# Let's hope Michael Moore doesn't become a Doper **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 1, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046 "2004-10-01T16:00:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/1 "2004-10-01T16:00:41Z")
He would be a moderator’s nightmare. Apparently, he thinks he can say whatever he wants to whenever he wants to no matter who owns what. I’m sure we all remember his recent indignation over Linda Ronstadt being fired from a Las Vegas casino. At that time, he wrote a letter to Bill Timmins, President of the Aladdin Casino and Hotel, on behalf of idiots everywhere that said in part: > [@](#): > > What country do you live in? Last time I checked, Las Vegas is still in the United States. And in the United States, we have something called “The First Amendment.” This constitutional right gives everyone here the right to say whatever they want to say. Now, according to the Associated Press, whose calls he did not return, he has informed the Washington Post that he is going to [drag his nasty ass](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041001/ap_en_mo/michael_moore_university_3) over to George Mason University to “show up in support of free speech and free expression” — this, of course, after they cancelled his appearance and told him they don’t want him there. It’s a good thing he isn’t here among us, telling the mods to go to hell, and informing us all that the Constutition gives him the right to express himself in whatever way he pleases. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/2 "2004-10-01T16:08:56Z")
You gotta love it here. I suspect that even Moore fans would point out that widely flung misheld belief. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/3 "2004-10-01T16:19:52Z")
You’re letting your comtempt for, well, it seems everyone not you, get in your way of reading comprehension. The article never said he claimed a First Amendement Right to appear and speak at George Mason. What it says is that President Alan G. Merten bowed to pressure from a state legislature to squelch Moore’s talk in that venue. Whether that is prior restraint is another matter. But Moore’s intention to show up anyway is a demonstration against the action, nothing more, not an outrageous claim as you suggest. You should stick to ontological arguments for God. There are enough of us who don’t understand the terms of that debate to hoodwink. When you talk about issues we do, you come off as nutters. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/4 "2004-10-01T16:22:41Z")
I’m all in favour of a Humpty Dumpty quota. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/5 "2004-10-01T16:36:52Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > What it says is that President Alan G. Merten bowed to pressure from a state legislature to squelch Moore’s talk in that venue. Well, it wasn’t the whole legislature, and they only have one. But I’m not interested in the AP’s spin of it. Moore had already established his belief that the First Amendment entitles him to be a boorish jackass. His crashing of George Mason merely confirms that he still doesn’t know any better. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/6 "2004-10-01T16:43:08Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Well, it wasn’t the whole legislature, and they only have one. But I’m not interested in the AP’s spin of it. Moore had already established his belief that the First Amendment entitles him to be a boorish jackass. His crashing of George Mason merely confirms that he still doesn’t know any better. So is there some law of the land that prevents him from being same? Boorish jackasses abound in theaters, restaurants and in the comfort of your own home. He doesn’t have a monopoly on the behavior and would find himself in similar company on this board, methinks. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/7 "2004-10-01T16:48:38Z")
Maybe so. 'Course, there’s no law of the land preventing boorish jackasses from holding up the First Amendment as license to shit all over the boards either, but I wouldn’t want to moderate one. Would you? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/8 "2004-10-01T17:06:48Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Maybe so. 'Course, there’s no law of the land preventing boorish jackasses from holding up the First Amendment as license to shit all over the boards either, but I wouldn’t want to moderate one. Would you? Apparently our current crop of moderators are OK with it. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/9 "2004-10-01T17:11:22Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Maybe so. 'Course, there’s no law of the land preventing boorish jackasses from holding up the First Amendment as license to shit all over the boards either, but I wouldn’t want to moderate one. Would you? I don’t know, **Lynn** would kick his ass if he was a jerk on this board. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/10 "2004-10-01T17:22:03Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Moore had already established his belief that the First Amendment entitles him to be a boorish jackass. Well, it does, actually. > [@](#): > > His crashing of George Mason merely confirms that he still doesn’t know any better. Unless GMU actually forbids him to set foot on campus, then he won’t be breaking any laws by showing up. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/11 "2004-10-01T17:34:52Z")
I, for one, am most happy with our Moderator Overlords. I’ll go a goose-step farther: I would pay for front row seats in a cage match between **Lynn “The Mod” Bodoni** and **Michael " Troll" Moore**. Yeah, Good times. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/12 "2004-10-01T17:38:47Z")
He’s coming to speak here at UF in just a few days. Will I see him? You bet I will. My tuition is paying for him. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/13 "2004-10-01T17:41:54Z")
There are a few omissions, and many troubling aspects to this story. First, I want to know if they had a contract with Moore. If they did, I want to know if they are now in breach. More importantly, I do get that the idea of supporting partisanship with public money is troubling. That being said, I think that it is spineless that they caved in the way that they did and faithless that Moore wasn’t notified before they made the announcement. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/14 "2004-10-01T17:42:30Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > I, for one, am most happy with our Moderator Overlords. > > I’ll go a goose-step farther: I would pay for front row seats in a cage match between **Lynn “The Mod” Bodoni** and **Michael " Troll" Moore**. > > Yeah, Good times. Lynn wins hands down! “Here’s your first amendment!” Bam! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/15 "2004-10-01T17:54:51Z")
> [@Johnny Bravo](#): > > Will I see him? You bet I will. My tuition is paying for him. Then don’t just see him. Interact with him. Call him out old-style, call him a fictional demagogue with a fictional opinion. Make him respond to you, and if he tells you to shut up invoke the First Amendment and claim he’s a jackbooted thug who owns multiple assault rifles and guns down helpless gophers. That’s right, say he goes GOPper-poppin’ and watch him react. And, if you will, do a school newspaper reporter a favor and clue him in on what you’re going to be doing. Don’t be surprised if he arrives with a telephoto lens and a boom mike, or at least a good tape recorder and the best camera he can scrounge. This would be gold. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/16 "2004-10-01T17:58:29Z")
And while you’re at it, let everyone know what he said about Democrats: > [@](#): > > But I’m not a member of the Democratic Party. If you know anything about me, anybody who’s followed me, I’m the anti-Democrat. I have railed against the Democrats for a long time. They have been a weak-kneed, wimpy party that hasn’t stood up to the Republicans. They let the working people down across this country. I rallied against Clinton when he was in office. I didn’t vote for him in ‘96. I didn’t vote for Gore in 2000. [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5239322/](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5239322/) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/17 "2004-10-01T18:02:17Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ll go a goose-step farther: I would pay for front row seats in a cage match between Lynn “The Mod” Bodoni and Michael " Troll" Moore. Oh, I don’t know. I hate to see grown men cry. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/18 "2004-10-01T18:11:47Z")
GMU grad student here: I am neither a Michael Moore fan nor a detractor, but I wonder how he plans to speak at the [Patriot Center](http://www.patriotcenter.com/) without any facilities support (lighting, heat, etc…heck, the doors might not even be unlocked!). :dubious: If he’d been scheduled to speak outside, or in some common area like the Johnson Center (student union), then sure, come anyway and protest all ya like. But how is he going to show up and speak in a building that probably won’t be open? Or might even get rebooked? BTW, the only info I could find on Mason’s website was [this](http://gazette.gmu.edu/#6055) tiny blurb: > [@the Daily Mason Gazette](#): > > **Michael Moore Appearance at Patriot Center Canceled** > > George Mason University has decided to cancel Michael Moore’s Oct. 28 appearance at the Patriot Center. It was decided that this event would be an inappropriate use of state resources. The university has informed Creative Talent Network, Moore’s agency, of its decision. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/19 "2004-10-01T18:17:31Z")
The OP confuses me. Michael Moore was scheduled to speak and was “disinvited” because some pansy-assed Republicans whined about the truths he tells, so Moore is going to go there anyway and speak for free. And that’s a problem…why? Ah, because you don’t like Michael Moore. Well, tough. Just because the pansy-assed Republicans didn’t want him there, doesn’t mean they speak for everyone at the University and city. Fascism hasn’t completely taken hold yet. Btw, the **Fahrenheit 9/11** DVD/video comes out Tuesday…yay! > [@Liberal](#): > > And while you’re at it, let everyone know what he said about Democrats: > > But I’m not a member of the Democratic Party. If you know anything about me, anybody who’s followed me, I’m the anti-Democrat. I have railed against the Democrats for a long time. They have been a weak-kneed, wimpy party that hasn’t stood up to the Republicans. They let the working people down across this country. I rallied against Clinton when he was in office. I didn’t vote for him in ‘96. I didn’t vote for Gore in 2000. > > [MSN | Outlook, Office, Skype, Bing, Breaking News, and Latest Videos](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5239322/) Well, I’m a Democrat and I think he’s right. Democrats in office have let right-wingers/conservatives/Republicans walk all over them and fuck around with this country. It’s been downright disgusting to see. The most recent examples are the Yay votes for confirming a deeply, deeply disturbing asshole like Porter Goss as head of the CIA, and this (cut and pasted from something I sent my husband): > [@](#): > > Things that should make Democrats go “FUCKING HELL!??!” > > [http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0913-14.htm](http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0913-14.htm) > > On the eve of the third anniversary of 9/11, the U.S. House of Representatives – by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of 406-16 – passed a resolution linking Iraq to the Al Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This comes despite conclusions reached by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission and the consensus of independent strategic analysis familiar with the region that no such links ever existed. > > The resolution contains appropriate and predictable language paying tribute to the rescue workers and victims’ families. It also notes actions taken by the U.S. government in response to the attacks, such as the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, improvements in intelligence procedures, enhanced coordination between government agencies, and hardening cockpit doors on commercial aircraft. Actions by American allies were noted as well, such as their arrest of key Al-Qaeda operatives in Europe and elsewhere. > > However, the resolution also contains language designed, despite the lack of any credible evidence, to associate the former Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein with the 9/11 attacks. > … > > === > > Washington Post article: > [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A10421-2004Sep9?language=printer](http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A10421-2004Sep9?language=printer) > > The Heroic 16, who refused to be badgered into voting for the dishonest Resolution: > > John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) > Barney Frank (D-MA) > Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) > Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY) > Michael M. Honda (D-CA) > Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-IL) > Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) > Barbara Lee (D-CA) > Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) > Edward J. Markey (D-MA) > Jim McDermott (D-WA) > Ron Paul (R-TX) (brave, brave soul) > Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL) > Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA) > Maxine Waters (D-CA) > Lynn C. Woolsey (D-CA) > > [http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll431.xml](http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll431.xml) (list of who voted) > > Congresscritters even knew what they were voting for. Here’s a statement from George Miller (D-CA) who understood how misleading the Resolution was, but voted for it ANYWAY! > > [http://www.house.gov/georgemiller/statement9904.html](http://www.house.gov/georgemiller/statement9904.html) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046/20 "2004-10-01T18:22:34Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > The OP confuses me. Michael Moore was scheduled to speak and was “disinvited” because some pansy-assed Republicans whined about the truths he tells, so Moore is going to go there anyway and speak for free. And that’s a problem…why? Um, just to remind you of what was actually in the OP, if he came here to Straight Dope, for free or otherwise, blustering about his rights to free speech and how the First Amendment “gives everyone here the right to say whatever they want to say”, it would be a problem for the mods. I suspect that perhaps something other than the OP might be the agent that is confusing you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-hope-michael-moore-doesnt-become-a-doper/267046.md?page=2)