The story goes that if you put a frog into boiling water, he will immediately jump out, but if you put the frog into cold water and heat it slowly enough he won’t notice the change and will be boiled alive.
Until recently, I would not have believed that an American citizen could be arrested and jailed for voicing opposition to the political views of U.S. senators at a public venue, but it happened to me at Upper Senate Park in Washington D.C. two weeks ago. I countered pro-war remarks being made by several prominent senators, simply with my voice—no amplification, no profanity and no slander. In recent weeks friends of mine have been arrested for putting up anti-war posters, arrested trying to access their senator’s office, sentenced to 5 days in jail for speaking out in protest at another political rally, and one woman who was jailed overnight because the police said she had a “stay away” order from the Capitol building—she didn’t.
We have come to a place in our country where dissent is not welcome, our elected officials speak only to constituents who agree with them, and the police are complicit in penalizing those who dare to challenge the government. The Bush Administration has decimated the Bill of Rights, and Congress has rolled over and let it happen.
Our nation has launched an unnecessary, immoral and illegal war against a country which posed no threat to us, in blatant violation of international law and Article VI of the U.S. Constitution. Hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children have been killed. Millions have been made homeless. Our government has suspended habeas corpus and condoned torture.
Our government has been able to do these things because it foments fear, while promoting a jingoistic, “Love it or leave it—You’re either with us or against us” mindset. They wrap themselves in the flag, and label those who are critical as “unpatriotic.” If America does it, it can’t be wrong, and if you disagree, you’re a traitor. Gen Douglas MacArthur said: “Our society is now geared to an army economy bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and an incessant propaganda of fear.” I believe that is truer now than ever. In order to reclaim the values and liberties that were once guaranteed to us as Americans, we as a society need to say “No” to the fear, and look at our country with a critical eye without the blinders of patriotic rhetoric.
The water around us is beginning to boil. We all need to jump out before it’s too late.