By Saadia Akhtar & Frances VernerWhen Rep. Rashida Tlaib booed Hillary Clinton at an event for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, the reactions were swift and, as has become the norm in U.S. politics, divisive.
Rep. Tlaib followed up by stating, “You all know I can’t be quiet. No, we’re going to boo,” in response to Hilary Clinton’s negative comments about Bernie Sanders. In the aftermath, the congresswoman issued a statement over Twitter acknowledging that she allowed her disappointment over Clinton’s remarks to get the better of her:
In these opposing opinion pieces, two contributors go head-to-head, explaining why they either agree or disagree with the backlash and Rep. Tlaib’s response:
Here’s Why Rep. Tlaib Should Have Thought Twice
By Frances Verner
I very much feel that the behavior shown in this video, most notably the behavior of representative Rashida Tlaib is inappropriate. By that, I do not mean that booing is inherently inappropriate, or even that it doesn’t belong in politics. Merely that it is an inappropriate venue. For a sporting event or a protest, this sort of thing is entirely appropriate and even functional. However, in a professional setting, let alone from a speaker at a rally of someone running for the presidency of the United States, it’s something that does, and should, take people aback.
I feel that it is easy to forget, in all the cartoonish villainy that has been a hallmark of the Trump administration, that in 2015, when Trump started doing things like encouraging his supporters to jeer and boo when opposition was mentioned, we were horrified.
We are all aware that there are codes of conduct that we all follow; you don’t go to a job interview and put your feet up on the desk, you don’t go over to an acquaintance’s house, make a beeline for the fridge and begin eating whatever you like, entirely uninvited. But somewhere along the way, it seems that we have acclimated to this and I think that’s dangerous.
Not just because we are on an international stage, we need to have some sort of decorum in our politics if we want any of our allies to take us seriously because of the dismissal of the concerns brought forth by Hillary Clinton. Rep. Tlaib booed in response to what former Secretary Clinton said recently. When speaking about Bernie Sanders, she claimed that “Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him. He got nothing done.” That opinion is divisive, and perhaps harsh, but it also is not entirely invalid. After 29 years in office, Bernie Sanders has managed to successfully pass only three of the bills that he authored. Two of them were about naming post offices.
The presentation of Clinton’s comments as being the result of some petty, over-emotional vendetta that society has, for years, maintained that women are prone to be the high-brow equivalent of asking someone if their complaints are a result of PMS.
Representative Talib not only booed but also weighed in by saying that “the haters will shut up on Monday when we win.” This, more than anything, is what disturbs me about the scene at the Sanders rally. The reservations of the former Secretary of State with regards to a presidential candidate’s difficulty getting things done, and getting along with others is not “hating.” The presentation of Clinton’s comments as being the result of some petty, over-emotional vendetta that society has, for years, maintained that women are prone to be the high-brow equivalent of asking someone if their complaints are a result of PMS.
The behavior of some, though certainly not all, Sanders supporters has become more like the actions of a frenzied sports fanbase, rather than a group of people trying to help someone get elected. From swarming the Twitter pages of female presidential candidates and their supporters with snake emojis to a non-Black Bernie Sander’s supporter showing up at an event where South Bend African American leaders were supporting Pete Buttigieg, and not only shouting down an Black woman in the middle of speaking but physically taking the microphone from her, demanding to see “real Black leaders,” the tactics used by the Sanders campaign and its supporters are increasingly relying on harassment and cheap shots over legitimate critique. Presidential campaigns are designed to give us hope, to show us all that we can be. I, for one, personally believe that we can be quite a bit better than this.
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Here’s Why Rep. Tlaib Was Completely Justified
By Saadia Akhtar
For some reason, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton just cannot get over her humiliating defeat in the 2016 election. Recently, Clinton made comments about Senator Bernie Sanders, days before the Iowa Caucuses. She claimed that “nobody likes him” and that he did not do enough to unify the Democratic Party before the 2016 election.
I do wonder what reality she lives in when making such claims. Sanders’ recent fundraising totals (all from grassroots donations) have surpassed all other candidates in the democratic primary and his base is composed of millions of Americans from all walks of life and backgrounds. What is funny, though, is that Sanders went to dozens of campaign events for Clinton after she won the nomination in 2016. In fact, more of his supporters voted for Clinton than Clinton’s supporters did for Obama in 2008.
Did Sanders force Clinton not to campaign in Michigan and Ohio days before the election? Did Sanders force her to maintain centrist policies in face of a populist opponent? An outsider looking in should be able to see why some Sanders’ supporters, like Representative Rashida Tlaib, may not hold a favorable opinion of Clinton.
Tlaib did not curse at Clinton or make any personal attacks. She simply booed a woman who claimed that no one likes Sanders, a man with millions of beloved supporters.
Tlaib, a Palestinian woman, made headlines for “booing” Hillary Clinton at an event before the Iowa Caucuses. Many Clinton surrogates and supporters came out against her. People ridiculed her for being unprofessional and uncivil. Yet, where is this energy towards Clinton? Tlaib did not curse at Clinton or make any personal attacks. She simply booed a woman who claimed that no one likes Sanders, a man with millions of beloved supporters. The double standard is quite appalling.
Clinton can disparage and spread lies about the leading frontrunner of the democratic primary and REFUSE to back him if he is the nominee, but yeah, it’s Tlaib who crossed the line!
Clinton can disparage and spread lies about the leading frontrunner of the democratic primary and REFUSE to back him if he is the nominee, but yeah, it’s Tlaib who crossed the line! Tlaib later on expressed regret over her behavior, but I see nothing wrong with what she did. Clinton was attacking Sanders, a man who wants everyone to have healthcare, more than Trump, a man locking children in cages at the border.
Why shouldn’t Tlaib be outraged? If Tlaib had said she would not back the democratic nominee if it was not Sanders, one can already imagine the weeklong headlines she would receive; anything from “Palestinians Can Never Agree On Anything” to “Why Does Tlaib Hate America?”
I stand with Tlaib and all the other marginalized women who have the courage to speak up against white women upholding the status quo.
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