A meeting of the Communist International Socialist Organization at Portland State University erupted into a melée, targeting a videographer who was there to record the event. Even as they thumped their chests over their right to free speech, they surreally asserted “We don’t allow right-wing bloggers to tape our events.” “Harrassment isn’t free speech” is the profoundly dishonest chant taken up by those whose shocking and vulgar harassment of the cameraman caused their open, on-campus meeting finally to be shut down.
This kind of truly vile, aggressive behavior has in a way come to seem normal. Such are the times we live in, where the very filming of a meeting incites this kind of repulsive, rude, shameless, vulgar reaction, meted out with self-righteous indignation, smugness and satisfaction at their own cleverness; and somehow, these people feel justified in this kind of behavior. Demanding free speech yet denying it – par for the left-wing extremist course.
But it ought NOT seem normal, nor treated as normal, nor shrugged off.
Watch the video here but WARNING: the LANGUAGE is VILE, as expected from those who profess to deplore “hostile rhetoric.”
Who was it who shut down a voice? NOT the videographer, who only wanted to record their meeting, an open meeting on a taxpayer-funded college campus. The madding crowd chose to isolate and neutralize the “enemy,” even while accusing him of silencing their “free speech.”
The levels of irony and disgust are too many to count. But one thing is certain: while these left-wing extremists may not be familiar with the name “Saul Alinsky,” they are, perhaps innately, familiar with his tactics. Alinsky #12: Destroy the Individual
RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Exactly, exactly what happened here.
Of course, if this had been a right-wing group acting this way – which is utterly implausible but for the sake of argument let’s just pretend – you KNOW this would be all over the mainstream media as “proof” of our hate-filled bigotry, and let’s throw racism in there too.
But no. Not a word.
So what are we going to do about it? Take action!
– First, post this video to every mainstream media outlet you can think of – links are here. Also here for the Portland Oregonian, here for KPTV, the Portland Foxnews affiliate. Tweet as well, naturally.
– The most outrageously disruptive person was identified in the video as Christopher Zimmerly-Beck. You can find him on Facebook here.
– The webpage of Portland University’s “Diversity” program is here, and their phone number is 503-725-5919, or email them at diversity@pdx.edu or even tweet the video to them @Portland_State. Take a moment to remind them that diversity of thought is just as important as diversity of skin color.
– There is an email address just visible: pdxiso@gmail.com – the Portland State connection to the International Socialist Organization. Not that I’m saying you should, but I wonder how it would be if a whole lot of people emailed them about this. Just, you know, wondering.
Thanks to The Minority Report: read their article here