The Occupy Richmond group, however, as well as many other Occupy groups across America, are not only demanding to be exempted from the rigorous requirements met by any other group before them, they are being given that exemption in city after city — by politicians either too weak or agenda-focused to do their jobs for all their citizenry.
Richmond City Councilman E. Martin Jewell even wanted a resolution that would make the Occupiers’ illegal actions legal — and surely would have done so except for the inconvenient requirement that he actually act within the rules.
Everything about our country is predicated upon the Rule of Law. No one, least of all those of us who’ve voted legally and participated in lawful Tea Party events, wants to see the right of assembly infringed.
Yet, as with illegal immigration, we see what is a slow erosion of the Rule of Law. Thus, it would worth considering having Virginia lead the way by revisiting laws for lawful public assembly, and re-assuring everybody that, in this country, all of our revolutions are conducted in a positive, peaceful way, by valid ballot, at a ballot box.
Let us not kid ourselves, sir: this #Occupy nonsense is nothing short of a prophecy of where the country is headed, on this current ideological course. No, no, no, a thousand no’s, and again: forget this noise.
Yours in service of the Constitution,
Chris Smith
P.S. I suggest that readers of this post also ping their state governors. It is crucial that some executive leadership be located in this country which supports our Constitution.
Occupy DC demonstrators are illuminated by camera flash
while trying to storm the Washington Convention Center
in scene from video recorded Friday, Nov. 4, 2011
“Though they’ve mobilized a fraction of the people who turned out for just one Tea Party rally — the 9/12 rally in Washington, which drew well into the six figures — the Occupy protests have generated far more publicity. And, at least until recently, that publicity has been mostly favorable.”
— Glenn Reynolds, Washington Examiner
When I left home Thursday to attend AFP’s “Defending the American Dream Summit,” I explained that constant campaign coverage and other frustrations had brought me to the edge of complete burn-out:
When burn-out looms, one of the most important symptoms is an overpowering thirst. And I must maintain my health. IYKWIMAITYD.
My general plan was (a) to find Phil Kerpen and do an interview about his new book Democracy Denied, (b) do just enough reporting about Herman Cain and Mitt Romney’s speeches at the AFP event to justify the trip, and otherwise (c) relax and schmooze with my buddies in DC.
At first, things went according to plan. I met up with two stone-cold Cainiacs from New Hampshire, Mike Rogers and Chris Heneghan, who were kind enough to let me crash on the sofa in their suite at the Renaissance Hotel, and who also helped me cope with my thirst-related symptoms. Friday, I went over to the Convention Center and blogged a bit about Mitt and Herman, but had no luck finding Kerpen.
By late Friday afternoon, I’d given up hope for the Kerpen interview, but did get a chance to interview one lively Cainiac:
Ready to call it a day, I went to the AFP dinner with no plan other than to eat a free meal and chill out. But . . . news happens, and what followed were three posts — one, two, three — each of which got Instalanced, so that Saturday’s traffic was the best daily total we’d had in a month. Thousands watched the videos I posted, and the story behind the story is told in my column today at The American Spectator:
“WE! ARE! THE NINETY-NINE PERCENT!”
“WE! ARE! THE NINETY-NINE PERCENT!”
The rhythmic chant, kept in time by the accompaniment of a drummer, eventually deteriorated into chaotic shouting as the mob crowded around the entrance to the Washington Convention Center. A young woman held aloft her homemade 11-by-17-inch sign: “OCCUPY” with three red stars, a crude simulation of the District of Columbia flag. Flashes from dozens of digital cameras intermittently illuminated the frenzied scene by the glass doors, which were guarded by Metropolitan Police officers attempting to prevent the Occupy DC protesters from shoving their way inside.
“Peaceful! Peaceful!” some of the mob members shouted, as the self-declared “99 percent” were clearly on the verge of a full-scale riot Friday night outside the venue where the Americans for Prosperity (AFP) Foundation was holding its annual Defending the American Dream Summit. Before the evening was over, elderly women attending the “Tribute to Ronald Reagan” dinner would be shoved to the ground and three Occupiers would be struck by a car, but those incidents transpired later, after the protesters attempted to storm the doors of the Convention Center. . . .
Please read the whole thing. It’s kind of ironic how I stumbled into the middle of one of the hottest stories I’ve covered all year, when I wasn’t even planning to cover it at all.
Thanks to everyone for their linkagery! To be included in next week’s Rule 5 Sunday, send your links to Rule 5 Wombat by November 12. Can’t guarantee late links will be included!
After becoming a huge box office surprise at the end of the summer, Rise of the Planet of the Apes will definitely get a sequel. Deadline has confirmed the news, and that Andy Serkis will see a seven figure deal to return as Caesar. Director Rupert Wyatt will be back as well.
Sissypuss the Blog Kitty has confirmed, with some trepidation, an unexpected twist. Due to the need to pile all the cash in #OccupyResoluteDesks’s Canadian tour bus when it comes through Southern California for tribute, the sequel will consist of a Rupert Wyatt collaboration with Michael Moore on an #OccupyHollywood documentary.
Moore expressed glee that the #Occupy apes already have the story’s scatalogical angle in hand, albeit messily. The only real plot twist to await in all this is how they will pin the blame for societal collapse on Bush.
The country’s Cabinet was set to meet Sunday to discuss issues relating to Monday’s Euro group meeting, at which Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos will represent Greece, the reports quoted the spokesman as saying.
Venizelos is likely to remain in his post as finance minister in a new government, sources told Greek television. Candidates for the prime minister’s job include Petros Moliviatis and Loukas Papaimos, according to Greek television.
The new government will have a life of four months, according to Greek television, citing sources, and elections will be held in early spring.
The announcement comes amid economic and political turmoil in Greece and the formation of a coalition government tasked with saving the nation from bankruptcy.
A Greek default could drag down larger European economies, in particular those of Italy and Spain, as well as struggling Portugal and Ireland, analysts warn.
The article states that George P. survived the confidence vote. Parliamentary democracy has always been a bit murky, but, George P. is only hanging on while a new government is formed, isn’t that a de facto loss of the confidence vote, with a veneer of face-saving that no one seriously believes?
While one seriously wishes that the Greeks come up with a workable plan, this whole politics of failure continues to be just another tragedy. Or maybe a farce. Would that it could be sped up. Somewhere around Act CCCLXXVII, it started to get old.
I sort of knew most of this already, but the delivery here is quite good:
In the comments, @porklore is clearly a tool, repeating the ‘parties switched names’ myth. What would the motive of the GOP be, exactly, for giving up the right on the issue of race?
This would have been cool back in the day of innovation and capitalism. These foolish Germans are working on something that could have led to that flying car that Glenn Reynolds is always on about. Apparently these Germans had not read their Bradbury. They don’t know that it is ‘unfair’ for some people to be smart and make the slackers feel bad things about their slackerhood. I’ll bet these Germans haven’t listened to Rush, either. (Aside: is it funny or sad that these music industry moochers want to label Rush a ‘Progressive’ act?)
However, we’re now in the inverted Era of Progress, where by ‘progress’ we really mean ‘regress’:
Emphasis mine:
October 28, 2011 — The White Salmon River in Washington state is flowing again as the nearly 100-year-old Condit Dam was disabled with explosives Wednesday. The reservoir draining took about 2 hours. Further demolition is scheduled in 2012. The event is a significant milestone for river restoration and dam removal nationwide.
It doesn’t sound like these guys are doing an improvement project. Rather, its the Noble Savage Myth playing out. While I don’t believe that these Progressives should be repressed in any way, we must, I repeat, must, expose them for the nutjobs they are and ensure that they don’t completely wreck Western Civilization in their pursuit of folly.
