September 1st Broadway walk out?- Page 3

[Shut It Down]

Posted: 7/25/04 at 7:39pm

I don't hate Republicans. I do think that the policies of this administration are bad for New York, America and the world. And I do hate that they think its o.k. to try codify discrimination, rendering me a second-class citizen.
www.shutitdownnyc.com

[thirdrowcenter]

Posted: 7/25/04 at 7:44pm

When NYC's economy is bad the NY'ers pay for it in loss of services and higher taxes. Let's live in the grown up world shall we?

Do not forget that we are all Americans. Updated On: 7/25/04 at 07:44 PM

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 7/25/04 at 7:49pm

I am a LC Republican, and I just have to say that I'm appalled at what some people had said about Republicans.

But anyway, I get enough crap because I'm a Republican actress, so I don't know why I still get surprised when I see some cheap shots other people take. It just gets lower and lower.

The idea itself, all political things aside, I don't think will work economically. Broadway is already on shaky enough ground, I think that some actors might take the night off, but I'm not sure about all of them.

I'm not going to go into the politics stuff- because I don't agree with that, but anyone can protest, and we'll see what happens with this.

Personally, I think that it will hurt matters, more than help. Protests, yes, but I think that the hatred is what is going to hurt this movement.

We'll see.

[Shut It Down]

Posted: 7/25/04 at 9:35pm

If you are a LC Republican, you have more than enough hate in your life. Seriously, I don't see where anyone has been talking about hating anyone else in this whole discussion.
Take the Day Off. We said so.

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 7/25/04 at 10:26pm

It wasn't talked about in this thread, but rage and hatred sometimes is really what's behind this.

If any sort of protest is really carried out in an extremely negative way, it's not going to help the people who are protesting.

And I, for some reason, am not sure what you are implying in the first comment you're making, and I'm not sure I want to know.

[Shut It Down]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 10:08am

I was suggesting that being a LC Republican requires a certain level of self-hatred, especially if supportive of THIS Republican administration.
The Republicans Are Targeting Broadway

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 11:14am

As a person who spent no small amount of time protesting the Vietnam War, the administration, and any number of governmental policies....I've gained some perspective during the intervening years. My politics have NOT changed. I am just as appalled now, by the things I was protesting then, as I was at the time.

What I *have* learned, is how polarizing and ultimately self-defeating some protests can be. Unfortunately, many of the things that felt the most satisfying at the time only drove a bigger wedge between "us" and "them". Back then, I thought the goal was to convince "them" to see things "our" way, because IMO, the truth was on our side. Only now that I'm older, do I realize how unlikely it was that "in-your-face f**k you" tactics would inspire a shift in the opposite side's belief system. Guerrilla tactics and demonstrations by large numbers of angry protesters put pressure on policy that helped lead to the end of our participation in Vietnam, to be sure....but when it comes to effecting change in social issues, f**k you tactics have never been the path to winning the "hearts and minds" of the other camp.

As much as I still love a good, impassioned protest, I think a sick-out the night the Republicans plan to catch a show, would mosst likely reinforce unfortunate existing beliefs. It might make the acting community feel better to display their anger, but it'll do nothing to further gay rights. I say that much more is to be gained by introducing any and all theater attendees to the joys of live performance. Which just might lead some to start thinking about the actors, whose performances they have just enjoyed, as real people who have real lives and real loves....some of whom might be partners of the same sex.

And while we're at it, the same holds true for those of us who do not, shall we say, embrace the Republican agenda. We need to listen to what the other side is saying, because although we are likely to take issue...no one is ever ALL bad or ALL good; totally wrong or totally right. If we don't at least listen to what they have to say, no matter how ridiculous it might ultimately prove to be, we have forfeited the right to expect anyone to listen to us.

[robbiej]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 11:31am

I don't know. I understand what you're saying, iflit, but there still is the whole 'dance, n*gger, dance' aspect to it. I mean...no...we won't give you equal civil rights, but we'll sure watch the faggots dance.

And as for the Republicans on this board, I ask you how can you possibly support an administration that wishes to change the constitution in order to prohibit gay men and women from having their relationships recognized? Honestly. There are many Republicans in my life (both friends and family) and I will ask this question every single day. If someone you love dearly is being denied full citizenship because of the sitting administration, how do you look that person in the face after you cast your vote for said administration? Are your political beliefs more important than your friends and family?

[Shut It Down]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 11:35am

I guess I don't really view this as a "F&^* you" approach. I think what RNCNotWelcome has planned for the 29th is much more in your face.

As I said before, I think the casts do have a great opportunity during their performances that week to make a statement during their curtain calls. Would love to see it happen
Ask Broadway to Help Send The GOP a Message

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 12:16pm

I absolutely agree that the cast should feel free to make a statement. In fact, I encourage it. And I *am* sympathetic to the "dance, n*gger" feel of it all. I'm not questioning your anger or frustration in the least. I'm just being pragmatic, I guess. (Dear god...I can't believe that I have turned into the voice of moderation....I can't begin to tell you how distressing I am finding this...) I just fear that pulling the plug on a performance, or just rendering it sub-par by having some of the cast missing, will create a situation where the wrong part of the story will become the focus. Not so much in New York, but in the heartland, I can almost guarantee you that the story will be about poor delegate John Doe and his lovely family who saved all year to come to New York for the convention and have been SO looking forward to seeing their first Broadway show. THAT's what will be the human interest story on the News at Five in Omaha, NOT the human stories that make the reason for the protest valid and understandable. I guess I'm just attempting to point out the value of keeping the "don't cut off your nose to spite your face" factor in mind.

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 12:18pm

"And as for the Republicans on this board, I ask you how can you possibly support an administration that wishes to change the constitution in order to prohibit gay men and women from having their relationships recognized? "

It is actually the hardest thing for me, since I do support gay marriage.

But I said to myself, right now, the war and our country's condition...it's more important to me than the issue of gay marriage at the moment. John Kerry isn't exactly the most supportive of it either (if I'm correct, I may be wrong). I don't want John Kerry taking the country into his hands at this moment, especially. Maybe in four years, once this is all settled, I might consider changing my vote, but that's really depending on who the candidate will be.

And as a Log Cabin Republican, I'm still a Republican, and I don't want to see my country in the hands of such a liberal president because of that one belief.

It was really hard for me to get to that conclusion, and believe me, people are really upset that I decided that. But I did.

Posted: 7/26/04 at 12:20pm

Iflitifloat - I don't see it as the voice of moderation, I see it as the voice of rational humaneness. At some point we have to accept that we're all here together and need to find the common ground - continuing the ideology of head-butting does nothing but exacerbate the problem. And if that makes it seem as if I don't acknowledge the baser side of human existence, so be it. Accepting it and acquiescing to it are two different things.

[robbiej]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 12:25pm

That's sad, Guenevere. I don't mean that sarcastically or judgementally. It's honestly sad that you have to compromise your own humanity that way.

[Shut It Down]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 12:29pm

I stand corrected it is not RNCNotWelcome that has called for an action in the theater district it came via Indymedia http://nyc.indymedia.org.

LG, I respect your sense of priorities even if I think that there are few, on either side of the fence, that could have done a more disappointing job of prosecuting this war (not even discussing the lies getting us into the debacle). Our soldiers are being ill-outfitted and underfunded in the field and then completely mistreated when they return as veterans with benefits cut and lack of medical coverage. It is truly saddening. As someone that didn't go AWOL, John Kerry will, I believe, have a mite more respect for the men and women who lay their lives on the line for our country.


www.shutitdownnyc.com

Posted: 7/26/04 at 12:30pm

Guenevere - I can appreciate your position, as I can't say I believe in the one-issue vote either. However, my position is that the current administration is responsible for the negative aspects of our existence that you site - the 'war' and our country's condition. So, for the reasons that you want to keep them in place, I want to remove them. After Mr. Clinton's back-stabbing the gay community, I think someone would have a hard time arguing that the Democrats are what we need to give us our rights. But, they could posibly lead us in a different direction concerning your issues than down the drain, as we seem to be headed now.

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:22pm

RobbieJ- You are not the first person who's said that to me. To put in another thing from the other side, I consider that affirmative action is horrible. I firmly believe that our country does not need to set any more racial boundaries, and give perfectly capable people "help", and is messed up in the system. So, no, although this was the hardest decision I had to make, in terms of humanity, I think that I gained a bit by staying true to my political beliefs.

And for everyone else who responded on the war, seeing how John Kerry has flip-flopped (yes, the old flip-flop card, I had to use it), not once or twice, but so many times- I just don't want to take a chance on what he might do with the war. He has said 3 million things about what he wants to do with the war, and most of it has been criticizing Bush. To get more votes in this campaign, I think that he will have to make his 'plan' more public, instead of simply using the criticism tool. It works, but makes me more worried about which path our country is heading.

And I'm Republican in more ways, in terms of immigration (although Bush is not representing our party in that sense), racial topics, most moral topics, the economy, the fact that I feel appeasement during wartime is unacceptable, many things.

I don't wish harm on Democrats, as many Republicans do, or vice versa, and I really wish that people wouldn't be forced to be either just a Democrat or Republican. But that's how it is now, and I had to choose. Updated On: 7/26/04 at 01:22 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:24pm

Guenevere, I see a ridiculous amount of Republican-bashing on these boards. People hold the beliefs they hold for all kinds of reasons and it's not up to me to judge them for it. But I do find it embarrassing as a gay Democrat to see the hatred being spewed against ALL Republicans without qualifications by others who hold the same beliefs as I.

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:41pm

I agree, Raithnait - but I also believe it works both ways. Mr. Limbaugh has certainly been a leader of a particular sub-group. Extremists on any side of any fence get carried away. Hence our current climate.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:42pm

So why do we have to stoop to his level? How does that show how wrong he is?

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:44pm

For the record, I don't approve of Limbaugh in the way he presents his views either.

[robbiej]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:44pm

There are some of us who do not bash all Republicans (I would never bash my father, my brothers, my sister or many of my friends...that's something I could never do).

However, I will fight to my last breath, for a woman's right to choose and for equal rights for all citizens. The Republican platform is what is troubling to me. And it's a relatively new phenomonon (thank you, President Reagan, wherever you may be).

I don't have a problem with Republicans. I just have no idea how one supports that kind of platform.

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:46pm

I absolutely understand, Raithnait, how you could read that that was what I was advocating from my post. I just wasn't clear enough. I in NO WAY advocate this kind of interaction. I was just pointing out that it exists on both sides - I don't think some vehement Democrats are the only ones.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:47pm

That's great, robbie, because that is what America is. My family is also made up of Republicans, and I don't understand it, but they have their reasons and I leave them to them.

America is all about fighting to your last breath for what you believe in, while at the same time allowing your neighbor who disagrees with you to do the same.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:52pm

Odd...

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/26/04 at 1:54pm

Oh I agree with you, DGrant. I just find it more of a mass groundswell among my Democrat peers.