[Mb-civic] GW Bush--another little example of democracy in action

[ean at sbcglobal.net]

Published on Tuesday, March 22, 2005 by the Arizona Daily Wildcat
UA Young Democrat Banned from Forum
by Cassie Tomlin
 

A UA student was banned from attending President Bush's Social 
Security forum at the Tucson Convention Center yesterday.

UA Young Democrat Steven Gerner, a political science and pre-
pharmacy sophomore, said he and three other Young Democrats had 
been waiting in line with their tickets for about 40 minutes when a staff 
member approached him and asked to read his T-shirt.


A 13-year-old girl was arrested yesterday at the Tucson Convention 
Center after she threw an egg at President Bush's motorcade. The girl 
and her aunt were protesting the president's speech on Social Security 
reform. The aunt was cited with disorderly conduct and released.
(Photo/CASSIE TOMLIN/Arizona Daily Wildcat)
Gerner was the only one of the four wearing a UAYD T-shirt, which 
read, "Don't be a smart (image of a donkey, the Democratic Party 
symbol). UA Young Democrats."

Gerner said the staffer, who refused to provide his name, asked for 
Gerner's ticket and crumpled it up.

The staffer walked away, returned in 20 minutes, and told Gerner his 
name had been added to a list banning him from entering the 
convention center for the speech.

"I was certainly shocked," Gerner said. "Everyone should have access 
to this information."

Gerner said he obtained a free ticket to the speech from the office of 
Congressman Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. The ticket had his name printed 
on it.

"I really wanted a chance to hear the Bush side of the Social Security 
debate," Gerner said. "Unfortunately, I won't hear all the facts now, 
first-person."

Kate Calhoun, TCC sales and marketing manager, said the venue's 
staff did not control entrance to the event, but said the Secret Service 
was taking tickets and exercising "no discrimination whatsoever."

"The venue does not issue or check or take tickets," Calhoun said. "It's 
coming straight from the White House - we rent them our space and 
don't get involved. It was a smooth operation from start to finish, and I 
did not see anyone denied entry."

Jonathan Cherry, Secret Service spokesman, said the Secret Service 
was not taking tickets at the event.

"The host committee controls who gets in and who gets out," Cherry 
said. "Secret Service agents are not ticket takers."

Tony Cani, president of Young Democrats of Arizona, said Gerner's 
dismissal was not at all surprising but a disappointment.

"If this would have been paid for by the Bush-Cheney campaign and 
they discriminated entrance, it would have been unethical, 
undemocratic and wrong, but they would have had the right," Cani 
said. "The distinction is that this was paid for with taxpayers' dollars - 
some of the money even comes out of Social Security."

Cani said the tax-payer-funded public forum was supposed to be about 
sharing ideas and helping people learn, not blocking specific people 
from attending.

"It's not very democratic, and this is the type of action that dissuades 
young people from being interested in politics," Cani said.

Gerner said after he was refused entry, he proceeded to Armory Park 
to attend a rally with other Democrats and then to the protest on the 
west side of the TCC.

When the president's motorcade passed down South Granada Avenue 
on the way into the TCC, about 1,000 protesters lined the streets.

Gerner said the protest was important in order to express dissenting 
voices, although he does not expect the president to take notice.

"Protests don't get policies changed," Gerner said.

Protesters once again lined the west side of South Granada Avenue 
when the president's motorcade escorted him out of the TCC.

A 13-year-old girl was arrested after she threw an egg at the 
motorcade. Three police officers, after observing the girl's aunt whisper 
something in her ear and then seeing the girl launch the egg, rushed 
the two and dragged them across the street, where they were both 
handcuffed.

It is unknown whether the egg hit the motorcade or not, reports stated.

The girl's aunt was cited for disorderly conduct and released.

More than 40 people were banned from the president's Feb. 3 Social 
Security speech in North Dakota, according to The Washington Post.

The Post reported that the names of a liberal radio producer, several 
university professors and a deputy democratic campaign manager 
were on a list supplied to workers at two ticket distribution sites, which 
the White House said might have come from volunteers but did not 
come from the White House.

© Copyright 2005 - The Arizona Daily Wildcat - Arizona Student Media

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0322-09.htm
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   ---   George Orwell


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