more on Your people are growing increasingly worried about a 'police state.' For such an educated audience,

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Jim Huggins <jhuggins () kettering edu>
Date: August 6, 2004 7:10:23 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: Ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
Subject: Re: more on Your people are growing increasingly worried about 
a 'police state.' For such an educated audience,

In our discussion about whether we're becoming a "police state" or not,
Wulf Losee wrote:

> 3. Protestors are not allowed anywhere near the President during his
> public appearances. Hell, Democrats aren't allowed near the President
> during public appearances! To me it sounds like an African kleptocracy,
> where the President-for-Life is insulated from the opinions of his
> subjects.

Let me provide an alternative perspective on this.

Sherman, set the wayback machine for ... October 14, 1985, Ann Arbor,
Michigan, where I was a young freshman student at the University of
Michigan.

October 14, 1985 was the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Peace
Corps.  Well, sort of ... it was the 25th anniversary of a speech given 
by
then-candidate John F. Kennedy on the steps of the Michigan Union in the
middle of the night, proposing the formation of the Peace Corps.
(There's still a commemorative marker embedded into the steps.)  The 
Peace
Corps planned events to celebrate the 25th anniversary on campus,
including a visit by then-Vice-President George H.W. Bush to make a
keynote address.

The campus radical-left fringe found out that Bush was coming to campus
and basically turned Bush's speech into a farce.  The text of Bush's
speech was non-political in nature, attempting to honor the good work 
done
by the Peace Corps over the previous 25 years.  Protestors who were
unhappy with the Reagan-Bush administration (for all the usual reasons)
came and shouted and chanted and screamed so loudly during the speech 
that
few in the audience could hear the speech at all.  None of the screaming
had anything to do with the Peace Corps.  An attempt to honor good 
people
who have done good work was completely spoiled.  (C'mon.  The White 
House
could've sent the deputy secretary of the interior.  They sent the Vice
President instead.)

And so a natural over-reaction has developed over time.  Because there 
are
those who want to express dissension and displeasure in uncivilized 
ways,
without regard to the consequences, those who plan these events have
over-reacted in order to squelch dissent entirely.

It would be nice if there was a middle ground.  Unfortunately, *both*
sides have to agree to act reasonably in order for a middle ground to be
found.  And I honestly can't condemn those who err on the side of 
control
rather than chaos.

Just my $0.02.  Your mileage may vary.

--Jim Huggins


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