The ideology is the same.
Posted on 07/10/2004 1:30:37 PM PDT by fight_truth_decay
Letters to the Editor of The Lincoln County News in Damariscotta, Maine speak out in July 8th weekly edition on "anonymous[4th of July]parade float" depicting former President Reagan bobbing in and out of his coffin with a reference to his Alzheimer's disease, "Nancy who"?
GOOD TASTE NOT CENSORSHIP
To the Editor:
I attended the 4th of July parade in Rond Pond this year for the first time. Even though I don't agree with their politics, I found the anti-Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld floats quite amusing. But the float showing Ronald Reagan in a coffin with a headstone was in extremely poor taste. Also the attached sign that said "Nancy who?", mocking Reagan's Alzheimer's disease was disgusting! In a nation of rapidly declining morals people not standing up/talking/wearing hats during the Star Spangled Banner and general disrespect for our country and what it stands for, I suppose one must not be offended. Whoever ran the parade should have had the decency to ban this flaot. That is not censorship, just good taste!
Jack Corson Pemaquid Lake
APPALLED BY UNPATRIOTIC PARADE ENTRIES
To the Editor:
It is always exhilarating to come back to Maine for the summer and see Mainers celebrating summer with such verve. To me this means houses being painted, gardens planted, flags displayed and the Round Pond 4th of July parade.
Yesterday I took friends from Florida to the parade, wanting to show them the wonderful spirit of the people of Maine. Instead I was terribly embarrassed and disappointed. Whas has always been such a fun, positive event was marred by serious negative attacks on the President of the United States.
Parades in the past have had positive political advertising and even fun political mockery. But yesterday, rather than positive or fun political floats, I was stunned by deeply negative and serious attacks on our president. These anonymously produced attacks were distasteful, inappropriate and unpatriotic. I was appalled as were my guests.
Betsy Kinkle Walpole
EDITORIALLY SPEAKING FREE EXPRESSION AND RESPONSIBILITY
Freedom of speech means allowing someone you disagree with to state their opinion. This is difficult if the ideology is the antithesis of what you believe.
Freedom of speech also means choices. Do you want to put things a certain way in order to elicit the most intense reaction to your words?
Suppose you area at a 4th of July parade, a very public venue, intending to celebrate the hard fought birth of American independence and these United States. Imagine your surprise that one flat depicts former President Ronald Reagan bobbing in and out of this coffin and there is a reference to his Alzheimer's disease, "Nancy who?"
The anonymous parade float creator has the right to promote a demean depiction of the moving and stirring national eulogy to Pres.Reagan last month. However, the right to free expression comes with the responsibility for good taste and acceptable behavior. The opposite is true in this case.
Those who temper their statements and opinions with less shock and stridency are much more likely to strike a chord with someone with a dissenting viewpoint. Exhibitionism for the sake of making a point is an immature affront to a very serious freedom we all share. (The editor)
Following the parade a crowd of about 100 (locals and tourists) took in the hard rock band -the Round Pond Rangers, ate blueberry pie and attended an art display on the pier.
Round Pond
I agree, there is something growing in this country that does not bode well.
There is a book which I have not yet read called The Fourth Turning by William Strauss and Neil Howe which describes how certain seemingly harmless events helped to form the foundation of major "turnings" in our country's history. What is significant about this book is the prediction that the Fourth Turning is due to arrive within the next few years......
Yup.
"That is not censorship, just good taste! "
Wrong!...stand up for what it is...censor it and the results are of good taste!
Yes, it is.
What happened to the people who yelled "baby killer"?
Something, I hope.
Let's just say they are the enemy...and I guess that would make them playing into their own hands...;)
Already here. We are raising the "Hero" generation now.
From the web site:
---Natasha had helped children and adults in scores of towns create murals. From Maine to Ohio, from the Soviet Union to Granada, Nicaragua - from Nigeria to our State Prison, She has helped people express themselves. Some of her most rewarding work has been with people at the Augusta Mental Health Institute.---
http://www.mainething.com/artists/natasha_mayers/index.htm
No floats with a Clinton statue shaking his wing-wang??
All Nations and peoples eventually get what they deserve. I could do without these "interesting times".
This kind of "free speech" could have been prevented with a parade manager. In our town all entries have to be approved by the parade committee. The only political statements allowed are vehicles containing politicians with their names displayed. A parade is supposed to be for all the people, thus poltical satire is not allowed.
As to the parade in Main I'd point out that the masked islamists who carry out the atrocities that fill our headlines are also "anonymous".
In the inpatient ward?
I live in Maine. Kerry's numbers are dropping here. He is now tied with Bush. The more these liberal idiots pull these stunts the more Bush's numbers go up. Wesley Clark was in Maine this past week and every place he spoke there were almost as many people standing on the corner with Bush signs as there were Kerry supporters attending the event. I hope the granolas keep up the good work showing how foolish they really are. Most Mainers are normal people and these idiots do more to hurt Kerry than help him. My sons were too busy in Afghanistan to attend the parade and I was campaigning for Bush and missed it as well.
Well the 1960s and 1970s radicals blew up buildings, police cars, and homes. This current breed is cut of the same cloth.
Olympia Snow...please copy!
If that had been in my home town the float and any of its riders would have been pelted with enough tomatoes to supply Heinz for a year. Free speech? Feel the love apples, baby!
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