We've seen it all this last week -- from the clever to the obscene, from the absurd to the profound. Men in giant foam flip-flops and women handing out pink slips graced our sun-bathed campus to flaunt their politics -- or at least their joy in making a scene.
I will admit that I was caught up in the fray and chuckled in my good-natured Democrat way at the young Republican fellow lugging around a giant blow-up dolphin (Flipper, get it?). Yes, John Kerry is a sexy beast, as one sign holder claimed, and Republican boys may be hotter, but at least we can all have a sense of humor when it comes to the political circus.
Nothing wrong with getting worked into frenzy, making witty banners, and ditching class to run around campus waving signs. Unfortunately, at our rival campus to the south, the protesting was not all in light-hearted fun.
On Monday, controversial filmmaker Michael Moore brought his "Slacker Uprising" tour to a sold-out Tucson crowd at the McKale Center. Mixed into the largely supportive crowd was a sprinkling of Bush supporters who chanted loudly, impeding his presentation and delaying his start by 20-30 minutes.
Regardless of anyone's opinion of Moore, the fact remains that 14,500 people paid money to hear him speak, not to hear a small group of dissenters bellow "four more years" over his voice.
Business senior Jana Bertucci drove all the way from Tempe on Monday afternoon to see the Tucson show.
"It was fine that they were there -- you know, freedom of speech and all -- but he let them have their minute. He let them have 20 minutes. But they wouldn't let him get a word in. And he was the reason 15,000 people were there, not to see the UA College Republicans," said Bertucci.
Politics would be boring if we all agreed. Republicans have every right to hate Moore as much as we Democrats hate Rush Limbaugh, but I can imagine the outcry if a crowd of raging liberals stormed the KFYI radio station and chanted "three more weeks" over his broadcast.
In Tucson's paper, the Arizona Daily Star, protester Wes Meeker was quoted saying he was asked to leave merely for expressing his views.
Bertucci disagrees. "He didn't get kicked out because he was expressing his opinion. He got kicked out because he wouldn't shut up about his opinion," she said.
The students of ASU have impressed me by not sinking to this level. Signs, shirts and costumes are all positive ways to support your candidate. Disrupting 14,500 people to holler inane, pointless catchphrases is not.
To protest means to object or express disapproval with the intent of affecting change. I wonder, then, what these protesters at the McKale Center meant to accomplish, other than to irritate and annoy the "enemy."
This type of behavior is unacceptable. We can be better people than this. We are all capable of understanding that everyone in this country is entitled to an opinion, and that shouting louder than your opponent does not make for a stimulating intellectual debate.
The protesters at the Tucson stop on Moore's tour were not making calculated political arguments. Like petulant children with no capability of arguing or discussing rationally, the small group at McKale merely hollered repetitive, mindless chants until eventually were asked to leave.
Come on, people. In this intense political environment it is easy to get riled up and spew wrath onto the opponent. But this ... well, this is just immature and ridiculous. We are all entitled to our opinions. We are also entitled to see the show we paid to see.
Katie Kelberlau is a history and religious studies senior. Reach her at dointhechop@yahoo.com
