Analog2Digital

I'm the last person to start anything resembling a chain letter, but in the midst of 24/7 coverage of "America Strikes Back", this story has not reached the American public, and this is the best way I know to right that wrong.

The "Defense of Western Civilization Fund," recently founded by Lynn Cheney, wife of Vice-President Dick Cheney, has released its report
"Defending Civilization: How Our Universities are Failing America and What Can Be Done About It." This report cites 117 instances of particularly unpatriotic acts of speech within universities, including a panel discussion on terrorism titled "Break the Cycle of Violence," and statements like "It is from the desperate, angry and bereaved that these suicide pilots came." Some quotes are from students, cited by name, others professors, also cited by name, but all plucked delicately out of the oceans of dialogue on terrorism since 9AM, Sept. 11, and made examples.

They are 117 examples of how our government will not tolerate criticism of its foreign policy. The Bush Administation is actively trying to make us believe that to pause, and think, and discuss the implications of our actions is anti-American and, somehow, akin to intellectual terrorism. Although the administration has obviously taken its time to carefully persuade the rest of the world's leaders and build a global coalition, it has grown arrogantly disdainful of persuading its own people. Rather than engaging in the same dialogue going on across the country, the Bush Administation feigns and demands consensus, at increasing risk to the dissenter.

I went to Brown, and now I read of professors and students I crossed paths with cited in this document, called the root of western civilization's demise, demonized for questioning the government, while the government defends "liberty." I can't accept such hypocrisy.

Please forward this document to as many people as you know, and awaken them to the idea that discussion, contemplation, and, yes, even disagreement, is the first and most important right of every American - the 1st Amendment. Whether you agree, disagree or don't care about Operation Enduring Freedom, you have that right.

We have seen this right attacked during the Red Scare, when the country feared a communist at every corner, and was attacked from within by power-hungry demagouges like a cancer. Now Lynn Cheney has proved herself another such demagouge, but this time, we can see through the rhetoric, and save ourselves.

posted by creon @ 1:10:42 AM

Not only has my book just come out on shelves, it's on sale at Amazon right now!

posted by creon @ 1:33:20 AM

www.oreilly.com -- Online Catalog: Designing with JavaScript, 2nd Edition : Creating Dynamic Web Pages

posted by creon @ 1:03:28 PM

Mary and I have decided to postpone our wedding indefinitely. Money's really tight all-around, which means paying for a wedding and honeymoon would be nearly impossible. We're still engaged, and we still plan to get married, perhaps later this year or in the spring of 2003. In the meantime, I'm going to continue freelancing and writing, look for full-time gainful employment, and keep fiddling with my boxen.

posted by creon @ 7:54:20 PM