Forward from mart. ================================================= Arab News - Sept 14, 2004
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=51456&d=14&m=9&y=2004 In the Land of the Free Dissent Can Be Dangerous Linda S. Heard, Arab News CAIRO, 14 September 2004 It may have been three years since Sept. 11, 2001 but its effects are still being felt within Americas borders. Some are complaining that an atmosphere of fear melded with a liberal pinch of nationalism has eroded civil liberties, not to mention plain old-fashioned common sense. Recently, the comic strip Doonesbury was dropped from 38 US publications because its characters criticized the American president. That same month, singer Linda Ronstadt was forcibly ejected from the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas for dedicating a song to award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore, while actress and comedienne Whoopie Goldberg received her marching orders from both Slimfast and Celebrity Squares for making a crude anti-Bush joke. Also in July, Clear Channel Communications which last year was accused of banning the Dixie Chicks from the air over anti-war remarks made by the groups lead singer attempted to block a billboard from being hoisted above New Yorks Times Square. The board read: Democracy is Best Taught by Example, Not by War and became the subject of litigation. Last November, CBS banned a documentary, which was less than flattering about the life and times of Ronald Reagan one of two former presidents George W. Bush most admires. In it, Reagan was portrayed as cold and unfeeling while his wife Nancy depicted as the real power in the White House. As CBS had initially approved the script, critics alleged the network had bowed to political pressure. Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle said: It smells of intimidation to me. Earlier last year, Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon had a speaking engagement cancelled due to her anti-war views and her flashing of peace symbols. Actor Tim Robbins, whose anti-Bush play and film Embedded/Live have riveted audiences from Los Angeles to Venice, received a letter from president of the Baseball Hall of Fame Dale Petroskey, canceling an anniversary celebration of the movie Bill Durham. It read: ...we believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important and sensitive time in our nations history helps undermine the US position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger. In this topsy-turvy world, advocating peace puts a nations troops in danger, while rooting for war does not, it seems. There are elements throughout the US who view the purveyors of peace as a threat to the culture of endless war they obviously hold so highly. After all, when the nations president cries bring em on and warns ominously that his creation the war on terror may never be won, the peacemongers are marching out of step. T-shirts printed with Give Peace a Chance are a definite no-no, as lawyer Stephen Downs discovered firsthand. Downs was arrested, handcuffed and charged with trespassing at a New York mall after refusing to remove the offending item, just purchased in the same shopping precinct. In Dearborn, 16-year-old Bretton Barber was sent home from high school for wearing an anti-Bush T-shirt bought on the Internet. When told to turn it inside-out, take it off or go home, as it might inflame the schools Arab-American students, Barber walked out of class, supported by his parents. Those who want an end to war find themselves in the sights of the FBI, which was questioning political demonstrators prior to this years Republican GOP. Sarah Bardwell, a 21-year-old member of a Denver anti-war group described a visit by six FBI investigators. ...They were trying to intimidate us into not going to any protests and to let us know that, hey, were watching you [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/VL0olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Peruuta ryhm�n tilaus l�hett�m�ll� s�hk�postia osoitteeseen: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kominform2/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
