One shoe - one vote

The news item that didn't get a lot of publicity:

A human rights protester was in police custody Monday after throwing a shoe at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during a speech at Cambridge University.

First of all, the recently developed trend of throwing a shoe at your real or imaginary offender is a great trend. I mean, there is a lesson to suicide bombers, shooters and other cranks that don't feel their message is received loud and clear enough if it (the message) hasn't snuffed a few innocent souls on the way.

I hope that the term "shoe bomber" will get an entirely new, practically non-violent meaning very soon as this trend spreads.

Speaking about this specific Cambridge shoe bomber, I would like to draw your attention to another matter reflected upon in the same article:

"Fortunately the incident did not spoil the event. The auditorium was full, with nearly 500 people present, of whom just one misbehaved," the spokesman said. "At no stage was there any serious threat to the Premier, or anyone else."

So, Cambridge spokesman is quite proud that of 500 people present only one found the guest - the leader of one of the more repressive regimes in existence - offensive? Kudos to Cambridge.

Now compare the story with this one:

Up to 100 students are staging a sit-in at Cambridge University over Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip.The students have refused to leave the Law Faculty building since Friday in an action that follows similar "occupations" at more than a dozen British universities.

Yes, it does show the objectivity, maturity and sanity level of the British progressives. No doubts about it.

Cross-posted on Yourish.com.