College Republicans Denied Entry to President Obama's Speech 

In an amazing and somewhat unprecedented course of action, a group of college Republicans who showed up to listen to President's Obama's speech at the University of Central Missouri a couple of days ago, were denied entrance into the event. It was reported that some 2,500 people had tickets to the event held on the UCM campus. The speech was very similar to the one that the President has been giving all over the country recently on the state of our economy.

It turns out that a group of college Republicans wearing Tea Party and Republican-themed clothing were denied entry into the event held on campus. When they appeared at the entrance door, security for the President denied the students access into the event citing that they were a "security risk". Here's what was reported by Godfather Politics:

"Despite the fact that the students had tickets to the event, security personnel turned them away at the door to the recreation center where Obama gave a speech on economic policy, telling the group it wasn't about their politics but about the President's safety... The students, some of whom donned Tea Party, T-shirts and others who wore patriotic or Republican inspired clothing, had protested the President earlier in the day on campus, but had put away their signs and said they were ready to simply listen to Obama when security shut them down--and even told them to leave the vicinity and stay several hundred yards away from the rec center. The students had waited in a long line for over 2 hours before being turned away."

Is it possible that these students were turned away out of 'image concerns', rather than security reasons? With all of the security present around the President, the students definitely did not pose any danger or risk to the President. Security is well-trained and instructed in how to deal effectively with any kind of potential threat. No, the real issue no doubt had to do with those around the President who did not want the media taking pictures or reporting that in the crowd were people who were in opposition to the President and his policies. The local media in fact reported this: "Despite delivering his speech in deep-red Republican territory, President Obama was warmly received on campus."

Really? Was that because those who differed with the President were denied entrance into the event, and the media only allowed to photograph an "adoring audience" around the President?

The unity displayed during the event was just another "staged", "photo-op" event giving the impression that most people are gloriously behind the President's economic policies. Whatever happened to freedom of speech and people's rights to voice dissent? Whatever happened to this President's policy of being "transparent" before the American people? Are we looking at a larger growing threat of Washington singling out political opponents and targeting them as "security risks" for the country?