>From the NY Times' - ON THIS DAY - On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20080504.html One reason I point this out is last night the Sundance cable channel had a pseudodocumentary made in 1971 called "Punishment Park" about a fictionalized U.S. at war in Vietnam and whose President Nixon has authorized widespread wiretaps, arrests without warrants, and tribunals in which the inevitably guilty parties were given the option of either going to federal prison for long sentences or to spend a few days trying to reach an objective in a desert national park (the "punishment park") while pursued by police and national guards (a mixture of "The Most Dangerous Game" and a reality TV show). Of course, no one ever manages to reach the objective alive. This is the point because there are now so many political prisoners that there isn't enough space for all of new arrestees who are coming in every day. The pseudodocumentary is being film by a West German TV crew, one of whom accuses the officers and military at the end: "We saw what you did, you killed those people and we're going to show what you did to the world!". To which an officer says "Go ahead and show it. Do you think we really care what France and Germany or anyone else thinks about us?" The film is an interesting snapshot of a point in time in U.S. history, a view building upon the implications of the student shootings at Kent State and other actions (e.g., the Chicago Democratic convention riots, the police-Black Panther "war", etc.). It also gives some perspective on the nature of "tribunals", the justifications.people use for their actions, and the seduction of false choices. On the latter point, which would you naively choose? Ten to 20 years in federal prison or 3-4 days in Punishment Park? -Mike Palij New York University [EMAIL PROTECTED] P.S. Yes, I have been abusing quote marks again. --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
