The Road of Bones

Aerials, in the sky,
When you lose small mind,
You free your life.
Aerials, so up high,
When you free your eyes,
Eternal prize.

- System of a Down, Aerials

My fellow countrymen lend me your eyes. Open your minds for a moment, even if it hurts. And I know it really, really hurts for a few of you. My friends, today our freedoms are under assault from within. The most sacred of these, the freedom of speech, is now embattled to the point where it can only reside in small, fenced-in areas far away from the target of dissent. That target, in the case of this particular column, is our current president, George W. Bush.

‘Oh boy,’ you’re thinking. ‘Here goes one of those liberals on a soapbox.’ And you may be right. I’ll say it outright; as clear as possible: I AM A LIBERAL, and Extremely Proud of It. I keep myself Aloof, and vote for politicians of various allegiances. I support free thinkers, and Distain Partisanship. As far as I am concerned, the established corporate parties are the propagators of the current Oligarchy we call our government, and both are Equally Guilty of this Treason. That Oligarchy is trying, again, to shunt our freedom of speech by corralling dissent into little pockets far away from the subject of public ire.

I am talking about the so-called “Free Speech Zones” that have become all the rage since Sept. 11, 2001. If you are an avid politicker, you likely remember the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Mass. As the career politicrats filed into the stadium to talk about Their Agenda and Their Philosophy, over 4,000 dissenting voices gathered a half-mile away inside one of these “Free Speech Zones” to protest. They were kept behind razor-wire and watched by guards with guns and dogs. Inside, presidential-wannabe John Kerry sang on and on about how great freedom is. Those shoved into the detainment camp - I mean, Freedom Camp - had a different view.

Weeks later in New York, the Republican National Convention set up a similar “Free Speech Zone” nearly a mile away from the where their own Godless Orgy was to be held. Hours before the event, a few hundred protestors had been quarantined in a Gitmo-esque camp, far out of sight and earshot. Even the mass media had a hard time finding them.

But a few sly protestors put the coming storm on notice. Using cell phones to send text messages, they notified other protest groups of the constitutional infringement and warned them to stay away from the cages. When the storm of dissent finally arrived – over 1,000,000 people – the NYPD, Secret Service and FBI could do little to stop the crowd. They walked right through the blockades and directly past the RNC with only a few TV cameras taking notice.

Inside, Mr. Bush stepped on stage to give the speech that would define his campaign. He was interrupted by infiltrating protestors five times. Pardon me for taking pleasure in this, but I had not seen anything like it since 2000’s Inauguration Day. Remember that day? It was an odd day in America. As Bush’s limo puttered down Capitol Blvd., the crowd that came to greet him turned into an angry, snarling mob of dissenters armed with signs and eggs. Over 100,000 angry citizens earmarked the event as one this president should never forget.

And he apparently hasn’t. The American Civil Liberties Union has been decrying what they feel to be the Executive Branch trampling our right to protest. Citing 10 separate cases, the group charges that citizens with dissenting opinions are placed in these internment camps by the Secret Service while those supportive of the P-rez are allowed to stand just feet from the royal limo. Many peaceful protestors have been arrested for a variety of made-up charges, ranging from trespassing on public property to protesting without a permit.

Okay, so you’ve heard me out. And I know, I know – a whole lot of you support Bush and all his bushiness. But consider the other side of this coin. Recently, California Superior Court Judge William MacLaughlin ordered that all public areas of the Los Angeles County Courthouses be declared “no speech zones.” This ruling was passed down to prevent two local Christian ministers from standing in front of one particular courthouse and sharing their beliefs. These two men had been participating in this free speech for nearly three years with no complaint against them. On Sept. 30, 2005, police officers escorted the men off the property and drove their point home: come back and you will be arrested. What was their offence? They did not have a “permit.” They were “trespassing” on public property.

This is the same charge being used against political protestors – particularly those in opposition to the Bush régime. Let us not forget Nixon's Enemy List. Have we forgotten Senator Joseph McCarthy’s rampage? Remember Filegate? What about Woodrow Wilson's Espionage Act and Sedition Act? Does history condone Roosevelt's forceful detainment of Japanese-Americans? Need some help absorbing all of this? I’m told truth goes down a bit easier with a helping of jell-o. Hm. Make that Freedom Jell-o.

Friends, this cannot happen again. You may disagree with today’s loudest dissenters. And you may express your disagreement with just as much volume. But please, before the rhetoric blinds us all, know that those you disagree with so passionately would bleed every last drop of life they have to ensure your freedom to call them idiots.

Mahalo.

Stephen Webster is an Investigative Reporter with North Texas weekly The News Connection. Republished with permission.

Posted by The Gonzo Muckraker on Monday, October 31, 2005 at Monday, October 31, 2005 | Permalink