http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/11/tea-partiers-move-office/
QuoteOne of the members of Congress most targeted by the tea party movement and other far-right political actors has been Rep. Tom Periello (D-VA). Last month, tea party demonstrators even threatened to burn Periello in effigy, citing his support for health care legislation that recently passed the House of Representatives. Now, tea party demonstrators and the University of Virginia College Republicans have enlisted the help of a Christian civil liberties organization to make the demand that Pereillo move his office so that protesters will no longer have their ability to protest him be "hindered":
QuoteA Christian civil liberties organization on Thursday asked centrist Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) to move his district office to a location more favorable to protesters.
The Rutherford Institute, which was founded by conservative constitutional lawyer John W. Whitehead, penned a letter to the freshman Perriello citing the concerns of a local tea party group and the University of Virginia College Republicans that the location of his Charlottesville office interferes with their right to protest there.
"Unfortunately, it is your choice of office location that has hindered the ability of citizens to effectively communicate concerning issues of the utmost importance to you, Congress and the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia," wrote Whitehead.
"The First Amendment clearly guarantees individuals the right to speak out publicly and address their government representatives on the important issues of the day," Whitehead added.
The congressman's press secretary told the media that he has no plans to move his office, largely because he has signed a lease to stay in the building until January 2011.
:lulz: World's Laziest Patriots!
:lulz:
Ugh...I can't believe I supported some of these assholes.
But in my own defense I was supporting the right to protest, not their POV...still, if you are going to protest have the fucking stamina to walk across town at the very fucking least.
It's not that odd... I recall the famous Sam Adams letter of Nov 29, 1773
QuoteDear East India Company,
Please move your ships to a dock that is easier for us to access from The Old South Meeting House. It is entirely unacceptable that we must walk clear to the end of the dockyard in order to throw your tea into the water.
Um, this has nothing to do with how far away his office is. The protesters were told they would be arrested for protesting in front of his office, private property and all that.
Quote from: Requia ☣ on December 12, 2009, 11:22:28 PM
Um, this has nothing to do with how far away his office is. The protesters were told they would be arrested for protesting in front of his office, private property and all that.
Is there any law that would require him to move his offices to make it easier for them to protest him? They have a right to protest, they don't have a right to force him to move closer so they can yell at him better.
No, I'm just saying the criticism that they don't want to travel to him is unfounded, they tried going to him and were chased away.
Well to be fair... they're simply not allowed to protest in the parking lot which is shared with several other businesses... They can actually visit the Rep and talk to him like sane human beings... but that doesn't look as cool on Fox News.
Quote from: Requia ☣ on December 13, 2009, 07:34:50 AM
No, I'm just saying the criticism that they don't want to travel to him is unfounded, they tried going to him and were chased away.
They were told, rightfully, that they couldn't protest in the parking lot. That's not being "chased away". The parking lot is private property and I can see why the building owners wouldn't want protesters in it. Why can't they protest on the sidewalk like everyone else? Is the sidewalk not cush enough for them?
I mean, it's not like the protesters at Planned Parenthood are allowed to use THEIR parking lot, now are they? That's just unreasonable.
:lol: Teabaggers just make it too easy to larf at them. They are an illustration of hyperbole so far into the crazy, that it's hours and hours of quality entertainment, just like their puppetmaste--I mean inveterate supporters on Fux News and the likes of Palin and Rush.
Quote from: Halfbaked1 on December 12, 2009, 09:19:38 AM
Ugh...I can't believe I supported some of these assholes.
:lulz:
Quote from: Requia ☣ on December 13, 2009, 07:34:50 AM
No, I'm just saying the criticism that they don't want to travel to him is unfounded, they tried going to him and were chased away.
No, they were chased out of the parking lot. They can use the sidewalk like anyone else.
So what's the specifics?
If they were to go to the sidewalk, would that put them out of range of being heard/seen significantly by him?
Quote from: Iptuous on December 14, 2009, 05:30:50 PM
So what's the specifics?
If they were to go to the sidewalk, would that put them out of range of being heard/seen significantly by him?
Life sucks, wear a hat.
This isn't the government establishing "first amendment zones", this is a private company that wants to use its parking lot for, you know, parking. Without having cars damaged by angry knuckledraggers.
If he opened a new lease on a new building, they'd jump on him for wasting money with two offices.
If he broke his lease, they'd shriek that he can't even hold to a contract.
They can stand on the sidewalk and seethe. EOS.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 14, 2009, 05:34:02 PM
Quote from: Iptuous on December 14, 2009, 05:30:50 PM
So what's the specifics?
If they were to go to the sidewalk, would that put them out of range of being heard/seen significantly by him?
Life sucks, wear a hat.
This isn't the government establishing "first amendment zones", this is a private company that wants to use its parking lot for, you know, parking. Without having cars damaged by angry knuckledraggers.
If he opened a new lease on a new building, they'd jump on him for wasting money with two offices.
If he broke his lease, they'd shriek that he can't even hold to a contract.
They can stand on the sidewalk and seethe. EOS.
So, their gripe really is, that they have to stand a little further away?
lame...
if their gripe is to get his attention, and change his mind, then they're idiots.
if their intention is to garner public attention, then the arrests would be a boon, right? And if they wanted to garner public attention without getting arrested, they could simply choose a different venue that's in public space...
The Tea Party is some fantastic shit. I mean, they may actually try to put someone on the 2012 ticket. It will be absolutely hilarious. They were apoplectic at losing 2008, but they could blame the 'RHINOS'... how will they behave when they lose on thei own?
:lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz:
Quote from: Doctor Rat Bastard on December 14, 2009, 05:51:44 PM
The Tea Party is some fantastic shit. I mean, they may actually try to put someone on the 2012 ticket. It will be absolutely hilarious. They were apoplectic at losing 2008, but they could blame the 'RHINOS'... how will they behave when they lose on thei own?
:lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz:
And that someone is...guess who?
SARAH.
FUCKING.
PALIN.
No, really. Not kidding.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 14, 2009, 05:53:20 PM
Quote from: Doctor Rat Bastard on December 14, 2009, 05:51:44 PM
The Tea Party is some fantastic shit. I mean, they may actually try to put someone on the 2012 ticket. It will be absolutely hilarious. They were apoplectic at losing 2008, but they could blame the 'RHINOS'... how will they behave when they lose on thei own?
:lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz:
And that someone is...guess who?
SARAH.
FUCKING.
PALIN.
No, really. Not kidding.
:walken:
Listen, TGRR, I know you said this was the funniest decade ever. But I think it's about to get so, so much funnier.
Quote from: The Right Reverend Nigel on December 14, 2009, 06:01:52 PM
Listen, TGRR, I know you said this was the funniest decade ever. But I think it's about to get so, so much funnier.
Next one promises to be even more fun, yes.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 14, 2009, 05:53:20 PM
Quote from: Doctor Rat Bastard on December 14, 2009, 05:51:44 PM
The Tea Party is some fantastic shit. I mean, they may actually try to put someone on the 2012 ticket. It will be absolutely hilarious. They were apoplectic at losing 2008, but they could blame the 'RHINOS'... how will they behave when they lose on thei own?
:lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz:
And that someone is...guess who?
SARAH.
FUCKING.
PALIN.
No, really. Not kidding.
They have to destroy the Republican Party in order to save it, Roger!!!
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 14, 2009, 05:53:20 PM
Quote from: Doctor Rat Bastard on December 14, 2009, 05:51:44 PM
The Tea Party is some fantastic shit. I mean, they may actually try to put someone on the 2012 ticket. It will be absolutely hilarious. They were apoplectic at losing 2008, but they could blame the 'RHINOS'... how will they behave when they lose on thei own?
:lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz:
And that someone is...guess who?
SARAH.
FUCKING.
PALIN.
No, really. Not kidding.
I am terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought.
So irrational thought tells me to get together an Anti-Teaparty, Party to confound theses wingnuts and put forth Cobra Commander as a nominee.
Quote from: Halfbaked1 on December 16, 2009, 10:01:35 AMI am terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought.
So irrational thought tells me to get together an Anti-Teaparty, Party to confound theses wingnuts and put forth Cobra Commander as a nominee.
:lulz: DO IT
There's a grain of truth in their objections, though. If Rep. Whoever had intentionally chosen his office location so that he wouldn't have to deal with the people he was supposed to be representing, that would be very bad. (That said, it seems like people can protest at his office, just not in his parking lot because the office shares its parking lot with businesses who need said lot for their customers.)
The idea of conducting government business on private property is a little disquieting; somehow I had assumed that congressional offices were in town-hall like buildings provided by the district or state.
Quote from: GA on December 17, 2009, 12:43:49 AM
There's a grain of truth in their objections, though. If Rep. Whoever had intentionally chosen his office location so that he wouldn't have to deal with the people he was supposed to be representing, that would be very bad.
But that isn't what happened, so that grain is non-existent.
Look, I am trying very hard to live in a world where retardation is an unfortunate developmental accident, rather than one in which people intentionally retard themselves, and are handed large megaphones to explain why everybody else should do the same.
How would one organize cos-players to "demonstrate" at the same time and place as one of the T-Baggers "demonstration?
"FEED YOUR HEAD
\
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jXMIsK3dV50/Sex-6zERtBI/AAAAAAAAMb8/7nvhVRfoTb0/s400/article-1172061-048DB0DF000005DC-944_468x533.jpg)
It'd make news broadcasts just a bit more entertaining.
I actually think his office location is *better* for protests. You can't fit 10000 screaming teabaggers (who aren't going to change his mind anyway) onto the sidewalk, but that makes it easier to get him to notice you if you're after say, telecommunication reform, where he's probably never heard a dissenting opinion from the telecom lobbyists, and letting him know what you think might actually matter.