Democrats stifle free speech on convention floor [View All]

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There was a Reuters wire item today that said that the DNC floor police were confiscating some delegates' homemade signs and other items that promoted peace.

The wire story said that only "pre-printed" signs were being allowed onto the floor, which pretty much narrows it down to Kerry signs only at this point, as no other ex-candidates are spending $$ on campaign materials anymore. I didn't put much stock into it until I heard today's broadcast of Amy Goodman's Democracy Now.

At 16:45 into the first hour of the show, Amy interviews two Kucinich delegates from MN, Charles Underwood and Donna Cassutt. I have personally known both Charley and Donna since last summer, when I first got involved in the campaign.

They both reported that representatives from the Kerry campaign confiscated their home-made pro-peace signs from them, as well as pro-peace scarfs they were wearing on the floor.

Needless to say, both were rightfully disappointed that this is the way that dissent was handled by the DNC. Apparently the Democratic Party, the party of civil liberties, thinks free speech is okay, if it's within a mini version of Gitmo outside the convention, but not so among delegates who are encouraging the party to take a stronger pro-peace stance.

This is doubly ironic, considering that 85% of Democrats AND 50% of Americans oppose the Iraq war.

Note to the DNC: this is NOT how you win over new party activists, or those who care about debate, dissent, and free speech.
This is doubly ironic