First Amendment Dyslexia
Itís free speech, not far speech that weíre supposed to have a right to. But, according to this Salon article by Dave Lindorf, the Bush administration is ìkeeping dissent invisible" by herding protesters into remote areas so all the cameras on the president see are the cheering, waving ìGo Bushies." When retired steelworker Bill Neel tried to protest at Bushís Labor Day visit to Pittsburgh last year, he was told he'd have to go to a caged-off ìfree speech areaî:
"He pointed out a relatively remote baseball diamond that was enclosed in a chain-link fence," Neel recalled in an interview with Salon. "I could see these people behind the fence, with their faces up against it, and their hands on the wire." (The ACLU posted photos of the demonstrators and supporters at that event on its Web site. ) "It looked more like a concentration camp than a free speech area to me, so I said, 'I'm not going in there. I thought the whole country was a free speech area.'"
P.S. Donít kid yourself that this is about protecting the President. Neel has it right:
ìPutting protesters behind a fence isn't going to help, ... I mean, somebody who was going to attempt an assassination wouldn't be carrying a protest sign. He'd be carrying a sign saying 'I love George!'"
Here are a few photos and a story from the ACLU Web site. The Salon article is free if you click through an annoying commercial.
I thought the shrill fear of dissent and the wailing of "traitor" to detractors was strictly an Ann Coulter conceit. Now it appears to be a prevailing trend.
I don't know whether I find this merely sad, or outright scary.
Patrick at October 17, 2003 8:51 PM
I find the trend in our country to repeal our rights downright frightening.
Amy Alkon at October 17, 2003 10:05 PM
The captions on the photos said that one man, who refused to be herded in with the protestors, was arrested. I wonder what he was charged with: refusal to be unlawfully detained?
I hope he sues.
Patrick at October 19, 2003 3:24 AM