The booing worked

[PTH]

Booing the US anthem was a political statement, and it looks like it will have made its own, small mark.

abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/world_in_play_subindex.html

"CANADA: In Montreal, a large portion of the crowd booed the U.S. national anthem before a hockey game between the New York Islanders and the Montreal Canadiens in an apparent protest with the war against Iraq. "

Good. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I would have booed as well.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Freedom of speech, baby. Speak your mind and be heard. Uncanadian and maybe even impolite. But what the hey, Québec is not rife with Presbyterians. Reminds me of what a Guyanese girlfriend of mine said when I asked her about racism in Canada: "In Toronto they're very polite about it. In Montréal they're in your face. I prefer that because at least I know where I stand."

For those opposed to the booing: You should have bought tickets first and kept the decibels down.

[Cranky]

Of course booing is good. It's the intellectual approach.

[MPLABBE]

Maybe someone should remind alot of americans about this...they were not booing their country...they were only protesting against American politics and the war...

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

HabsAddict said:

Of course booing is good. It's the intellectual approach.

Compared to war, yes it defintely is.

[spozzy]

The booing sure did work, absolutely. Now the world thinks Montreal fans are a bunch of tasteless, disrespectful idiots.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

spozzy said:

The booing sure did work, absolutely. Now the world thinks Montreal fans are a bunch of tasteless, disrespectful idiots.

Since the world does not consist of only the United States, you are wrong on that count.

[spozzy]

mr said:

Since the world does not consist of only the United States, you are wrong on that count.

I carelessly slipped. I should have said 'people around the world' think that....not 'the world.'

FYI: I'm Canadian.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

spozzy said:

I carelessly slipped. I should have said 'people around the world' think that....not 'the world.'

FYI: I'm Canadian.

Well, you are still wrong on that count, as outside the USA public opinion is massively against the war. You can look it up.

[MPLABBE]

spozzy said:

The booing sure did work, absolutely. Now the world thinks Montreal fans are a bunch of tasteless, disrespectful idiots.

and the people who think that are idiots because maybe 25% of the fans booed and to generalize and say it's ''Montreal fans'' as a whole is totally ridiculous.

Since there was no booing tonight hopefully this ridiculous thing is put to rest.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Marc said:

and the people who think that are idiots because maybe 25% of the fans booed and to generalize and say it's ''Montreal fans'' as a whole is totally ridiculous.

Since there was no booing tonight hopefully this ridiculous thing is put to rest.

What! The war is over and the Americans have left Iraq? Hallelujah! ;D

[spozzy]

mr said:

Well, you are still wrong on that count, as outside the USA public opinion is massively against the war. You can look it up.

When u assume, u make an.ass out of u and me.

How is it that I'm wrong? You think I don't know that the masses are against the war (due to either ignorance, misinformation, suspicion stemming from anti-American, or whatever)?

Regardless of whether one is for or against the Iraq war, booing the anthem is tastless and moronic...exceedingly moronic when you consider that an American owns our team.

[MC Habber]

Just to weigh in on this debate... I'm not sure if I would have booed or not. I would probably have just sat there and not stood for the anthem. I think the booing sends a different message than was intended and I think that's too bad. The time to stop playing antems at hockey games is probably coming (if it's not already here).

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

spozzy said:

When u assume, u make an.ass out of u and me.

How is it that I'm wrong? You think I don't know that the masses are against the war (due to either ignorance, misinformation, suspicion stemming from anti-American, or whatever)?

No assumptions involved. Seems you haven't been keeping up with the results of public opinion polls around the world, or the prolific public demonstrations world-wide.

Expressing one's opinion publicly is not moronic. It's a democratic right. You may not agree with it, but demanding that people shut up seems, well, rather fascistic. After all, we don't live in...Iraq...do we?

[spozzy]

mr said:

No assumptions involved. Seems you haven't been keeping up with the results of public opinion polls around the world, or the prolific public demonstrations world-wide.

Which results of public opinion polls have I dismissed? How is it that you figure I am not aware of the prolific public demonstrations world-wide?

You are incorrectly supposing a believed one-to-one correlation between good taste and pro-Iraq-war stance on my part. Ridiculous! There are morons and distasteful people on both pro-war and anti-war sides. The people with class on both sides detest the disprespectful booing of national anthems.

Expressing one's opinion publicly is not moronic. It's a democratic right. You may not agree with it, but demanding that people shut up seems, well, rather fascistic. After all, we don't live in...Iraq...do we?

Of course it's a democratic right...did I say otherwise? Did I really even imply that it should be illegal?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

spozzy said:

You are incorrectly supposing a believed one-to-one correlation between good taste and pro-Iraq-war stance on my part. Ridiculous! There are morons and distasteful people on both pro-war and anti-war sides. The people with class on both sides detest the disprespectful booing of national anthems.

Booing is by it's nature meant to denote disrespect. Disrespect was shown for the US decision to attack Iraq. No big deal. The US is getting booed, and worse, the world over, for making the decision they did.

[Yossarian]

The big difference between the other protests and the booing of the national anthem at a sports event, is the other world wide events were all done in the streets, where they should be. Not at a hockey game (See my post under Clueless and Classless fans). A person's democratic right to voice there opinion, sure. But how about a person's democratic right to watch an un-political hockey game where they have paid top dollar for the price of admission, in peace, without some morons politicizing it? Isn't that in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms? If not, it should. But then again, Quebec would invoke the notwithstanding clause, revoking the Charter anyway.

How exactly did the booing work? The US/UK are still in Iraq.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Yossarian said:

The big difference between the other protests and the booing of the national anthem at a sports event, is the other world wide events were all done in the streets, where they should be. Not at a hockey game (See my post under Clueless and Classless fans). A person's democratic right to voice there opinion, sure. But how about a person's democratic right to watch an un-political hockey game where they have paid top dollar for the price of admission, in peace, without some morons politicizing it? Isn't that in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms? If not, it should. But then again, Quebec would invoke the notwithstanding clause, revoking the Charter anyway.

How exactly did the booing work? The US/UK are still in Iraq.

I never claimed that the booing "worked" (whatever that means), merely that a democratic right was exercised.

As for ensuring a quieter game, the solution is simple. Discontinue the singing of national anthems at sporting events. No anthem, no politicization of the event; unless of course if one takes to booing American born players as being representatives of their government.

To paraphrase Steve Martin: "Those Québecois, they have a different word for everything."

Btw, isn't this war just part of the ongoing US/UK plot to make the entire world speak English, or suffer the consequences?