OPINION
Published August 18, 2008
I finally figured out what that old Simon and Garfunkel song meant by warning about the "Sounds of Silence." It doesn't take much to chill people from exercising their First Amendment rights. Just look at the lead-up to the RNC in St. Paul, which has unfortunately been characterized by misinformation, not so much by police or city authorities, but by right-wing talk radio, anonymous sources and the rumor mill.
What kind of a democracy is this if we let citizens become unnecessarily intimidated about being tasered, pepper-sprayed, infiltrated, spied on or photographed by cameras installed on public streets?
We can prove the talk wrong and counter this threat to participatory democracy by simply showing up in great numbers for all the marches, rallies, concerts and artistic, "unconventional" expressions during this time of national focus. Martin Luther King was certainly right that there are times when silence is complicity. Therefore patriots cannot stay home and keep quiet.
Coleen Rowley, Apple Valley
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Thanks Coleen for all you do for peace and the reminder of our need to not stay home.
Last year at a peace march in D.C. I met and talked briefly with a Czechoslovakian (living in D.C.) who expressed his dismay that marchers came to the nation's capital to rally and march for only a day. He stressed to me that the Velvet Revolution in his country was brought about because masses of people camped out for months, in all kinds of weather. And residents brought them food and warm items in winter.
A day, even filled with masses of peace marchers, is easy for the political leaders to overlook, he said. Why are US citizens not camping out?
Good question. I did not know what to answer. But your work and writings remind me I need to do more.
Nancy L. Schulz
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