Tonight, VP-Elect Mike Pence attended #HamiltonBway. After the show, @BrandonVDixon delivered the following statement on behalf of the show. pic.twitter.com/Jsg9Q1pMZs— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) November 19, 2016
When VP-Elect Mike Pence attended the hit Broadway show Hamilton, the crowd had a message for him in the form of boos (and some cheers, but whether they were cheers for Pence or cheers for the booing is an awkward question, no?) But the cast had a message for Gov. Pence--
“We sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us,” said actor Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Aaron Burr.Who knows how well-received this message would be by an embarrassed pol who had already skated out? But while some might decry the etiquette of booing an elected official at such an event, I think a little recap of the life and bigoted times of Mike Pence might be in order. For one thing, he is no friend to the LGBTQ community. He is in favor of conversion therapy which is extremely harmful and useless, and has promoted bigotry against LGBTQ people on religious grounds. His ignorance about the health of drug addicts prompted an AIDS epidemic, and his phenomenal resistance to female-bodied reproductive rights should not go unnoticed.
“We truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us,” Dixon said. “This is one American story told by a diverse group of men and women of different colors, creeds and orientations.”
In fact, I would say, if you don't have the privilege of getting to "boo" Mike Pence at a Broadway show, you might even want to consider being one of the thousands who have donated to Planned Parenthood on Mike Pence's behalf.
I guess I vaguely understand why some people feel like a show of disrespect to Pence is somehow a show of disrespect to the office to which he has been elected. But I entirely understand that this was exactly about him, and a rejection of his apparent fitness for that office. We have no kind of lese majeste laws in this republic. We do have freedom of speech. People can disagree, but that's about it.
UPDATE: Did I forget about his voter suppression against mostly POC's during this past election cycle? Because that is also ridiculous and horrible. He is really owning many ways to deserve getting "booed".
2 comments:
"You lie!" After Joe Wilson said this I have decided no Republican office holder deserves deference and the respectful rebuke for Pence is better than he deserves. As for conservatives demands for apologies? They can pound sand.
Gov Pence has also been booed earlier this year as he threw the first pitch at an Indianapolis Indians' home opener.
( http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/behind-closed-doors/2016/04/15/gov-mike-pence-gets-booed-while-throwing-first-pitch-indians-home-opener/83082276/ )
Don't see how this is significantly different except that a B-way audience is presumed more elite, liberal? But no, his policies are pretty hate-able no matter who one is. And yep, Barack Obama was not just heckled at a SOTU, but booed at different events and for crying out loud, people chanted "lock her up" to Hillary Clinton (and Donald Trump even said he would put her in jail during one of the debates). There is no recasting the rules of civility just to make Trump/Pence look normal or even good. There is only how people really feel and their right to say so.
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