GOP Delegates Boo High School Students on Field Trip
By: Lowell Published On: 2/1/2008 2:16:39 PM
This story is almost unbelievable, until you consider who we're dealing with:
A group of students from Charlottesville and Albemarle County high schools didn't exactly experience southern hospitality when they visited the state Capitol yesterday.
During the House session, Del. David J. Toscano (D-Charlottesville) stood up to introduce the students, who were sitting in the gallery. But when Toscano said the students were members of the "Charlottesville Young Liberals" club, some GOP lawmakers started booing.
That's despicable. It would be one thing for the Speaker to crack is ever present, not so funny, joke about a group that obviously has no warm feelings for him. But it is quite another for our state leaders to boo a group of high school students who act on their passionate beliefs, not to mention took time to learn more about the process by visiting Richmond.
Those who were booing should be ashamed of themselves. I know I am.
For their part, the Republicans claim they were "joking." Has anyone asked the high school kids what they think about their first impression of Republican lawmakers in action?
Comments
Assembly Access has video: (Timothy Watson - 2/1/2008 3:07:27 PM)
of the first reaction, obviously. Wonder which adolescent (maybe PRE-adolescent?) legislators were the first to boo? And did they subsequently join the rather embarrassed ("this ideologic intolerance is just a joke, of course") laughter thereafter? Delegate Toscano made a nice recovery for his fellow lawmakers by saying "regardless of what you might think... I hope you give them a warm welcome..."
Ha! first reactions are the most revealing, and that was the standard conservative bullying in an effort to intimidate. They actually reacted like Pavlov's dog, as they gave their knee-jerk response to the key word "liberal." Almost straight out of Orwell's 1984.
More reasons to hate the republicans (pvogel - 2/1/2008 4:56:52 PM)
If the students were the conservative students of virginia, The democrats would have risin to give them their appreciation.
The republicans are so dispirited they have lost their dignity.
its sad.
So much for Can't we all get along Governor Kaine (leftofcenter - 2/1/2008 5:48:18 PM)
and Senator Deeds. will this make you all stand up and speak OUT? This is outrageous. Every paper in this state should have this as their front page. Rethugs should be shamed for this behavior. These are our KIDS for crying out loud.
But as usual, we won't hear much of a peep out of the Democrats except for maybe an obscure op ed somewhere.
I'm just disgusted.
What a bunch of bullies! (Rebecca - 2/1/2008 6:34:33 PM)
These Republicans learned nothing from Allen (humanfont - 2/2/2008 1:48:45 AM)
The cameras are always rolling now. It doesn't matter if they were kidding; it looks bad on camera, and screaming "legislators taunt teens" will get page views on blogs, and ratings on TV.