The public library in the Detroit suburb of Troy had a ballot levy in order to raise funds to continue its operation. Of course the Tea Party, with its mindless opposition to any and all taxes, whipped up a campaign against it because they are willing to close down even public libraries to keep a few extra bucks in their pockets.
It looked like the levy would go down in flames and the library forced to shut its doors until some people had the idea of how to change the topic from taxes to book burning.
Here’s what happened.
See here for more on this story.
(Via Crooks &Liars)
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RW Ahrens
June 18, 2012 at 3:10 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Lesson: When you set the terms of the debate, you win. If you let your opposition set the terms, you lose.
Are you listening, Obama? Is the Democratic Party listening?
'Tis Himself
June 18, 2012 at 6:38 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Apparently not.
Thaumas Themelios
June 19, 2012 at 12:26 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well said, RW Ahrens! Hear, hear.
shouldbeworking
June 18, 2012 at 3:39 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Fantastic video. A whole new meaning to the saying fighting fire with fire.
Zinc Avenger
June 18, 2012 at 3:56 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Watching damage to a book causes me extreme discomfort. I can’t stomach a burning, whether it be a Koran, Mein Kampf, a Bible, Fahrenheit 451, or the offical novelization of The Phantom Menace.
Mano Singham
June 18, 2012 at 4:07 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Not even The Phantom Menace? Now that’s sticking to principle.
Reginald Selkirk
June 18, 2012 at 5:54 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
They also oppose knowledge.
Mr Ed
June 19, 2012 at 8:19 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
Crudely Wrott
June 19, 2012 at 2:09 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Nice to see a practical and effective example of the maxim, “Turn about is fair play”.
It is. And it’s rich!
Carl
June 21, 2012 at 2:10 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Does this strike anyone else as particularly dishonest?
I don’t know anything about the situation apart from what’s shown in the video, but it contains nothing to suggest that the Tea Party disliked books, libraries, or reading–only that they disliked funding them via taxation.
If you think supporting those things via public money is a good idea, that’s fine, and a perfectly good argument could be made in support of your position. So why not make that argument, instead of falsely claiming that your political opponents are against those things, when they’re really only against a particular means of funding them?
SET THE TERMS… WIN THE DEBATE… | Have Coffee Will Write
June 19, 2012 at 4:58 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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