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President Barack Obama (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
While doing some research for my next Examiner article, I came across a video of ACORN organizers, at a health care rally, using oppressive thug tactics to shut down opposing voices. The video is raw but it clearly shows police in Baton Rouge, LA intervening on behalf of ACORN and attempting to silence a civil discussion about health care policy.
Initially, some ACORN members were holding a rally in support of President Obama’s health care plan, and some counter protesters were holding a small opposing rally against the health care plan. So far so good, what is occurring is the normal exercise of free speech and free association rights, constitutionally protected in the United States.
Things took a surprising and dangerous turn when a police officer, clearly sympathetic to the ACORN rally, attempts to shut down the opposition. At one point, during a very civil discussion between an opponent and a supporter of the president’s plan, the police officer returned and actually told the individuals opposing the president’s plan they were not allowed to speak. The man in blue shirt, a supporter of the president’s plan, later returns and attempts to defend the free speech rights of the counter protesters.
The president does have a long association with ACORN and the SEIU, and both organizations have faced accusations of fraud and intimidation both in the past, and more recently. I find it interesting the president was so quick to jump to conclusions, and assume wrongdoing on the part of police during the recent arrest of his friend Henry Gates; he then backpedaled when the facts of the case revealed Mr. Gates to be in the wrong. The President is currently dealing with the backlash his comments sparked. Now, when ACORN, and police officers in Baton Rouge, LA, are actually suppressing the free speech of individuals opposed to the President’s health care plan, he says nothing. I will let the video speak for itself.
Comments
The wrongly named ObamaCare should be called ACORNCare since ObamaCare provisions come straight from ACORN's website.
acorn.org/index.php?id=2741
ACORN is a group of government sponsored thugs. Obama is over reaching again.
google ACORN SEIU HCAN and look at the relationship to the Obama health care scheme.
It IS ACORN CARE!
I complained to the FBI about this obvious abuse of Civil Rights. Others should too. Just use their Tips form on their website. This was one of the most obvious violations of any person's 1st Amendment Rights that I've ever seen in my 40 years.
"The rest of the story" is that this was not a town hall meeting, it was an ACORN rally; ACORN had asked the police to keep the groups apart to avoid a confrontation. No, the policeman should not have told anyone where they could stand on a public sidewalk, but let's tell the whole story.
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