America - Love It or Leave It?

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

Saw this movie last night.

I went with a twenty something and a thirty something. We each had had a different level of exposure to the events covered in the film. When presented with events which I experienced, it's strange to be discussing them with those for whom they are as abstract as, say, bomb shelters are to me.

The movie drew some predictable but satisfying parallels between the Republican administration of the early 70s and the current Republican administration. Given the similarities, I found myself wondering if, hoping that the current administration would face the same fate as the earlier one.

G. Gordon Liddy came off looking like an ass (again). Geraldo Rivera came off looking like a wannabe (again).

I recommend the movie. I wish Rachel would have come with us. I think it would have upset her (there is some graphic footage of the Vietnam War and of the 1968 Democratic Convention) but I also think it would have exposed her to an era which is far removed from her consciousness.

I do wonder what my parents' reactions would be. As adults who at the time much more readily identified with those opposed to Lennon and his ilk, I wonder how they view the era in retrospect.

As the commentators were discussing the FBI's misuse and abuse of its powers, I also couldn't help thinking of the current brouhaha over warrantless wiretaps and Congress' recent willingness to suspend habeas corpus. Anyone who is naive enough to think that the government only targets those who deserve it and only operates with the good of the country at heart isn't paying attention. To listen to the former FBI agent talking about how Hoover used the FBI to quash dissent is to be reminded that the legal protections of warrants and due process are there for those engaging in legal but unpopular activities. When we remove these protections from the "terrorists," we deny them to ourselves as well.

I'm amazed at how many people don't get this.