AFTERSHOCK

After writing about Andrew Meyer yesterday, the college student who was held down by six campus police officers and tasered, I discovered that a surprising number of people felt, rather passionately (or dispassionately), that he got exactly what he deserved. This opinion, while obviously not mine, is valid and should be addressed.

As I mentioned in the original piece, Meyer’s behavior was a little over the top. He is a political activist of the street theater variety. In other words, he likes to make a show of his protests. This can be a time consuming pain in the ass and create social embarrassment. However, number one, creating awkward moments is an integral part of this type of protest, and number two, so what? Do we want to live in Stepford, everyone dressing alike, acting alike and thinking alike? Have we moved into that Twilight Zone of fear in which anyone who dares to speak out is shunned? God help us if we have.

Some people wanted to know what Meyer was asking, so they could better assess the actions of the police. Hello! It doesn’t matter what he was asking! He was a college student participating in a Q & A after a speech on his own campus. He didn’t expose himself, he didn’t threaten anyone, he just asked a Q and was looking for an A. Instead, he got 50,000 volts. College is where students go to learn. What they learned that day at the University of Florida was that if you dare speak out you will be brutally arrested.

Political speeches and rallies are supposed to be open forums, opportunities for the public to learn about their elected officials or those running for office. But these days you can’t get into a political speech until you’ve been screened by security – not for weapons, but for political correctness. Only the most ardent Bush supporters are allowed into his speeches. I’m not talking about fund raisers, I’m talking about public speeches in public places from which a large part of the public is restricted. And by the way, the Democrats are flirting with the same type of strong arm, neo-Nazi tactics. Some people say, “Oh, you’re exaggerating. That could never happen here.” Wake up! It is happening here!

A flight attendant on Southwest Airlines recently decided that a passenger’s skirt was too short and demanded that she cover her legs with a blanket or get off the plane. Another airline employee threatened to call security when she overheard a passenger swearing, not at the employee but to herself. Our civil liberties are not being stolen from us, we are giving them away, one by one. When we awaken one morning and find them all gone it will be too late. We will be living in a dictatorship and have no one to blame but ourselves.

One of the things that makes America unique in my opinion is the atmosphere of hope that has permeated out history. People emigrate to America because they know that anyone can come from anywhere and make it big in the U. S. The Bush administration has purposely turned our culture of hope into a culture of fear. This will not change by itself. It will only be changed by actively engaged, concerned, voting citizens. That’s us.

a foot on either side