Betsy DeVos faces absolutely stunning 'silent' protest at Harvard

[babylonsister]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/29/1702700/-Betsy-DeVos-faces-absolutely-stunning-silent-protest-at-Harvard?detail=facebook


Betsy DeVos faces absolutely stunning 'silent' protest at Harvard
By Walter Einenkel
Friday Sep 29, 2017 · 1:01 PM EST
Video at link~


While Trump’s swamp-addled Education Secretary Betsy DeVos tried to speak at Harvard University to sell her special privatization of public school branding “school choice,” she found herself the subject of an incredibly powerful and well orchestrated “silent” protest. Silently standing up as the DeVos speech got under way was one young woman, holding up a sheet with “White Supremacist” emblazoned in red on it. Then another young man stood up silently with a sign reading “Our Students Are Not 4 Sale!” As security tried move protestors along by speaking to them, more and more students unfurled signs saying “Protect Survivors’ Rights,” “Our Harvard Can Do Better,” “Reclaiming My Democracy,” and “Dark Money,” amongst others. During her stupid speech promoting charter schools, she tried the rhetorical oratory trick of asking a rhetorical question.

DeVos: So what do we do? Increase funding? Does that solve the problem?

To which a student responded “Yes.” In the silence of the room, the answer is clear and perfect. Students responded with snapping instead of clapping during the protest—keeping the volume of the event very low. Later on, during a question and answer section one student asked one of those questions you wish a senator or a reporter might ask.

Student: So, You’re a billionaire with lots and lots of investments, and the so-called “school choice” movement is a way to open the floodgates for corporate interests to make money off the backs of students. How much do you expect your net worth to increase as a result of your policy choices and what are your friends on Wall Street and in the business world—like the Koch brothers—saying about the potential to get rich off the backs of students?

DeVos was pushed through the nomination process even though she was so clearly unqualified to even write a book report let alone run our country’s Department of Education. Please watch the whole clip. It is really very powerful and is definitely a type of protesting that could be very effective at times, forcing the subject of the protest to grin and bear it.

[cwydro]

1. Happy to k and r. nt

[Siwsan]

2. She's the one I would most love to see as the next one "resigned"

She is beyond contemptible.

[catbyte]

30. She won't. She has her own jet & as well all know, SCROTUS cares only about "optics"

[Siwsan]

32. Yea, but I can't let go of ALL hope

That whole family is a curse.

[catbyte]

36. No kidding. I lived in Grand Rapids for 35 years, the heart of DeVos/Van Andel/Prince

Dutch Mafia territory. {{{shudder}}}

[bronxiteforever]

3. K & r. Children are GOP commodities.

Money to be made off the little tykes. In GOP world you can use them as hostages in health care debates like not funding CHIP. You can deport the ones who were born here without the GOPs permission and you can milk them like cows for your charter school corporation.

[Cracklin Charlie]

17. When GOP sees a school bus...

They don't see little children inside.

They see $$$.

[Volaris]

25. YOUR children are commodities.

They're children are Precious Snowflakes who will run The Country someday, so no expense can be spared.
Obviously, you can see why you need to understand...
and pay their Due Taxes for them.

Yep I want her indicted for running russian-stolen voter-rolls numbers through her Healthcare database.

[bronxiteforever]

28. Brilliant points!

[ewagner]

4. I expect tRump and his supporters

to totally trash those students as "libtards", "snowflakes", "elitists" or worse....

Anybody with an ounce of intelligence or the courage to use it to criticize tRump or his ass-kissing cabinet will get the full treatment in the press....not to mention twitter...

[SergeStorms]

41. Jeff Sessions has already equated protesting students to the KKK.

When I saw that in the news I just wanted to fly to Washington and throttle someone. Just when I think these Trumptards can't possibly get any more ludicrous they come up with a steaming pile of shit like that! The thing is, they absolutely believe that statement to be true!

[FailureToCommunicate]

5. How DARE those students question authority !?!

Good for them.

Bad move of KSG to invite her in the first place.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

6. Wish I could buy those kids a beer!

Perfect planning and organization, and all kept civil. Well Done!

[dchill]

7. K&R.

[Doreen]

8. Betsy DeVos: MASA

Make America Stupid Again.

[llmart]

11. That's the Republicans goal.

The more stupid the populace is, the more votes they get. No critical thinking skills = believing their propaganda = them getting richer.

[Doreen]

13. They also need their peasant workers.

Do you think they want to work?

[BlancheSplanchnik]

42. They need their cannon fodder too. n/t

[NNadir]

14. America is already stupid. Look who's leading it. We're an international laughing stock...

...having allowed (even if not actually elected) the most stupid person ever to lead a major nation in the last two hundred years.

DeVos should not even have been allowed to set foot on the Harvard Campus. She's that ignorant, probably matching her ignorant boss on that score.

[Doreen]

19. Good point.

Maybe I should say stupiderer.

[delisen]

9. Capitalism-always seeking new markets

Vulture Capitalists: because that is where the biggest profits can be made.

Mature or well-regulated markets: smaller profits.

[spanone]

10. K&R...

[SCantiGOP]

12. Watch the brief clip

It will give you some optimism about our future after we get this evil bastard and his minions out of office.

[Enoki33]

15. DeVos headlines the dotage champagne cabinet. It

is his play on Putin’s close circle of oligarchs. The questions from the students are based on that background as it is all about the making of corrupt money.

[pangaia]

16. ".... one student asked one of those questions you wish a senator or a reporter might ask. "

Boy, you're telling me !

[treestar]

18. kick

what great kids!

[mrs_p]

20. Brave Americans. Eom

[malaise]

21. K & R

Excellent

[rainin]

22. "You can choose not to answer that."

What????? Why can she choose not to answer that? Was that a school leader who said that she could choose not to answer?

Please, if you were physically present in that room, name that person. She absolutely should be expected to answer that question. Is she fragile? Feeble? A victim? She leads an agency for chrissake! Answer the question!

[3catwoman3]

26. She is feeble-minded, without...

...a doubt.

[cwydro]

23. Another kick.

I hope resistance to this regime spreads far and wide.

[bigtree]

24. k&r

[Scurrilous]

27. K&R

[PatrickforO]

29. That is SO much more effective than the increasingly common error of students

to simply boo and disrupt so the controversial thought is never heard, and thus can never be argued against or questioned.

And, it is infinitely better than trying to eject a controversial speaker with force.

Harvard still has some of our best and brightest. We as a nation can be proud of them.

[Duppers]

31. K & R

[ailsagirl]

33. As a wise man once wrote:

[kerry-is-my-prez]

35. I love GBS and his kick-ass quotes!

And his plays.

[ailsagirl]

39. Always loved this quote from Shaw's Man and Superman

(dump, take heed)

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

[surrealAmerican]

34. Wow - that question!

[MrPurple]

37. Don't think this is really about white supremacy, though, it's more about green

I think the protestors dilute their message by claiming racism. If Devos' policies have racial implications, it's because the very wealthy are disproportionally white. Devos is happy to let Herman Cain's kids come along for the ride. This is about wealth and turning education into a profit center.

[Hekate]

38. KnR

[zentrum]

40. This questioner is so on target

The moderator was insufferable---telling her she didn't have to answer the question. How dare he.