Toledo Nazi Rally Thankfully Uneventful
At least comparatively speaking. I’ll try and remove any hometown bias or other discolorations from my remarks regarding the Nazi rally in Toledo earlier today, but I have to get my thoughts in on this.
I had forgotten about the rally entirely until I heard a news item on WTAM earlier this afternoon, describing the scene in downtown Toledo where the Nazi coalition was outnumbered by at least 3 to 1 by the crowd that gathered to protest the rally. The report also cited circulating sentiment amongst the protestors that the mounted police officers were present “to protect” the Nazi group. The report ended on that note without comment from the station’s news-reader, and to that degree I can’t help but think of Hurricane Katrina coverage. Rather than reporting news, WTAM joined the ranks of rumor broadcasters.
Ethical journalism, anyone? Sorry, it would appear we are fresh out here in the States.
Perhaps it would have been better to cite the presence of police officers as “protecting social order.” Seriously, who benefits when people riot? In the case of the last rally, I agree with the opinion that the Nazis win in that case.
Local talk-show host Mike Trivisonno addressed the Nazi rally in a show earlier, where he denounced (read: shouted over anyone with a dissenting opinion) that the Nazis had no right to rally in Toledo. He grounded his argument on two points: the rally offended WWII veterans and those survivors of the German Nazi regime’s concentration camps and brutality, and that al-Qaeda would never be allowed similar privileges. Though I found Triv’s comments troubling, I was even more disturbed by the number of callers who echoed Trivisonno’s message.
I really can’t make a counter-argument against Triv’s first point. I would be kidding myself to say the rally doesn’t offend anyone, let alone those who fought against the German Nazis and suffered unbelievably from their racial-cleansing agenda. However, to say that someone cannot speak their message because it offends people is unreasonable. For instance, I believe 50 Cent’s music is offensive, vulgar, and perpetuates messages equally dangerous to the message of the Nazis, particularly because it is more popular, but I don’t think 50 Cent should be prohibited from performing in public. Free speech and free assembly were written primarily for the protection of unpopular speech.
As for an al-Qaeda rally, I would similarly support the rights of al-Qaeda to rally and spread their message, providing the demonstration was organized and peopled by law-abiding US citizens. In fact, I would much prefer an al-Qaeda that engaged in civic demonstrations as opposed to terrorism as a method of voicing their beliefs.
At least comparatively speaking. I’ll try and remove any hometown bias or other discolorations from my remarks regarding the Nazi rally in Toledo earlier today, but I have to get my thoughts in on this.
I had forgotten about the rally entirely until I heard a news item on WTAM earlier this afternoon, describing the scene in downtown Toledo where the Nazi coalition was outnumbered by at least 3 to 1 by the crowd that gathered to protest the rally. The report also cited circulating sentiment amongst the protestors that the mounted police officers were present “to protect” the Nazi group. The report ended on that note without comment from the station’s news-reader, and to that degree I can’t help but think of Hurricane Katrina coverage. Rather than reporting news, WTAM joined the ranks of rumor broadcasters.
Ethical journalism, anyone? Sorry, it would appear we are fresh out here in the States.
Perhaps it would have been better to cite the presence of police officers as “protecting social order.” Seriously, who benefits when people riot? In the case of the last rally, I agree with the opinion that the Nazis win in that case.
Local talk-show host Mike Trivisonno addressed the Nazi rally in a show earlier, where he denounced (read: shouted over anyone with a dissenting opinion) that the Nazis had no right to rally in Toledo. He grounded his argument on two points: the rally offended WWII veterans and those survivors of the German Nazi regime’s concentration camps and brutality, and that al-Qaeda would never be allowed similar privileges. Though I found Triv’s comments troubling, I was even more disturbed by the number of callers who echoed Trivisonno’s message.
I really can’t make a counter-argument against Triv’s first point. I would be kidding myself to say the rally doesn’t offend anyone, let alone those who fought against the German Nazis and suffered unbelievably from their racial-cleansing agenda. However, to say that someone cannot speak their message because it offends people is unreasonable. For instance, I believe 50 Cent’s music is offensive, vulgar, and perpetuates messages equally dangerous to the message of the Nazis, particularly because it is more popular, but I don’t think 50 Cent should be prohibited from performing in public. Free speech and free assembly were written primarily for the protection of unpopular speech.
As for an al-Qaeda rally, I would similarly support the rights of al-Qaeda to rally and spread their message, providing the demonstration was organized and peopled by law-abiding US citizens. In fact, I would much prefer an al-Qaeda that engaged in civic demonstrations as opposed to terrorism as a method of voicing their beliefs.
posted by Hickmania at
6:53 PM
1 Comments:
trivisonno is a sports talk guy gone mad with pie. it's your fault for listening to him.
By
clavin, at 1:35 AM
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