

Idiot from the NYT

Unchecked fervor? Michael Brick is an idiot. He's like a dog outta the yard. He just runs around pissing on everything and barking his fool head off.

+1 LOL

+1 LOL

No doubt the media will

No doubt the media will continue to ignore Bush's classy stance by asking the school to be polite.  They refuse to give him credit for anything, but I believe 100 years from now history will look favorably on him (for the most part).

Chomping-off-a-finger "raw and fearsome"?...

Or more like a gay marriage demonstration?

This is just one more

This is just one more reason to like A&M besides the Twelth Man and the way the band never stops marching once they take the field. The visit to the Chicken Ranch for the winner of the A&M-Texas game was another until it was dropped.  

Semper suprene nitens

OBAMACARE: If it ain't good enough for my Congressman then it ain't good enough for me.  

 

"everbody" knows

that Bush is the devil and Barry is The Second Coming.

So... it's not only okay, but required to spit on President Bush, but even expressing opposition to The One is embarassing for your school. Heresy must be stamped out!

Butt biscuits, one and all these so-called reporters.

 

You won't normally hear me

You won't normally hear me say this but I will for this one time...'gig'em Aggies'!

Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

As my 17 year old daughter

As my 17 year old daughter would say, "What. A. Hypocrite."

So it is completely fine for left-wing students to hang Bush in effigy, portray him as Hitler and (thanks to Michelle Malkin) display assassination chic, but a student who yells "BOO!" at Obama is violent and threatening?  This is beyond being a panty-waist.  This is going into some serious paranoiac nonsense bordering on a dissociative symptom.

The left only has the spine when its slime-throwing media pets lie and throw the insults, but when the right challenges them they immediately yell about being threatened.  I would call them chickens, but I have more regard for poultry than I do for liberals.

What people need to start understanding...

...is that the image of a leader in communist nations are held in as high esteem as the man himself. Because liberals are communist in their thinking, it disturbs them to think that anyone would deface their national leader's image. National pride is wrapped up in deifying their political leader. God is no longer God - Government leadership is.

When the statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down and destroyed, I would not doubt if some liberals shrieked in terror.

They want to worship something. They want to be ruled by someone. They want to give their lives for a cause.

But rather than to a loving God, they give their lives to a fallible man. Is it no wonder that a Mao Zedong or an Adolf Hitler can seize power so easily given the right set of circumstances? Like say... during a recession and economic uncertainty?

 

"If God is dead, somebody is going to have to take his place. It will
be megalomania or erotomania, the drive for power or the drive for
pleasure, the clenched fist or the phallus, Hitler or Hugh Hefner."
— Malcolm Muggeridge

Texas A&M

I love this school...  Gig'em!

Well, if I wuz a librul I wood be skeered

When nutcases, liberals and goofballs have protests and demonstrations, there are plenty of arrests, violence and general hatred espoused everywhere.

But you let them rascally Conservatives hold a protest/demonstration, there are no arrests.

  No violence, nudity, hatred or even animosity.

The areas are clean and undamaged after the event.

It would scare me half to death that the rest of the People would look around and notice just exactly who it is that causes the problems, and how hard the media pushes to create riots and vandalism to increase the prices they charge for AIRTIME.

 

http://gjresult.com

 

At least the ROTC cadre

At least the ROTC cadre don't have to worry about Young Republicans burning down their buildings.

One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 86% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.