Supposedly
supportive
In
attending the Arnold speech I was surprised
at what I saw, especially the many signs
that said such things as "Young voters
for Arnold," and "Hispanics for
Arnold." I myself being both young
and a Hispanic find it a little offensive
that these people chose to speak on my behalf,
when I am not in fact, "for Arnold."
I would like to know if these people took
some kind of poll to support their statements,
if so I'd like to see this poll because
I was never asked my opinion. I just do
not think that they should assume because
they are young or Hispanic and they support
Arnold that all the youth or all Hispanics
support him.
Another
thing that I observed at the event was the
issue of free speech. The few people that
had guts enough to speak out against Arnold
were immediately shut up and put down. The
people in charge of the event were afraid
these people would be some kind of threat.
However it was simply free speech, the right
to say what you feel.
In
defense of the event, there was an area
set aside called the "free speech area,"
which was located far behind the cameras,
and under the trees, where no
one could see them. I guess the message
was "have all the free speech you want
as long as no one hears it."
There
was one incident in particular where a man
was hold-ing up an antirepublican sign,
and one girl was so upset over the issue
that she tried to block his sign. But doesn't
he have the same right to hold his sign
as she? That's what makes our country great,
we are allowed to voice our opinions no
matter what they are, it's called the marketplace
of ideas, if anyone has ever heard of that.
I
could not help but think people were being
biased in repressing opinions they did not
like. Shouldn't politics be about different
issues and different opinions, isn't that
what democracy is?
One
final note, if these people for Arnold are
going to be biased, then so am I. I heard
Arnold speak about education, but what about
minority issues? California has one of the
biggest populations of Hispanics, and yet
we seemed to be ignored. I'd like to know
where Arnold stands on this issue. In the
mean time I end with a call to all Latinos,
this is our chance, let us stand up for
what we deserve.
Renee
Lemus is a journalism major at Cal State
Long Beach.
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