There wasn’t any holding back here [1]. Here’s an excerpt from Mayor Rocky Anderson’s speech:
Blind faith in bad leaders is not patriotism.
A patriot does not tell people who are intensely concerned about their country to just sit down and be quiet; to refrain from speaking out in the name of politeness or for the sake of being a good host; to show slavish, blind obedience and deference to a dishonest, war-mongering, human-rights-violating president.
That is not a patriot. Rather, that person is a sycophant. That person is a member of a frightening culture of obedience – a culture where falling in line with authority is more important than choosing what is right, even if it is not easy, safe, or popular. And, I suspect, that person is afraid – afraid we are right, afraid of the truth (even to the point of denying it), afraid he or she has put in with an oppressive, inhumane, regime that does not respect the laws and traditions of our country, and that history will rank as the worst presidency our nation has ever had to endure.
The Mayor’s own website [2] states this about the speech:
Mayor Anderson speaks at massive rally on the occasion of a visit by President Bush, Secretary Rice, and Secretary Rumsfeld to Salt Lake City.
Here’s how the Salt Lake City Tribune [3] described the Mayor’s speech and the other protests during the president’s visit.
Here’s the full text of Mayor Anderson’s speech: Rocky Anderson Speech – Aug 06.doc [4]
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