By Debbie Schlussel
People always ask me what they can do in response to the items I write. The best answer is always to complain and voice your opposition when something is amiss.
Your voice does make a difference, and frequently has when you’ve responded to items on this site and elsewhere.
Here’s the latest example where citizen activism prevailed over Islamism at a venue near Democratic National Convention:

The city manager of Golden, Colo., has decided to withdraw his invitation to let the Al-Jazeera news network broadcast from a barbecue in his backyard on the final night of the Democratic National Convention.
City manager Mike Bestor has apologized for any divisiveness he caused in the city of about 18,000, about 15 miles west of Denver.

Bestor made his decision after a City Council meeting Thursday at which residents complained the event with the English-language service of the Middle East news network would be disrespectful to veterans and active U.S. soldiers.

More:

After listening to citizen comments at Thursday night’s City Council meeting, City Manager Mike Bestor decided to “disinvite” the international news network from doing interviews from his backyard during the Democratic National Convention. . . .
Bestor said he offered to host the backyard barbecue on Thursday as a private person, with the environment and health care as topics served up with hot dogs and hamburgers provided by al-Jazeera.
The idea, he said, was to show that Americans can disagree on politics but still work together.

Hmmm . . . Since when is Al-Jazeera “Americans”? The station is run from Qatar and owned and funded by the Qatari royal family. Interesting that this group is now “Americans.” Someone needs a geography refresher.

Bestor withdrew the personal invitation and said he realized that as city manager, the barbecue tied al-Jazeera to the city. He apologized for “the divisiveness this has caused the community.”
During two hours of public comment at the council meeting, residents spoke for and against al-Jazeera broadcasting from Golden.
Jim Dale, who is a veteran, said at the meeting that he has fought for First Amendment rights and welcomes the network.

Hmmm . . . U.S. military services is now the fight for the rights of the Qatari royal family?

Others questioned whether the network will skew coverage a particular way and whether the network’s presence is disrespectful to veterans and those serving in the military.
“It’s not OK for the city to roll out the red carpet for a network that is so closely tied to terrorists,” said Steve Hosie.
Al-Jazeera correspondent Josh Rushing [DS: I’ve written all about Rushing, “Al Jazeera’s American Boob,” the dumbest Marine ever to serve America]. . . still intends to do interviews Wednesday about the economy and war at the Buffalo Rose saloon in downtown Golden.
Hosie said the Buffalo Rose’s support of the al-Jazeera interviews will cost the drinking establishment, including a stop on this Sunday’s biker poker run. “None of us will walk in there again,” Hosie said.

Good for Hosie. I say, boycott Buffalo Rose if you’re in Golden, Colorado.
Voicing your concerns sometimes changes things for the better.
Even better will be when Mike Bestor is deposed from his position. He knows what Al-Jazeera is about. Yet, he invited them to his home to hang. I’m glad his city pressured him to do the right thing and rescind, but where the heck was his mind when he invited them?