ARTS & FARCES internet

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)was signed into law in 1974, mostly as a reaction to the Watergate scandal, and allows the American citizenry to hold its government accountable by requesting access to public documents and records.

On October 12, 2001, Attorney General John Ashcroft issued a memo that was widely ignored by the mainstream press. Ashcroft’s memo encouraged federal agencies to resist most FOIA requests from American citizens.

When Ashcroft’s buried memo is coupled with President Bush’s executive order of November 1, 2001 that allows all presidential records since 1980 to be sealed, the effect is what Ruth Rosen calls “positively chilling” in her San Francisco Chronicle editorial.

Ashcroft’s memo, Rosen writes, asks federal officials to consider whether “institutional, commercial and personal privacy interests could be implicated by disclosure of the information.” Worse, Rosen quotes the Ashcroft memo as saying:

“When you carefully consider FOIA requests and decide to withhold records, in whole or in part, you can be assured that the Department of Justice will defend your decisions unless they lack a sound legal basis or present an unwarranted risk of adverse impact on the ability of other agencies to protect other important records.”

Every stage illusionist and politician knows that success requires being adept at misdirection. With stage magicians, it’s as simple as getting the audience to look at the hand doing nothing while the object in question is being manipulated with the other hand. The magician misdirects the audience’s attention to the hand doing nothing.

In politics, it’s even simpler: “Hey, dumbass, look at that scary thing over there; it’s going to get you,” is usually sufficient to misdirect our attention so he can perform that which he doesn’t want us to see (which is almost always some sort of reaming of the citizenry).

Sometimes, when the timing is impeccable, the political misdirection works. Usually, the politicians that have been in office the longest are the best at misdirection, if only because they get so much practice. This is what happened with the USA Patriot Act, signed into law by President Bush last week.

Something has completely escaped today’s terrorists. The world will always need an “America”—a country in which citizens not only believe in, but in reality must have, an opportunity to control their destinies. “America” has come to represent a place in which oppressed citizens of the world will always seek refuge. And the current war on terrorism and America has given me an even deeper appreciation for some parts of America’s past—and glimmers of hope for things to come.

Walking past the old Works Progress Administration retaining wall that supports the sports fields in our neighborhood’s Groveland Elementary School, has reminded me for years of the spirit of our nation’s call-to-arms in a different era; a spirit of unity, purpose and new directions—and most of all—citizens working to serve the greatest number. I admit I am often wistful for the spirit of that time; for I sometimes wonder if that spirit is as durable and as beautiful as that old, hand crafted, stone wall.

I have known more than one baby-boomer of the 1950’s to be somewhat jealous of the salutations witnessed among members of the World War 11 generation when two former servicemen met for the first time, “Where did you serve?” It proffered not only introductions to another person’s past, but was a gateway of interest to each other’s battles. From there, their comradeship could go most anywhere. Now imagine every citizen of this country having just such a form of introduction immediately available to each and every other citizen: “Where did you serve?”

“Where did you serve?” It reflects a different attitude among our citizenry than “Where did you go to school?” Each reflects a very different kind of education, and neither should demean the other.

Chicken Mary, hawk de near and when him de near, you must beware, so
Simmer down, oh control your temper
Simmer down, for the battle will be hotter
Simmer down, and you won’t get no supper
Simmer down, and you know you bound to suffer
Simmer down, simmer, simmer, simmer right down
Simmer down, like you never did before
Simmer down, oh, oh, oh
Simmer down, can you hear what I say
Simmer down, you lickin’ too hot so
Simmer down, and you know soon you’ll get dropped, so
Simmer down, why won’t you simmer, simmer down
Simmer down, simmer down, simmer down
Simmer down, simmer, simmer down
Simmer down, oh simmer, simmer down
Simmer down, like you never did before…

The Individual Retirement Account (IRA) window slammed shut in 1986. Here’s the sound of that slam trickling down for many women: “Now, ladies, be good citizens. Make sure you travel off to an office eight hours a day in your new SUV. Don’t forget to stop off on your way for the caf魬atte to get your bleary eyes through the morning’s meetings at your Fortune 500 job. By all means, pick up the family dinner at the nearest fast-food outlet because there’s going to be less than four hours upon your return home before the kids have to be in bed—with their schoolwork already done, and everyone’s clothes prepared for the following day. Oops, you forgot to pick up the dry-cleaning? Well, never mind, you remembered to pick up your infant at day care, didn’t you? So, you’ve done your fair share for the gross domestic product (GDP) today. But, be sure to set your sleep alarm for five o’clock, so you get to the pancake breakfast fundraiser for your volunteer assignment by seven o’clock. Do keep in mind, that if you happen to be 35 and single, you already need to have accumulated $55,000 in your personal retirement account. And, of course, earning your age isn’t enough for your family now, so you’re earning $50,000 annually—aren’t you? But, Merrill-Lynch and Fidelity have said you must.” Is this scenario not enough to make an exhausted “mad-hatter” of every woman juggling family, work, and community?

In July of 1981, Senator David Durenberger (R-MN), cautioned fellow members of Congress that “Wives and mothers should not be forced to choose between pension security and raising a family.” (Congressional Record, July 17, 1981, p. S-7854) Durenberger, a true moderate in my opinion, has since been forced from the ranks of the Senate.