OPINION & EDITORIAL
Have some manners, liberals
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by Letters to the Editor
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I attended the lecture by David Horowitz Monday night and was appalled by the behavior of several of those in attendance. I went into the speech with an open mind, willing to listen and think about what he had to say. Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of listening or having the capacity to be respectful to those with views different from our own.
Notably, at several times throughout the lecture, several dozens of students would talk and shout nonsense when the speaker was talking. At times, Mr. Horowitz had to stop until the audience would quiet down. Personally, I am ashamed that people who are 18 or older do not have enough respect or self-control to attend a lecture by a national speaker and think they have the “right” to interrupt. Apparently, I did not get the same memo that those people got — you know, the one that made it OK to try to ruin another organization’s event.
Now I’m not one to hide the fact that I vote Republican and think Republicans generally do a better job running the government than Democrats do. However, being a Republican or Democrat has nothing to do with what I am writing about. I am writing about being a “grownup.”
In the last decade, I have attended many speeches by great speakers (President Clinton), weird speakers (Congressman Tancredo) and several by verbally disinclined speakers (President Bush). What I have seen time and time again is disheartening to me. At virtually every Republican rally, a handful — sometimes more — of liberals always feels it has the right to be rude and try to disturb the rally. At a Democratic rally, you will never witness the rudeness that the Republican speakers face on a daily basis.
The reason I use the word “liberal” instead of “Democrat” when identifying the hecklers is due to the simple fact that the Democrats I know grew up in homes where they at least learned some proper manners. That is why there will always be a place in the government for Democrats, but there will never be a place for those of the radical left that are so out of touch with reality that they try to ruin other people’s events. Liberals: grow up or move to a country where things only get done by meaninglessly shouting for attention — don’t send me a postcard. Why can’t the liberals go throw their own event? Oh yeah, silly me, I forgot that no one is willing to show up and listen to the radical idiocy they espouse on a daily basis. Still, that does not make it OK to try to steal a floor where there are listeners.
On a second note, I would like to sincerely thank the university for hiring Kevin Barrett as a lecturer at this campus. By interrupting the lecture by shouting ridiculous accusations in the middle of Mr. Horowitz’s speech, he effectively interrupted the event for almost eight minutes. Are we really using our tax dollars to pay for lecturers like Mr. Barrett? Mr. Barrett clearly did not realize that this was not his event, and he had no right to shout in the middle of a lecture. I understand some clueless 18-year-olds doing it because their friends are doing it, but someone the university paid with my tax dollars? Really?
The state government has been, until recently, unable to agree on the budget, especially on the level of funding that the university system receives. If I were one of those legislators, I would seriously question the money we are giving the university, and that is the case whether I am a Republican or a Democrat.
Aaron Werner
UW third-year law student
adwerner@wisc.edu
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 7:54am):
Why is "liberal" such a dirty word? Democrat and Republican are ultimately useless descriptors; for example, segregationalist southern democrats pre-1960's hardly resemble modern democrats.
Please, speaking as a polite liberal, don't associate me with the poorly performing Democrats in congress. As a liberal, my goal is to encourage progress forward for the good of the country; the same cannot often be said about any old democrat.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 8:29am):
I am ashamed that people who are 18 or older, especially a THIRD YEAR LAW STUDENT, are still ignorant enough to make generalizations about an entire group of people. All liberals do not equal crazy radicals who have no manners and don't give a shit about other people. Suggesting for all liberals to move away is completely childish. You clearly have not learned anything in law school, Mr. Werner.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 9:18am):
Werner, shut up! You are spewing the same old arguments that have been made on campus for the last two years. You just wasted valuable column space.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 9:34am):
I was there too. And liberals expect us to take them seriously? Forget it!
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 9:54am):
Wow, I can't believe how right you are.
It's not like a conservative would be so rude to scream "You're a murderer!" at a women going to a clinic for a personal medical matter, while holding graphic images of dead infants.
It wouldn't be a conservitive hiding in the woods with a sniper rifle waiting to kill a doctor that preforms a legal medical procedure.
It wouldn't be a conservitive that feels that the rest of the world is wrong and needs to be punished by having someone strap TNT to their chest and detonate it in a large crowd of "sinners".
The problem is those darn liberals that yell.
How rude!
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 10:34am):
maybe i wasnt at the same lecture, but i only remember horowitz having to stop speaking when mr. barrett stood up and yelled. And he was met with extreme courtesy by the first few rows of college republicans with curses, the 'asshole' chant, and paper being thrown at him....
And i am a leftist who is not a democrat. I grew up in a very nice family who taught me manners thank you very much. ANd Mr. Horowitz ruined the event with his rude comments and inability to make logical arguments when questioned.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 10:39am):
The people talking, and chanting "asshole!", during the lecture were both liberals and conservatives. Are you going to write a column next week complaining about people talking in movies, Mr. Grownup?
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 10:44am):
This is just me, but I think that when the people who are directly affected by the policies and racists assumptions of people like Horowitz can't make their opinions known to him in person (aka the Iraqis, Palestinians and Afghanis who are dying and have been occupied) it is the duty of people who can to confront him.
And politeness is a red-herring. I feel like Mr. Praline talking about the dead parrot's plumage: Politeness don't enter into it. People who espouse racist assumptions and try to rewrite history need to be called out especially when people are listening and acting on them (see how alive racism is in Jena and all the recent news hangings as well as the increasing hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims since 9/11).
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 10:56am):
Until such time as you're willing to take to task conservatives such as Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Bill O'Reilly, and Rudy Giuliani for even worse behavior, you are a hypocrite who ought to shut his freakin' piehole.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 10:59am):
"At times, Mr. Horowitz had to stop until the audience would quiet down."
I believe you are referring to the ONE TIME that Kevin Barrett interrupted the speech, who is not a college student. It was not 8 minutes as you claim, more like 3. You may also remember that he was BOOED out of the theater by those same liberals (even CAN and ISO!) because they wanted to let Horowitz speak. The amount of spin you're putting on this is ridiculous.
"Why can't the liberals go throw their own event? Oh yeah, silly me, I forgot that no one is willing to show up and listen to the radical idiocy they espouse on a daily basis."
They did have their own event -- it was the protest outside the theater beforehand. And considering 75 percent of the audience came from that protest, I think people do show up and listen.
Those groups showed respect for Horowitz's freedom to speak and waited until after to ask questions. When Horowitz was presented with challenging questions he had a very hard time articulating his responses and instead attacked the audience as "ignorant" and "stupid."
If you want someone to listen to you then perhaps you shouldn't call them stupid, especially if they haven't done anything but ask you a question.
Telling liberals to "grow up or move to a country where things only get done by meaninglessly shouting for attention"? How is this adding anything to the debate? All you're doing is shouting right back!
So, Mr. Werner, I'll ask you to grow up and get your facts straight before you wrongly accuse an entire group of people for something they did not do.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 12:04pm):
"Telling liberals to "grow up or move to a country where things only get done by meaninglessly shouting for attention"? How is this adding anything to the debate?"
It doesn't. It just makes debate more palatable and allows for more constructive reasoning. You're young, you're liberal, you'll figure it out.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 2:12pm):
It's called repect, I don't give a hoot if you disagree with Horowitz, but why would you come to laugh and be just extremely obnoxious? What does that add to any sort of discourse? Have you heard him speak before, and made your own conclusions about his ideas? My guess is NO, so go back to Daily Kos and complain some more, because the adults in the room are sick of your childish rants.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 2:20pm):
ah yes..all liberals are rude..or is it all rude people are liberals? Exactly what kind of sweeping, broad, idiodic, meaningless generalization are you trying to make?
I suppose that all muslims are terrorists too?
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 4:10pm):
I really hope you're not going into public law, Mr. Werner. Some criminals yell and, gasp, some might even be LIBERAL! I don't want you to be scared and uncomfortable.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 6:41pm):
CAN was acting ridiculous, but the College Dems, BSU, and MSA were all respectful and just listened.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 8:31pm):
Well written, well said.
CAN, I'm so disappointed in you guys. You did so well during your Halliburton protest, and then you go and act like children at this event.
Oh and ISO, you guys are no better.
Anonymous (October 24, 2007 @ 11:48pm):
AMAZING ARTICLE!!!!!! Barrett came to UWW to speak about "handling the media." It was basically just another way for him to get his "message" across. He is an absolute embarrassement to the UW-System.
Anonymous (October 25, 2007 @ 12:19am):
And liberals call conservatives this.. conservatives call liberals that.. and then this group is this way and another group is that way.. you're all being hypocritical.. and boring. Come up with something interesting or take your petty generalizations somewhere else.
Anonymous (October 28, 2007 @ 1:23pm):
awesome article, thank you. I've been ashamed to call myself a UW student for the past week because of these ignorant, disrespecting children.
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