We’ve come a long way towards imperial government in the US—towards a view of the relationship between the federal government, and especially the administration, and the citizenry that has more of a ruler-subjects than a democratic feel to it.
Now I know it is easy to gloss over the way things were, and since I spent a few days in federal prison for protesting the Indochina War at the Pentagon in 1967, after being beaten by federal marshals for doing nothing more than exercising my constitutional right to protest on public ground, I am well aware that 40 years ago we were also often treated like serfs. But that said, there was something different back then—a sense that you could deal with powerful officials as an equal.
Back in the summer of 1968, I spent one of several summers on the road (something more young people should do today). I had hitch-hiked across the country from Connecticut to Washington state with Allen Baker, a college buddy, and then, towards the end of that summer break, had bought an old pick-up truck for $100, which we were driving home via the West Coast and the central route. Not having much cash, we were stopping at cities along the way, where I would play guitar for gas money.
This was the late ‘60s, and there was a major and sometimes violent culture war underway between the long-hairs like me and the clean-cut American “Silent Majority,” and my travel companion, Allen, and I were concerned that it would be tough scaring up much cash in the vast Republican stretches of desert, mountains and prairie that lay between Nevada and Missouri. So when we passed through Yosemite National Park, we decided to spend a day in the valley’s main parking lot, raising donations from tourists.
While Allen dozed in the back of the truck, I opened my guitar case and put up the “Gas Money” sign, and then, sitting on the running board of the old Dodge, started to play.
The money poured in—over a hundred dollars in a fairly short amount of time. It was really astounding. People walking by really enjoyed the music and wanted to help us out.
Then a park ranger, an older fellow with a friendly smile, drove up. “I’m sorry,” he said apologetically, “but I have been told to arrest you.”
“What for?” I asked, genuinely shocked.
“There’s no panhandling allowed in the park,” he responded.
“What’s panhandling?” I asked him, genuinely unaware of the meaning of the term, which I, an Easterner, thought must have to do with cooking with a skillet on an open fire.
“It’s what you’re doing right now,” the ranger said.
By that point, Allen had woken up and sat up in the truck bed, rubbing his eyes.
“You’ll have to come in too,” the ranger told him.
We followed him back to the ranger station, where he proceeded to write up our tickets. I noticed that there were two actual jail cells in the station. Thankfully, at least we weren’t going to be locked up. Then there was a loud bang outside. Suddenly, a younger ranger, looking like a recent Marine veteran, muscled and crewcut, ran in. “Where’s the first aid kit,” he yelled. “ I was just bringing in a kid on a marijuana charge and he tried to run. I shot him in the leg.”
Dave Lindorff, a columnist for Counterpunch, is author of several recent books ("This Can't Be Happening! Resisting the Disintegration of American Democracy" and "Killing Time: An Investigation into the Death Penalty Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal"). His latest book, coauthored with Barbara Olshanshky, is "The Case for Impeachment: The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office (St. Martin's Press, May 2006). His writing is available at http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
Our government was never approachable in a meaningful way
I too was beaten and gassed in the 60s and frankly don't believe it has changed that much. It has simply progressed along the same path. Everything in our culture has become more twisted and sick as per the plan. I am willing to wager that even today you can find bureaucrats, all be it few,that still have a spark of true American values left. But the main reason I don't think it has changed that much is because of the stories my grandmother told about the labor movement and how people where randomly shot in the streets for standing up to the elite. Sounds to me like our government has only been approachable by those wiling to lick boot and submit to their will.
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arlen custer (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 285 comments)
on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 1:13:11 PM
but in this article I need to remember more. While Dave was "panhandling" I had a stepson his age in my home. I liked the kid, felt sorry for him with a hot number in his pocket. Really, the one I felt sorry for was me, because the older copy of that kid was my husband. He the man who lived through the General Strike in San Francisco when he was that age. He graduated from the paperboy and orphan status to delivering telegrams to scabs who were locked in for their own safety. He dared to have a side job by selling whiskey to them.
Generation chasm: Senior told how it was a manly duty to go to war for one's country. Junior said it was old men who got to work overtime while young men went off to die.
This is not 2004, thanks to our stars. No talk of girly men this time. Maybe I remember those family standoffs because now issues are not so hormonely defined. Jobs are scarce and the power of the dollar is throttled. Maybe the real test this year is whether we have the will to tell our government that it's broke our banks and offered our Youth nothing but another war.
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Margaret Bassett (33 articles, 2015 quicklinks, 30 diaries, 1346 comments)
on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 1:29:55 PM
Dave:
I hitched across (back & forth) the country 3 times in 1968 including almost every inch of coastline. But before going into the southern states - and after a very close encounter with rednecks in Utah - I simply got a buzz cut and went incognito. This worked great until I got to Florida, where I was constantly harassed by gay men! There's weirdos, white sox, rednecks, and blue ribbon beer everywhere :) Not much has changed. Except the beer now is better.
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Cinderfella (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 124 comments)
on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 5:05:13 PM
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