Man interrupts Kansas City mayor's speech

[Enrique]

[mac56]

1. Okay, but

Channel 41 doesn't have a seven-second delay?

Surprising.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

2. People are pissed off out there all right.....

And they think the politicians are oblivious.

[KurtNYC]

3. Follow up story here

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/20/4132365/apparent-apology-comes-from-man.html

[zebonaut]

4. Who are these people so easily offended by hearing a "bad word"???

?

[Shankapotomus]

5. Wouldn't it be a more disarming gesture if,

for once, a politician waved security off in such an instance and just said "Let him speak. Brother, if it means that much to you, then we are going to at least listen."? Of course, it wouldn't be fair to grant someone who forcibly seizes a microphone access to it, and there's risk involved, but maybe it would be a less confrontational more transparent way of diffusing the situation instead of physically enforced censorship.

[mac56]

6. I'm with you, to a point.

To reinforce someone for forcefully commandeering the podium will create more ongoing problems than it solves, IMO.

[Shankapotomus]

8. Maybe people wouldn't feel so compelled

toward aggressive disruptions if they felt welcomed to speak at anytime. It's the sense of resistance coming from their elected leaders that makes people feel they have to seize their chance to speak. Instead of denying someone something, freely offer it to them and maybe they'll be less likely to feel they need to seize it when they know they can have it anytime.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

9. x2

[mac56]

10. You may be right.

Maybe some day they'll try it and find out.

[Cracklin Charlie]

12. I agree, to a point.

But that was the State of the City speech; probably, for Kansas City politics, a pretty good sized deal.

And I think it would be somewhat unnerving to be staring into those bright lights, and have someone suddenly jump out at you. I thought Mayor James, for his part, handled the interruption pretty well. I admit that I haven't read the follow-up reports.

[Shankapotomus]

13. The interuptor was maybe six inches taller

than Mayor James and when he looked over he immediately had to look up and the Mayor still just stood his ground and didn't back away at all.

[Cracklin Charlie]

14. I kind of like Sly, so far.

He seems a real no-nonsense kind of guy.

But I gotta say, I think those bright lights would make it very hard to see anything in front of you.

[Mika]

7. Can't give room for the peons the get a word in.

[Shankapotomus]

11. For now,

I suppose not. Someday.