General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Serious question [View all]DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)Here the county Democrats meet monthly to hammer out party differences, etc. and the state has a platform committees, etc. that meet and have all of that hammered out long-before the national convention. My guess is a national convention is beyond the means of many party loyalists. It costs thousands of dollars to attend Philly and many of my state's delegates were asking for donations to afford to go. I'm not sure how they would swing a yearly event.
As to silencing fellow Democrats... I don't believe anyone is being silenced. But screaming over an invited speaker is bullying. We would not allow it in our classrooms or our workplace. So, asking someone to respect the venue or the event is not silencing. Not when they can walk outside to a media tent and be interviewed on international news. "Say what you want, but don't scream it over someone else" is not silencing. Having access to international media and freedom to say everything you want to them but being asked not to scream over the President or the nominee is not being "silenced."
It is a tricky issue but nobody has been silenced. Every one of those delegates has the right to talk on the floor and debate any issue they want, discuss things in meetings, do interviews, carry signs, etc. All they have been asked to do is not scream over the invited guests.