Editor: Initially we had this confused with another group. We now stand corrected and the following post has been changed to reflect this new understanding.
The Lincoln Club of San Diego is displaying some real bad taste with their new Christmas event invite. The group – an organized and ideological collection of Republican business people have sent out a colorful invite for their Grant Hotel shindig for December 8th entitled “Occupy Christmas” in an obvious pimp off the Occupy Wall Street movement. The card includes four camping tents with three signs made to look like protest signs that say “save the date” – well, you can see it.
To top it off, the keynote speaker is Steve Breen, the editorial cartoonist for the San Diego U-T.
So why is this worthy of note at the OB Rag?
We wanted to show how this clear mockery of the occupy movement by the invite is simply soaked in elitist hypocrisy, and not only makes fun of the movement that has highlighted the disparity in income between the very, very rich and the rest of us, it disparages protest and dissent in general.
For one, the people – the elected officials – this GOP club supports, plainly do not support the Occupy Movement either in general or here in San Diego. Their Republican mayor, Jerry Sanders, has rode roughshod over the demonstrators, refusing to negotiate with them, has had them roughed up, arrested, pepper-sprayed, removed, and has done everything in his power to get rid of them. DeMaio has openly mocked them and disparaged the movement by lying about its effects on a couple local businesses.
Not only that, other prominent GOP elected officials (Zapf, Dumanis, DeMaio) that the Club supports have been particularly un-supportive or downright nasty towards the demonstrators.
The mocking of the iconic symbol of the tents is especially mean-spirited. It has been the tents that have been the focus of much of the Republican establishment’s ire here in this town – and around the country. It has been the tents that have been in the center of the occupy controversy.
Plus, the U-T editorial cartoonist, Breen, has shown no love for the Occupy San Diego movement; weekly he mocks it in his hand-drawn op-eds.
So, we just think that the Lincoln Club – like many groups – have jumped on the “occupy” bandwagon because it’s fashionable to mention the word “occupy” with whatever your favorite cause or focus is. It’s just downright ugly to send this invite out at the same time – and during this season of giving and forgiving no less! – that the Lincoln Club’s heroes have banned tents and are bashing, harassing, and arresting occupy protesters.
{ 51 comments… read them below or add one }
Uh, Correction Frank. The Lincoln Club is not “an organized and ideological collection of Republican gays and lesbians.” That’s the Log Cabin Republicans.
The Lincoln Club is a non-party affiliated club that supports business interests in SD politics. In the past, the Lincoln Club has supported both Republican and Democratic candidates.
top Doug – thanks for the correction.
You’ve convinced the Log Cabin Republicans and Lincoln Club. LCR is the LGBT group; Lincoln Club is the very conservative, TJ Zane & Co. group.
Thanks Rachel for the clarification. I’ve made changes to the article.
The GOP has come a long way– just look at the morally, ethically, and intellectually challenged group of candidates that are running for the Presidential nomination. That should be proof positive that the party is reaching out to the under-represented parts of our society.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that the Lincoln Club is reaching out to Occupy. It’s a symbolic gesture, kinda like that law firm in New York that had all their people dress up as homeless for the office holiday party. It’s the only way they know to say they care. (Not)
I think they’d be delighted to share the spirit of the holiday season if a few of us decided to join with them at the US GRant.
I think they’d be delighted to share the spirit of the holiday season if a few of us decided to join with them at the US GRant.
This is just priceless! I love it.
Oh, forgot to put quotation remarks on your statement.
Frank, Thanks for the partial correction. Now please fully correct, to reflect that the Lincoln Club is not a Republican Club. The Lincoln Club has many non-Republican members. It has supported non-Republicans. Tony Young comes to mind. You need to be accurate or you lose credibility.
I looked at the list of politicians and projects they support. You or someone else will have to make the case that they also support Democrats (you said “non-Republicans” for some reason) and liberals.
You said it was a Republican club. I agree that the vast majority of the people they support are Republicans. But not all. And not all its members are Republicans. As an attorney, I would hope you’d understand the difference. Just because a group doesn’t support Democrats doesn’t make it Republican. I.e. The Green Party, Libertarian etc. Hence, my use of “non-Republican”. Case made
Agreed that in 2010 the Lincoln Club endorse Democratic City Councilman Tony Young. Has there been a second Democratic candidate endorsement?
http://sdrostra.com/?p=4539
Democrat (Gasp!) Tony Young Endorsed by Lincoln Club of San Diego.
Thursday, April 29, 2010.
Has there been another pro-business Democrat in SD since 2010?
Small Business Owner and former Council Woman Donna Frye.
Of course the 1% will be celebrating at the swanky U.S. Grant. I doubt they even have a collection for the needy at this event. Thousands wasted by a supposed political action group to celebrate their toadies, including Mayor Sanders, Jan Goldsmith, Zapf, deMaio, Dumanis, etc. Maybe we can shame them into paying for toiletries for the Occupiers and maybe they’ll pony up for some porta-potties. Better yet, maybe individually they can leave the party and escort Occupiers into the Grant to use the restroom…maybe even share a glass of champagne and some caviar. Doubtful.
Oooh. Another doug porter! Love your humor, especially bringing out the absurdity of some of these people.
This is how you double down on the descent to permanent minority status. So stick to the bright side. The entire conservative apparatus in San Diego (everywhere really) has been left scrambling to piggyback on Occupy to stay relevant. How much press did DeMaio get for his Occupy gimmick compared to the rest of his campaign combined? Krvaric’s been desperately trying to stay relevant via Occupy references for a month or more. They’re losing the ability to drive narrative. All they have left is to complain about the cool kids to be included in the story.
Do you think that that DeMaio kid will mind if we join their party? He’s suuuch a buzzkill.
i may have solved Occupysd’s problems with the cops at Freedom Plaza. THe local Young Republicans just did a “stunt” down there that included putting stuff on the ground. Nothing happened to them. So the solution is obvious: Occupysd becomes RepublicanOccupysd and the cops get to go home.
ooops. here’s a picture: http://pic.twitter.com/XPp6L9XT
I don’t get it. They’re mocking the OccupySD protesters by picketing tiny Christmas trees, as elves? Oh, they’re elves on strike. Hmmmm.
City Beat says that the Young Rethug stunt was making a video tape for the Lincoln Club Xmas Party. Coordinated by a staffer from Lorie Zapt’s orafice. Here’s the link: http://goo.gl/qLPgk
the twitter feed said the young gopers were calling their women “ho’s”. I’m not sure what electoral bloc they’re striving for…
I think its is very funny. Just pretend Jon Stewart was using it to mock the Tea Party and you will see how funny it is.
And here is the funniest part of the whole article……
“The mocking of the iconic symbol of the tents is especially mean-spirited.” …must be more satire?
No, not at all. The tent of the Occupy movement has come to represent freedom of speech and assembly. It is ugly of them to mock these symbols of the movement that is breathing fresh wind into a dissent that could save this country.
I see…….and this is why the left would never mock the Tea Party or their ‘iconic symbol of tea bags’. IMO, people who live in glass houses should not throw satiric stones.
Tents and camping are not a part of ‘free speech’. They are a part of ‘free loading’.
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-11-15/us/us_new-york-occupy-eviction_1_protesters-demonstrators-tents?_s=PM:US
100% correct. Well said
RB- you know what really cracks me up? As a citizen I call Lorie Zapf’s office to discuss the arrests and harassment of the Occupiers and then get to read that one of her staff is is making a thigh slapping video satire about Occupy for the Lincoln Club. http://tiny.cc/nr7jw
We don’t get government in San Diego, we get farce.
I am not a republican by any means, but I think that the occupiers need to grow a thicker skin. If you are going to have a “movement,” don’t expect everyone to agree, support, or sympathize with you. The occupiers have opened themselves up to the same criticism and nastiness that the occupiers are doing to politicians that they don’t like. If the occupiers don’t think it’s OK for others to mock them or criticize them, then it is not OK for the occupiers to do it to others. If they DO think it is OK, then THAT is hypocrisy.
I agree that mock and ridicule pretty much goes with the territory when being part of any vocal political movement, but that fact doesn’t always make it any easier to accept it when you are very passionate and believe very strongly in the cause you are supporting. I’m sure the people who developed this flyer were specifically INTENDING to get a reaction and got one, so it could be argued that this very post was their goal. Here’s and example. Prop 8. Those of us (I would assume most people who read and post on the Rag) who are firmly against prop 8 and want to see it overturned feel that those who support it are bigoted and hateful and deserve any mock and ridicule we throw at them because they want to deny a basic human right. Naturally it’s to be expected that the pro 8 people will mock and ridicule us that doesn’t make what they say any less offensive. There is a right and a wrong here and I consider us right and them wrong. Same thing with this movement. People’s lives have been ruined beyond repair and that’s what spawned this movement. I get and understand your point (that things go both ways) and don’t disagree, but put yourself in the shoes of this economy’s victims and see how they feel about being ridiculed for their misfortune, especially those you are out of work, out of money, facing homelessness (or already are homes), have health issues they can’t attend to because they have no insurance and may possibly be facing death. That’s how bad things are for many people.
If you want to know what the Occupy Christmas movement is really all about, then copy/paste the link below. Hint: Small business.
http://www.occupyxmas.net/2011/11/occupy-christmas-economic-redirection.html
we really need to combine these two events
So down…but occupyxmas.net is based in Alabama…this is in San Diego. But if you have any ideas, talk to me!
Thank you so much for the invitation. As a member of Occupy San Diego I will be glad to attend. I’m trying to persuade a few other Occupiers to join me in caroling you folks.
Jazzie, I’ll admit that I fully support OSD; however, I’m also Native American and I take offense to a tipi being on the front of that invitation. Should I be thick-skinned? I suggest you read a book entitled, “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” and then get back to me. Do you really think it is politically correct to have a tipi on the cover of the invitation? Even if some of the members are Native American from California affiliated tribes, those tribes did not live in tipis. This is invite is OFFENSIVE!!!
A traditional tipi has multiple center poles.
A single pole tipi shaped tent is popular lite weight backpacking gear.
Have you ever heard, “Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.”?
I’m not sure sure that’s suppposed to be a tipi. I’ve seen plenty of tents that look like that available at REI, Sport’s Chalet, Big 5 etc.
Meh. I think the invitations are mildly amusing, and don’t see how they’re a big deal. I’ve heard the people camped on the sidewalk for Black Friday referred to as “Occupy Walmart”.
Face it, “Occupy (Insert venue here)” is a meme that’s grown beyond the group that spawned it.
Let’s all lighten up. It’ll be good for us.
I posted this on the OccupySD FB site this morning. http://www.facebook.com/groups/OccupySanDiego
—————————————————————————————–
(This has not yet received input from legal, and will not be implemented without GA approval.)
We were not formally invited to the Republican Lincoln Club “Occupy Christmas” event on 12/8/11 at the US Grant Hotel, at 326 Broadway, San Diego at 5:30 PM.
Since we intend to attend, it seems only polite to show up with a dish. But what dish would be appropriate? It would have to be cheap because we have no money. It wouldn’t be cooked because we have no kitchen. And it would have to be stylish and avant garde. I considered available resources, found a solution to this problem, and proudly present it to the Occupy community.
For over 20 years, food scientists have been experimenting with insects and bugs for nutrition. I’ve seen TV shows about worm casseroles and was once invited to a dinner that featured various insect dishes (I didn’t go because I couldn’t get a date.)
I suggest we prepare a salsa using lice from the homeless. Cheap wine as a marinade. Some onion for a hint of the flavor of tear gas.
And if we are denied entrance, I further suggest we go to the back door where the employees enter and give it to the sympathizers we’ll have found by then, to be mixed into the food served there.
I agree with some Republican ideas, and disagree with others. I desperately want us all -100% – to work together. But if I could, I would arrange for the Lincoln Club to have an appetizer with the smell of the gangrenous feet of someone living on the streets and too broken down to get medical care.
I know something about good taste.
I support the Occupy movement in that it will result in a more involved public decision making process…specifically…more voters in the polls to put elected officials in place that will do the right things instead of just fall prey to the bicameral culture that exists to keep politicians in either the red or blue camp once they are elected.
But the simple fact is that Occupy (like Tea Party in last election) needs to organize and prove themselves successful at getting people elected before the mainstream will take it seriously. Perception is reality and clearly the perception of Occupy by the group who used this invitation is low.
My estimate of whether or not the invitation is in poor taste or offensive to some is irrelevant but what IS important is that Occupy use this as motivation to succeed.
Separate thread, but my comments on whether Occupy should march in the OB parade are consistent with my comments above. If you want to confirm the group’s opinion of you above, then by-all-means, march in a neighborhood family parade and make a mockery of all of your hard work. Sorry…. Just my opinion on the matter.
TY for your comment OB lawyer. I agree – especially about the two party system. But it has to go much further.
As I told a cop the other day, no one is honest enough to be his own policemen. The system CANNOT reform itself from within. Also, I’ve asked many Occupiers ” If we threw all the corrupt politicians out, where would we find honest people to replace them?”
Our society faces many deadly and interconnected problems, ranging from the collapse (through abuse) of our socio-economic system, the victimization of children,
the medical industrial complex, the schools, foreign policy, anomie, etc.
If nothing else, the Occupy movement is forcing many people out of denial, so that we can begin to work on real problems.
I couldn’t agree more.
I wish all of you the best of luck.
I hope that you get past this “phase one” are truly a force to be reckoned with.
spot on for the Ob law(yer)
Hank the Occupy movement with what happened in LA is drawing the wrong people mixed with there own needs ! There’s is no commonality , this will evaporate in due time , my Thoughts what a truly waste of energy there’s no forcing any potential people in denial!
Because the Occupy movement is truly diverse, commonality is difficult. But common goals are emerging, and ideas are fermenting. Occupy is a much better bet than Congress.
Sorry I mean out of denial not in
wow. people are “getting” it. very cool.
Lighten up, Frances. It’s funny.
What, you’d rather no one even notice the OWS movement? It’s an homage of sorts when the other team acknowledges your existence.
No pleasing some of these whiners. The self-important seriousness of some of these prima donnas is boring and will be the death of the movement if they don’t smarten up. Even people who think Wall Street and corporations need to be taken down ten notches find a lot of this self-absorbed chest thumping and purity tests friken stupid. It’s a turn off. You don’t get the 99 percent behind you by insulting them all the time.
It also helps to not confuse gay Republicans with businessmen republicans. Sort of makes the poutrage all the more, well, stupid.
Fair is fair. We mock them and they mock us. However, I consider this invitation to be a challenge, to OccupySD in general and me personally.
I am working to make them look like a bunch of idiots. It’s not very hard.
Maybe this is counterproductive to my real goal, which is trying to get all Americans to work together. Or maybe not.
A mule trainer was asked how to train such stubborn animals. He grabbed a 2 x 4 and whacked the mule upside the head with it.
“First, you have to get their attention.”
So who voted in these elected official turkeys?
RE: Occupy San Diego
This afternoon, I went to the mayors office. I called first, identifying myself as the man who has been telling San Diego police officers to disobey illegal orders. I told his representative that Sleep Deprivation was torture and asked for an immediate truce over the holidays on the sleep issue only while the lawyers argued about it for a while. Mild negative response. More on my FB page.
I’m posting here because I don’t know any better way to get this word out out quick. Please repost folks. I want my friends to get some sleep.
I want lawyers on this ASAP and I’m not satisfied with Occupy legal. Multiple simultaneous actions increases the chance of an important precedent.
“Sleep Deprivation was torture and asked for an immediate truce over the holidays on the sleep issue only while the lawyers argued about it for a while.”
The case has already been settled in New York. There is no first amendment right to camp. Common sense would call for you to go home and go to sleep.
Of course Darwin would predict in a generation or two, natural selection will end these self imposed tortures.
Thank you for your well thought out comment RB.
The case has already been settled? You mean we only get to challenge something once? I understand. No appeals? Really?
I agree there is no right to camp. That is not the point. I’m sure you’ll figure that out soon.
I think your definition of common sense lacks a few things. If your point of view is an example of common sense, I’d say that it lacks ethics and morality. I think that in a couple more generations, natural selection of viable ideas will make your point of view extinct.
You have the right to be wrong. Thank you for exercising it here, and allowing me to so thoroughly refute you.