Protesters call on Zuckerberg to 'unfriend ' Christie Around Town, posted by Editor, Palo Alto Online, on Feb 14, 2013 at 10:42 am
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is catching flack for his blossoming friendship with New Jersey's Republican Gov. Chris Christie from abortion-rights activists, who staged a protest in front of Zuckerberg's Palo Alto home Wednesday evening.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, February 14, 2013, 9:55 AM
Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 10:42 am
Once again, Mark Zuckerberg is allowed to support any politician he chooses. He is also allowed to invite anyone he chooses to his home.
Protestors are also allowed to protest, but I doubt if anyone at the Zuckerberg party paid any attention to them. The only ones that did were the media. Therefore the protestors got the attention they wanted and they gave additional attention to the partygoers also.
Once again, if the media didn't mention it, who would have cared about any of this?
Media making news, to help sell their advertising.
Posted by resident, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 10:49 am
I am sure that Zuckerberg pays attention to these protests. His whole company is based on publicity and advertising. Bad publicity is bad for business. Protests like this do make a difference.
Posted by adrian, a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 10:56 am
Were the signs made of recycled materials? Did everyone take public transit to the protest? How did the gathering ensure that their protest didn't constitute noise pollution? I'm very concerned.
Posted by Disgusted, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 11:03 am
I think this protest should have been held in front of Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, and certainly not at Mark's house. For protesters to gather on your front doorstep, scaring and harassing your spouse and kids is beyond the pale.
Public media used to show self restraint and not publicize these types of gatherings outside of people's residences, which limited them, mainly because publicity is the oxygen that feeds these misguided people.
I'm sure all of us can find something to disagree with anyone, but to gather a mob and bring them to your front doorstep is awful harassment and should be treated as such.
If I had a billion bucks, and people harassed my family and house because of how I voted or who I supported politically, I would ensure that every one there would be repaid in kind, via the Golden Rule.
Posted by resident, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 11:06 am
@Disgusted - Christie was at Zuckerberg's house, not at Facebook HQ. If Zuckerberg didn't want to bring politics to his neighborhood, he could have hosted the fundraiser at his office, but he chose not to do that.
Posted by Conservative, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 11:12 am
Whatever happened to our right to choose. He can support whom he wants where he wants. How is it that there were no protests at Steve Jobs' house all the many times that Clinton was hosted there?
Posted by member, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 11:26 am
If you look at the other items listed in the On-Line today there is a story on bullying. At what point do these groups cross the line and indulge in bully behaviour. These groups cannot have it both ways. Going to someone's house to disrupt a private event is just bully tactics.
Posted by EquallyDisgusted, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 11:27 am
I'm sick of protesters (and media) bringing their issues to the private homes of people. I drove past his house last night t 8:pm, all I saw was media, no protesters. The political climate in this area is one that, if you don't think the same way as the masses think, then you are somehow flawed and mostly likely stupid. Or, and I love this one, "misguided." This happens especially in the Bay Area. People seem to forget, IT'S ZUCKERBERG'S RIGHT AS AN AMERICAN TO SUPPORT WHOMEVER THE HELL HE PLEASES. I applaud him for not being tunnel-visioned when it comes to one party or the other. If everyone sticks with one party or the other, nothing will ever change. I didn't see all this whining (locally) when he entertained Obama. Or when Clinton was at Job's house. Grow up and understand our rights as Americans. Then, temper those rights with a bit of empathy, how would YOU like a bunch of people screaming outside YOUR and your neighbors homes? Hypocrisy and entitlement is alive and well in Palo Alto.
Posted by Resident, a resident of Portola Valley, on Feb 14, 2013 at 11:59 am
Zuckerberg can support whoever he wants to and befriend whoever he wants to.
As long as he uses his own money to support Christie and not Facebook Company's money then it is his own right to do so. Because it is his views and not Facebook's view.
I am pro-life and not a Facebook user and based things on logic not emotion.
Posted by blatt, a resident of another community, on Feb 14, 2013 at 12:18 pm
I live in New Jersey--kudos to Mark for recognizing a man who puts the good of others before his own! We need more Chris Cristies in this country! He just needs to go on a diet!
Posted by EquallyDisgusted, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 12:34 pm
PS....at least a few years ago, Al Gore regularly came to town in a Lincoln Town Car...a real gas guzzler. And, when he had a meeting at NOLA, lunchtime on a Monday, he and his party made demands such as the volume of the music and other requests that affected ALL the diners, not just Gore and his handlers. Also, my daughter was out on the sidewalk already, by Old Pro on her cell phone, and when he went outside to use his phone, he gave her a glare that I suppose, had she been raised differently, would have sent her scurrying off the sidewalk and back into Old Pro. Instead, she turned her back, called me and loudly complained that SOME people don't understand that it's a free sidewalk, ANYONE can stand on it. Made his protection guy laugh. Bit of a hypocritical Prima donna, that one.
Posted by girl get a ducati, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 12:42 pm
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
My daughter works at Nola--she said the Gore party was very nice. they were polite and left a very generous tip. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Posted by Hmmm, a resident of East Palo Alto, on Feb 14, 2013 at 12:47 pm
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
This protest was good news, as was the other Crescent Park protest a few months ago. It means that people aren't asleep & they're walking their talk. This is what happens in a democracy - we don't have to like or approve, but we have to acknowledge it's legal - & that's more important than people pretending to be shocked at the unseemliness of it all.
Posted by who ever, a resident of the Evergreen Park neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 2:13 pm
I am "right to choose". But how would I and my neighbors like it if protesters who are against abortion decided that since they did not agree with my stance on abortion, come to my home and protest. Mark Z has EVERY right to have his opinion, and every right to live his life in his own home as he likes.
Posted by Nayawonne, a resident of the Leland Manor/Garland Drive neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 2:49 pm
One of my older neighbors is a Raging Granny. They had some pretty humorous chants for Zuck, as did some feminist groups. My favorite was "What the f---, Zuck!"
The local, regional, and national papers all have pretty good coverage of the whole night, including Christy entering thru the back door.
When one is a public figure, as Zuck is, one has to be more resposible in their politics, which apparently, he is not. He certainly has not been very responsible with his lower employees' IPO payouts, so I suppose it stands to reason. One newspaper reported that these are his wife's politics! Maybe so, but he obviously made them his.
Posted by Disgusted, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 2:53 pm
You know this isn't about people having the right to protest. This is about people coming up to your front door and harassing you and bullying you because you are pro-life or pro-choice. It's personal. Its about tone, and nastiness and decency. And a hunger for free publicity.
As I said before, we can all find something to disagree with each other on, but don't attack me, or my family or come to my house uninvited to do so. Feel free to attack my cause, my ideas on their own merits but the media needs to put this type of harassment on "ignore" [portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
The way to get coverage of these types of events to stop, is to treat the editors and reporters and media owners that covered this event the same way, by having "disrespectful media" protests in front of their homes at dinner time. A billionaire can afford to do this. Let's have Pro Life demonstrators show up at the offices and homes of "Raging Grannies" members and treat them with a dose of the same medicine and see how they like that. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Posted by Big Al, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 14, 2013 at 4:52 pm
Hey it's inevitable. Like the sunrise. These east coast transplants who attract us with all their wealth will eventually repulse us by their shallow minds. Go back to your brethren eastern lad. We are a bit more civilized than that out here. That's all for now sugar boy.
View in an RSS Reader
E-mail this topic.
Print this topic.
