Kucinich Defends Free Speech and Free Assembly (important)

[WilliamPitt]

http://www.kucinich.us/pressreleases/pr_020904b.php

Kucinich Defends Free Speech and Free Assembly in Iowa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2004

Congressman Dennis Kucinich criticized the actions being taken in Iowa against anti-war protesters. “The federal grand jury investigation of Iowa anti-war protesters is another sign that our democracy is in trouble. The Bush administrations’ Patriot Act opened the door for this chilling attack on the fundamental right to free speech and the right to assemble. All real Americans should be supporting every citizen who wishes to exercise his or her right to protest peacefully.”

According to The Associated Press, a federal judge has ordered that Drake University in Iowa to hand over all records pertaining to an anti-war gathering attended by the Catholic Peace Ministry, the former coordinator of the Iowa Peace Network, a member of the Catholic Worker House, and an anti-war activist who visited Iraq in 2002. The university has also been ordered to hand over all records related to the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, which sponsored the forum in question on the Drake campus.

“I hope that when the federal grand jury convenes,” said Congressman Kucinich, “they will also subpoena a copy of the Bill of Rights. They may be surprised, and even shocked, at its contents.”

For more campaign information: http://www.kucinich.us

For Congressman Kucinich's Schedule: http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm

[VelmaD]

1. Every day...

I like Dennis K a little more. :-)

That last quote about the Bill of Rights...too funny. I love it when he gets just a little bit snarky. :-)

[Mairead]

11. "I love it when he gets just a little bit snarky"

I do too, Velma! I actually find it reassuring to see the street-fighter in him peer out like that every now and then. :evilgrin:

[MuseRider]

21. Me three!

I got a funny little grin on my face when I read that line.

[Desertrose]

25. yup, me four! ...sometimes snarky is the perfect response! LOL

Dennis can definitely get some good ones in...you are right...he is streetfighter...exactly what we need.

Never could figure how people say he wouldn't stand up to whoever , just because he prefers peace. Its usually the ones who have had to fight so heard for everything in their lives who really value peace.....


Go Dennis!!

Peace
DR

[redqueen]

26. Me five!

I even liked his 'HellO?! comment from that debate re: balancing the budget while letting the Pentagon keep their 50% of the discretionary budget. :)

[Mairead]

28. "Its usually the ones who have had to fight so hard for everything"

Yes DR! Yes! That's exactly it! Like the saying that it's the ex-soldiers who abhor war the most, it's those who've had little and who've been forced to struggle for every bit of it who really appreciate peace and plenty and want it for everyone!

[Kanary]

32. I gotta repeat that once again

"Its usually the ones who have had to fight so heard for everything in their lives who really value peace....."

I resemble that remark!

Maybe that's the biggest thing I sensed about Dennis right away, and drew me to look further into his campaign.

Thanks for bringing this out..... words to live by.

Kanary

Kucinich 2004!

[revcarol]

2. "be shocked at its(the BILL OF RIGHTS) contents..."

That Dennis does have a way with words!!

FINALLY, some national attention to the slimy Patriot Act!!

[arcane1]

4. indeed he does, that's why they ignore him

but WE'RE LISTENING, DENNIS!!!!!

:yourock:

[IrateCitizen]

9. That's the one that got me, too.

Thank God for Dennis. That's all I can say.

I wonder if any of the other "major" candidates will be speaking out against this? Or does sticking up for the Bill of Rights now hurt one's overall "electability"???

[redqueen]

3. Thank God for Kucinich

And God bless you, Will, for helping to get his message heard.

:loveya:

IMO this cements why there really shouldn't be any confusion about which candidate to support.

There is only ONE who has been solidly on the side of the public, no matter the consequence to his 'image'. People respond to that, people from both sides of the aisle.

[molly]

5. I sincerely hope DK is not forgotten after the election

he may not "win", but he will WIN the hearts and minds of many!

[ThirdWheelLegend]

8. voting for him in the primary is the first step

:)

TWL

[sweetheart]

6. Getting that message out

Anything dennis says is great.

Why did his campaign do this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=303849

Dennis rocks.

[Virgil]

7. DK all the way

Policy after policy, DK puts the hammer on the nail. I think how things would have been different if Dean had come out and called for the reclassification of cannabis to Schedule 2 as the means to end the Miracle Plant dilema the states have with the overreach of federal authority using a commerce clause as excuse.

When 4 in 5 people support medical marijuana, it seems like a political unsavy to go into that kind of wind. That is what killed Dean with me and first got me to listen to the Kucinich message.

If DK would have lowered his minimum contribution to $4.20 early in the campaign it would have helped him.

I am waiting for DK to call for unconglomerating the media in a debate. How the crowd will go wild. To bad he was unelectable, as he would have actually changed something.

[Mairead]

12. Actually, his minimum contribution was a dollar the first time I looked

(Maybe it still is -- I only looked once)

[cheezus]

19. I'm not sure stoner turnout is as high (haha) as you think

But DK is a friend of those who

[IrateCitizen]

10. C'mon... the Bill of Rights is so passe, with evildoers out there...

I wonder if any of the other candidates will speak out against specific abuses such as this -- or does defending nonviolent peace activists just get in the way of "electability"? :eyes:

Thank God Dennis is willing to take point on these kinds of things. It's a shame that moral courage and foresight are no longer recognized as preferred characteristics in our society.

[redqueen]

14. If he manages to get a word in about it at the debate

THEN they'll maybe consider looking into it. Otherwise, since there's no perceived 'payoff', why would they riskg any of their 'electability' capital on it? Bill of Rights be damned, there's an election coming up and lots of contributions to raise.

That's yet another reason to keep him in the race at all costs.

[IrateCitizen]

15. That's assuming the NYT and centrists DON'T get their way...

... and he's actually included in the next debate. :grr:

[redqueen]

16. Don't EVEN get me started!

#$&@*#(&#*$(@%&#*($)&#@) party-wrecking CENTRISTS!

*ptui!*

[IrateCitizen]

17. Then you'd best not click on this link....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=304557

[NNN0LHI]

13. DK must have a dammed good Press Secretary

I can see the difference already. Like night and day.

Don

[molly]

24. Yep!

[corporatewhore]

18. DK tellin it like it is do you know if he has spoken out about

john timoney doin security at DNC ?

[redqueen]

20. Who?

Please, fill us in! (love your changing sig pics, btw :))

[IrateCitizen]

22. John Timoney

He was the Chief of Philadelphia Police during the 2000 Republican convention. He was Chief of Miami Police during the recent FTAA talks there. He's a jackbooted thug who expresses overt delight in beating up protestors for no good reason other than his own sick amusement.

If the DNC uses him, then they're going back to the days of 1968. Especially if they're also embracing the occupation of Iraq in their platform. It will NOT be a pretty convention -- at least not on the streets.

[redqueen]

23. Got it

Surprised? Not in the least.

Disgusted? Thoroughly. (But then I suppose that's a given when discussing the Dem political machine.)

[corporatewhore]

38. you forgot that amnesty internation said that miami pd broke un law and

AFL-CIO is suing the police department

[ChiefJoseph]

27. Did you guys hear about DK's response to the question about Castro?

I pulled this snippet out of an article a couple of weeks ago:

"Kucinich said flatly that he was not an advocate for Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. But when asked if he considered Cuba a police state or repressive regime, Kucinich waited for about 20 seconds before responding as follows: 'He’s had some practices in dealing with political dissidents that I don’t approve of. I don’t believe Castro is beyond criticism . . . (but) I do think it would be helpful for the U.S. to have some process of constructive engagement.'"

http://www.muhajabah.com/muslims4kucinich/archives/007878.php

Sorry, but this does not exactly speak well of Kucinich. For the record, I agree with some of his points about civil liberties, and I think the embrago with Cuba should ne lifted.

But what a lame response. He has this to say about life in the US under Bush: "The Bush administrations’ Patriot Act opened the door for this chilling attack on the fundamental right to free speech and the right to assemble."

But he can't muster a more forceful condemnation of the repressiveness of the system in Cuba? Come on.

[Mairead]

29. I think you're focussing too narrowly.

Would you have preferred it had he been fully evenhanded (he probably didn't have time to even try, but let's say he did) and talked in detail not only about the backward repressiveness of the Castro government but also the thousand political prisoners the US is imprisoning without trial or recourse at G'mo (their 'crime', after all, was fighting against US invasion of their country!), and the 40+ years of relentless embargo and propagandisation against his government, the attempted invasion, yada yada? And how about a compare-and-contrast of healthcare and education (both free from cradle to grave in Cuba, plus free training for doctors from other countries)? How about the differences in prison populations per capita? How about the fact that in Cuba, poor as church mice tho they be from 300 years of capitalist exploitation and embargo, nobody need go hungry, sleep rough, or go naked?

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mairead]

42. I'm one of those who believes in thinking carefully and being fair, yes.

Does it really annoy you that much?

[tinanator]

30. pot calling the kettle repressive

you say it as if we dont have a problem in the world right here?
Put a little perspective into it, right now we are under an intensely corrupt regime, and any blanket condemnations of "Cuba under Castro" looks like Saddamization of our next geolpolitical target. Not exactly what a just nation should do. Even if we do it all the time.

[ChiefJoseph]

35. We have our problems...

...but we are nowhere near as repressive as Cuba and it's silly to suggest that we are.

And I don't require a speech about how evil Castro is. I'm just suggesting that it shouldn't take a man 20 seconds to be able to call Castro what he is: a tyrannical dictator. Especially a human rights champion like Kucinich. How silly does he look condemning political repression when he can't bring himself to criticize Castro, a man whose manifold human rights abuses he clearly overlooks because of the egalitarian nature of Castro's Cuba: everyone is poor.

[tobius]

43. here here!

unfortunately, very common.

[hippywife]

45. This has been on his website for some time...

he's focusing on the people of Cuba and not their two-bit dictator:

http://www.kucinich.us/issues/cuban_embargo.php

[tobius]

47. ending the embargo

won't help his people

Capitalism is using its money; we socialists throw it away.-Fidel Castro
      
      

[hippywife]

48. Ending the embargo

would mean more opportunity for exchange and influence for change in the country. It means the people would be more in touch with us again. Not a bad place to start when you have such a long-lived dictator in place...with the people.

[tobius]

50. yea, that would be great

I guess my feelings on some of his ideas are like this young ladies'..

' -After Kucinich left, the party calmed and people began to file out into the subzero New Hampshire air. Walking by the "Democreation" bus, which was parked in front of the event, one student summarized her thoughts about the evening to a friend.

"It's an awesome idea," She said. "A world where everyone lives in peace and harmony, where there's no war. It's a f***ing awesome idea! But you know what? It's never gonna happen. A billion dollars in my pocket is an awesome idea, too. But you know what? It's never gonna happen." '

..advocating peace and love for the Cuban people is great. Castro needs to go for that to happen.

caution: from NRO:http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/cline200401270830.asp

[tobius]

44. jailing librarians

and journalists by castro and not ashcroft-


http://www.cubainfolinks.net/Articles-2/caubas-jailed.htm

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,58128,00.html

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[WilliamPitt]

33. Sweet!

Thanks for kicking my thread, GrovelBot!

:)

[lams712]

34. This is one of the reasons why...

...I LOVE THIS GUY!!!!!

[creativelcro]

37. Yeah! Splitting the anti-war vote does not hurt

[corporatewhore]

40. he is not splitting the anti occupation or anti freetrade vote

[corporatewhore]

41. he is not splitting the anti occupation or anti freetrade vote

[tobius]

39. tough to be against those

“A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history, with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila” — Mitch Ratliffe

[hippywife]

46. DK is the only one for me!! n/t

[WarNoMore]

49. I knew Dennis would have a quick response

to this--no slacker is he! (Nor is Will)