If Rick Warren gives the invocation, everyone in DC for the inauguration

[DainBramaged]

should turn their backs and raise their fists in solidarity.


Fuck him (Rick Warren), bad choice, first dumb move by Obama, not serious, just dumb.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I will be among the teeming masses on the Mall ....

I bet that even if I flip him off, no one will notice.

I hope he trips over his robes walking up to the pulpit .... er ..... lectern, and falls and breaks his stupid fucking beard.

[DainBramaged]

6. I can't get off from work, NO ONE is allowed vacation in January

inventory, end of fiscal, new servers being installed.

[endarkenment]

2. seriously dumb

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Recommended! I like your idea.

:thumbsup:

[JVS]

4. How about just jeer the shit out of him?

[Bucky]

15. Jeering during a prayer is dumber than letting Warren pray for the nation

When you fight, fight from the high ground. And don't needlessly increase the ranks of your opponents. Warren is wrong. Jeering a prayer is wronger.

[DainBramaged]

18. Rick Warren prays to a false god, his god is a god of anger and hate

Rick Warren preaches hate, therefore, his prayers are moot.

[Bucky]

20. "His prayers are moot"? Who on earth gets to decide that?

When you have to choose between doing the right thing and getting the right results, always take the long view. Imagine the scene: the guy our new president has asked to invoke God's blessings on the launch of a new administration stands up and starts praying.

And then you start booing during his prayer.

Do you really think anyone is going to wait around and listen to you explain that you think he's got a false god? No, you've already lost the crowd and turned over the moral high ground to your opponent. If you want to know why the conservatives keep winning despite their idiotic ideologies and liberals keep losing despite our far more logical social & political agendas, hold a mirror up to your suggestion that we all boo a guy while he's praying.

It's like you want to lose the competition for public sympathy...

[DainBramaged]

21. HE does not speak for the MAJORITY of Americans, and that is US.

THOSE of us who voted for Obama DO NOT SUPPORT his Reich-wing anti-gay anti-abortion, anti-rights message. It's that simple. And he does not deserve to give an invocation to the country, we don't want HIS blessing, GOD can only bless, and he who prays with hate in his heart prays to deaf ears.


Oh and let me repeat, NOT booing, turning our backs and raising a fist, preferrably with a rainbow arm band or wrist band on.

[Bucky]

27. Ah. As you can see, I started by responding to the "jeer him" suggestion.

Turning backs and wearing a rainbow flag is absolutely the way to go on this. I think we should ask all pro-equal rights participants in the inauguration festivities to do the same. Not fist raising, I don't think, because that's a hostile visual. But a prominent rainbow, a turned back, and a respectful silence for the prayer will say "This man's views are unAmerican and unloving."

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

62. Invoke God's blessing???? Really?

Waitaminute... you place prayer above the 1st Ammendment? Really? Where do you draw the line between "prayer" and "speech"? At "now bow your heads?" After that, it's all good. Really? And you're saying Warren is a medium of God's word to boot! God you are an idiot.

I respect no one who hasn't earned my respect.



(And it would have been so easy to get your point across without your sanctimonious blather...)

[Ken Burch]

34. ...better, try this...

Get a large portable sound system somewhere near the stand. When Pastor Rick starts in, play the recording of the "hold" operator saying "please stay on the line. Your call is VERY important to us..."

[Mari333]

5. glad I am not going

and I wont be watching it either. Hopefully a heralding of BOOS will commence when Warren shows up.

[DainBramaged]

8. I just decided, I need a new TV badly, maybe I'll throw shit at my TV

[Ken Burch]

35. When you say "throw shit at my TV"

Are you speaking figuratively, or were you planning to go bonobo on us?

[DainBramaged]

47. I mean throw large objects, make the garbage guys wonder

[Ken Burch]

57. OK. easier to clean up the carpet that way.

Still, we'd have understood if you'd gone literal about it.

[DrDan]

7. yes - lets act immature like the freepers!!!!!!

[DainBramaged]

9. Thanks for your CONCERN, I bet you were against jingling plastic keys

at the Democratic convention too.:eyes:

[DrDan]

23. yes I was - how trite

[DainBramaged]

24. How did I know?

Actually, your point is taken, registered and filed under 'not worth the paper written on'.

[DrDan]

40. that jingling keys idea was worse than trite - worse than immature

if you lack the compassion to understand that, then I have a better understanding of today's posts

[DainBramaged]

46. Pound salt, and go push your meme somewhere else.

you stand alone, go do it elsewhere, as a matter of fact, start a thread stating the protest of this moran is unhealthy for all of us, yeah, you do that.:puke:

[DrDan]

48. it is a treat to meet such an open mind . . .

[DrDan]

51. oh yeah - nearly forgot

I do not stand alone . . .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/17/obama-inauguration-rick-w_n_151785.html

[DainBramaged]

52. I don't care quit bothering me go open your own thread pal

"click" You just can't take NO for an answer, maybe ignore will convince you.

[Maru Kitteh]

55. You didn't chose that moniker from thin air, did you?

Rhetorical question.

[DainBramaged]

56. Read my journal genius. Who chose yours, your dog?

[Mari333]

10. non violent protest is the height of maturity. n/t

[DrDan]

22. give me a break - junior high behavior

[DainBramaged]

25. Like Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter, all of them too??

Why are you in THIS thread trying SO HARD to persuade everyone NOT to protest this piece of shit?

[Mari333]

36. Mahatma Gandhi didnt think so n/t

[DrDan]

39. you are equating yourself with Gandhi?

[Selatius]

43. He was equating non-violent protest with Gandhi's tactics. You're way too dense. nt

[Daemonaquila]

42. Oh... so protest is immature...

I am so tired of this old line. "Immature" behavior toppled the Berlin wall, created the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine, tragically gave breath and world notice to the fledgling Chinese democratic movement in Tiananmen square... not to mention helped kick off our own country's revolution with the dumping of a certain tea cargo. Whatever.

[PVnRT]

45. Turning your back to someone is "immature"?

It's not disruptive, and it's not childish like when new Republicans threatened to stand up and walk out during the 1995 State of the Union Address.

[Mike 03]

11. I'll say one thing for you. You are very consistent. You stand up very stridently

for the rights of all groups.

We may not agree on the finer points, but you definitely deserve respect.

Peace.

Edit: K&R

[DainBramaged]

13. I do my best, thank you

The gay community is in the battle of their lives (in the 21st Century too, how dumb is society), and this is a smack in the face. Maybe Obama doesn't realize it? I hope the Good REICH Reverend Rick backs down from the pressure of the blogosphere.

Be well.

[Mike 03]

19. You be well too, friend.

I'm glad to know you here at DU.

Take care.

EDIT:

I wasn't thinking of any GLBT issues, but the auto industry, but technicalities don't matter.

You put your action where your mouth is. I respect the hell out of that.

[Ken Burch]

59. Well, you'd have sounded a ton more respectful if you hadn't said "very stridently"

Still, I guess you meant well.

[MikeE]

12. My hope is, that since he's going to be here in DC

we can keep our eyes out for him in some of the gay clubs, and maybe even find someone with a strong enough stomach to take him home and video the encounter. I'd love to out one of those bastards.

[Disturbed]

14. It is real disappointing & I will not watch that segment.

:puke:

[fla nocount]

16. First dumb move?

Let's make it plainer, FIRST dumb move????????????

Not much of one for change are you. Change requires a catalyst or change agent of some sort. No move or choice in this administration threatens to rock the ship of state as it has existed for the last three decades. This is a one term administration because it has alienated the people who voted it in place and has done it one by one, interest by interest and will likely continue to do so.

Monsanto, telecoms, big pharma, M/I complex, Wall Street, religious nut-jobs..."Don't worry, be happy."

Some would say that the first smart move was removing Blago from his speed dial.

[DainBramaged]

17. Your opinion, I disagree, but that's OK, you probably didn't vote for him anyway.

[fla nocount]

26. Vote for him? I worked for him since March of this year.

I'm one of the "Lied To." Politics is more than a hobby for some of us here, it's the future and what's amazing is that some of us just won't give up. I got "Clean for Gene" back in 1968. I'll get burnt out and take a decade off of active participation but I just keep coming back. I share Gomez' fascination with train wrecks I suppose.

I viewed him as the compromise candidate, the foot in the door so to speak...boy was I right about the compromise.

[DainBramaged]

28. Sorry you have given up, I didn't know he took the oath of Office yet

I knew this would happen, people like yourself thinking that Obama would rule from the extreme left, not agreeing with his Cabinet choices, and then laying the smack on him because YOU set yourself up for disappointment. Well, I'll wait about a year before I get as cranky about him as you are. Sorry. I just don't want to hear it.

[Pastiche423]

30. No one thought he would govern from the "extreme left"

whatever the fuck that means. But making an extreme right turn after getting the nom just plain SUCKS!

P.S. I voted for him twice.

[fla nocount]

37. Don't you ever wonder where these apologists come from?

Leading up to the election there was an ad on Craig's List, "Wanted, political writers, thinking 'outside the box' a plus." It paid 5 cents a word unedited but subject line was dictated and forums were assigned. No word about debate skills though...a fatal flaw, that.

[Pastiche423]

38. Where ever they come from

I wish they'd go back!

You and I have been at DU for about the same amount of time. Have you ever seen so many apologists here before? I've noticed many DU old termers have left and that makes me very sad.

[fla nocount]

32. Not cranky. Re-booting and not installing Vista.. n/t

[Ken Burch]

58. Not the extreme left, just not rabidly anti-left.

Would you at least agree that we didn't do anything to deserve the ritual distancing treatment?

Why didn't we and our values at least have the right to be treated with as much respect as this guy gives to Wall Street and the DLC?

It's this "he has to do things as if he only scraped in by one electoral vote" mindset that drives us up the wall.

Why shouldn't it have been different this time?

[MasonJar]

29. Think what you would be saying if Hillary had won and chosen Warren?

What I want to know is why?

[depakid]

31. Not sure about the fist raising, but that's what we all did in Canberra during The Apology

last year, when opposition leader Brendan Nelson started in on his racist bit about aborigianls in NT.

It was actually rather spontaneous. People at first looked at each other in bewilderment, as if to ask "is he really saying this?"

Then thousands of us turned our backs to him in disgust.

[Ken Burch]

33. Actually, another thought would be, that at the same moment.

We get Jim Wallis, Daniel Berrigan, Michael Lerner and Rev. Wright to stand up in the crowd and offer their OWN invocations.

[timtom]

41. Best post on this thread!

Warren was picked because he wrote a viral book (or two) and all the cult of personality worshipers go ga-ga. And warble "Cuckoo!"

I agree with your list (though I am unfamiliar with Michael Lerner).

[PVnRT]

44. Shit, I agree

Rick Warren is a hell of a uniter...

[Douglas Carpenter]

49. I think the choice of Rick Warren was a mistake, but a public act like that would look very bad and

would be extremely counterproductive. Although the Republicans wouldn't be able to contain their jubilation. This would be an incredible right-wing propaganda victory that would exceed their wildest dreams. It would make Pastor Warren look like a victim of crass rudeness. It would make the progressive opponents of Pastor Warren look shrill and unreasonable. After all, the attendees of the Inauguration are guest, just as Rick Warren is a guest. It is simply bad form and will be seen by the vast majority of Americans as bad form for one group of guest to treat a guest invited to deliver a prayer rudely, however reprehensible the views of that invited guest might be. Such an action would only weaken the hands of the progressive opponents of Pastor Warren's views.

As much as I loathe the things Rick Warren stands for, I understand the motivation of President-Elect Obama. The President-Elect understands the huge gulf that exist between social conservatives and social liberals in America. I am certain President-Elect Obama hopes that some of this ill will can be eased a bit through some inclusion and dialog.

Personally I think the choice of Rick Warren to deliver the opening prayer was not a good choice. But time will tell if this extension of a hand of good will from the Obama Administration to social conservatives will bare positive results or not. I don't know if it will. But it might. An action like the one described in the OP will certainly insure that nothing positive will come out of this attempt at easing divisions and facilitating understanding.

It will make things worse. It will alienate allies and friends and needlessly antagonize both friends and foes. It will be counterproductive for progressives and basically spoil a wonderful, wonderful day in American history. While handing the right-wing of the Republican Party and the religious right a propaganda coup on a silver platter beyond their wildest dreams.

.

[DainBramaged]

50. Wrong, they have already been handed their victory

as usual, we should stand silent whilst this hate-monger, who will not change his stripes, speaks lies to the audience who REJECTED his vile teachings. Democrats, always stand silent while being taken advantage of.


If we shall stand silent, when do they come for us?

[Douglas Carpenter]

54. the freepers and the hardline religious right are as furious about Rick Warren accepting the invite

as anyone here is about the Inauguration Committee making the invitation. To whatever minimal extent his invitation from President-Elect Obama confers legitimacy on Rick Warren, Rick Warren's acceptance of President-Elect Obama's invitation is equally a slap in the face to much of the religious right. Although, I don't recall anyone in past inaugurations even noticing who gave the invocations. This is the first time I recall it ever being mentioned in any serious way.

However awful Rick Warren might be. He is there as the invited guest of the President-Elect. The vast majority of American will be repulsed and outraged by such behavior on anyones part toward an invited guest of the President-elect, especially when it involves delivering a two minute prayer for the nation and guidance for the new President.

People who feel strongly about this always have the more sensible option of writing the President-Elect and expressing their disappointment that he invited Rick Warren to deliver the opening prayer. That would be proper form.

[DainBramaged]

60. The Freepers CAN'T be as pissed as the Left is, not in this lifetime

the Freepers HAVE all of their rights (unless they are gay Freepers, but even that's a stretch) so there is no equilvency in anger here.

[Marie26]

53. Or throw shoes!

Not really, OK maybe, but you didn't hear it from me.

[Le Taz Hot]

61. Oooh! Excellent idea!

I won't be there but I'll be lending my support to anyone who is willing to do it.