Free the Jefferson 1
Don't dance around the Jefferson Memorial at midnight:
There is coverage of this in the Washington Post as well:
It is just before midnight at the Jefferson Memorial, and as the celebrants dance in honor of the founding father's birthday, wind whips across the Tidal Basin and spotlights gleam off the towering bronze statue in the echoing sanctum of the monument.The WaPo quotes a Jefferson "scholar" that says, "[Jefferson] would more likely have been angered at the civic disobedience of the revelers, which he would have seen as a threat to orderly democracy." I'm sure that is why Jefferson was sympathetic to farmers involved in the Shay's Rebellion. I'm sure that is why Jefferson said:Suddenly, in a video and audio recording of the event, a shadow looms and a voice commands: "You gotta go. Leave. You're acting disorderly."
"Why?" a voice asks. There is a commotion. Protest. Cursing. A woman, a former ambassador's daughter, is handcuffed, arrested and taken away. And within moments, an event that participants say was a simple libertarian celebration of Thomas Jefferson's birthday turns into a tense encounter between police and the public.
God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... What country before ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.Anyway, you can read more about this at Free the Jefferson 1 and at the American Spectator.
[UPDATE] Others are taking issue with the "Jefferson Scholar" comments.
Comments
I've seen this popping up across the Internet, and I'm still in wait-and-see mode before I jump on the bandwagon. According to their website, this was a group of young activists that research and report on "government abuse". They plan an event where they gather a few dozen people for a "silent dance party" where they simultaneously bob around to their iPods on the Jefferson Memorial at midnight. This is, of course, JUST weird enough to almost guarantee that the park police will stop by and tell them to beat it. Given the totality of the circumstances, I'm going to out on a limb and suppose that it was a deliberate publicity stunt, intended to get the result that they got.
A blog with professional-quality graphics work is ready to go and online within HOURS, and they immediately started collecting hundreds (maybe thousands?) of dollars for a "defense fund"... despite the fact that the one kid was released right away and faces a minor citation that probably carries a traffic ticket level of fine. If Ron Paul proved anything this year, it's that it is pretty easy to get libertarians opening their wallets for you when riled up. Call me paranoid, but the whole thing still smells a little fishy at this point. I'm not sure that these guys are the ideal "poster boy" for any particular cause at any rate.
Posted by: Steve Perkins | April 16, 2008 11:47 PM
Regardless of the intent. It still proves that there are very few "free speech, freedom of expression" zones left in America.
Also, it sort of reminds me of that joke about "Why Baptist only have sex laying down."
Posted by: Daniel N. Adams | April 17, 2008 12:33 AM
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The problem here is that the definition of "peacebly" has been bastardized to no longer mean "non-violent," but now mean "non-dessenting." Which means, you can only protest if you agree with the majority.
Democracy Sux. B. Franklin ?
Posted by: Daniel N. Adams | April 17, 2008 01:19 AM
I must agree with Daniel in the point that regardless of the intent anything that causes or brings about the exposure of the tyranny of the government that we have allowed to become the "served" and we now are the "servant" to is a good cause.
The founding fathers of our nation would surely become members of some underground militia due the freedoms and usurped authority those in power now abuse.
If you think you have free speech or freedom of expression or any freedoms that could threaten the expulsion from a position of authority those that are in power you are living in a dream world.
The quest to retain this power it the reason we see governments of America totally and completely out of control. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We live in a police state and if you think not try disagreeing with those in power and you will find that the sword is more mighty than the pen.
The law is what ever those in power want it to be. Just look at the way they