Embrace Freedom!
Just don’t get all in my face about it...
Bottom of the ninth... two on... two out...
“Say you’re looking for some peace and love
Be the leader of a big ol’ band
You want to save humanity
But it’s people that you just can’t stand…”
--- John Lennon
I was morbidly curious about what GWB would say given an opportunity to make a speech with no political stakes for the first time in his life, and with the entire nation (not just the 50.9% who voted for him) and the ghosts of history watching avidly.
He went to the plate swinging a big bat, men on base, the crowd screaming, a tough pitcher on the mound. He dug in, confident, in control of the moment, took a big hack… and hit a single. He kept the inning going, kept the energy high, did his job, and then made room for the next guy. There was a thought that maybe he’d do something that history would remember.
But not today. There was the standard prattle about liberty, about opportunity, yeah yeah yeah, but the overriding note was freedom as the power of salvation… the engine of America’s greatness.
No argument there, Mr. President.
But with all due respect, you’re full of crap.
Booing fans are escorted from the stadium.
Digging into the batter’s box, the President talked trash about Freedom being the light of the world. Obviously that light didn’t stretch over to Fourth Street in DC, where Bush’s fellow citizens were being gassed and beaten for exercising their freedom. The freedom they are supposed to have by birthright. The freedom that allows them to criticize the conduct of the government without fear of imprisonment.
There will be trumped-up charges: disturbing the peace, verbal assault, whatever, that will be tossed out by a cool-headed judge as soon as they are presented to him. But he point will have been made. The freedom-free perimeter will not have been penetrated. Those inside will be of one like mind, or they will not be allowed inside. Check your thoughts at the door. And the President will talk about freedom encased in a “frozen zone” where none exists.
This says more about the man at the plate than it does about those yelling from the dugout. Bush at times seems to really believe what he says about America. The people who vote for him think he really believes it. But the fact of the matter is this: He likes his freedom, easily gained through family fortune and powerful friends, but doesn’t really give a damn about yours and mine. He’s just not thinking about it. My father used to say, “Your rights end at my nose.” Fair enough. But Bush’s nose is getting longer and longer.
Mike Bloomberg said during the convention, “You can have freedom, but maybe not as much as you want.” Who gets to decide how much I want? How much free speech do I want? As the great Jimmy Breslin said, “As much as my voice can stand.”
As he stands at the plate, Bush wants everyone to cheer. They would cheer if he hit a home run, brought everyone – everyone- in to score. Not just 50.9%. Because they 50.1% will still boo. And he can have the boo-ers escorted from the building, and the stadium will just be half-full. And the boo-ers will still come back, booing him as he punches his weak base hit, booing him as he stands on first, waving his hat and taking a bow to half the park.
