A Clear and Present Danger

"You were right," Gus moaned as I entered. "Ya really gotta play em close to the vest these days."

"What happened, Gus?" Gus is a local construction worker I occasionally hang with. It’s good to stay connected to one’s roots. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, how do you manage? One minute everything seems clear, the next your head is spinnin’."

‘Gus, you didn’t decide to share our conversations, did you?" We had talked about how, in a democracy, it’s the responsibility of every citizen to be involved in what our government is up to. It’s the only way to keep government of the people and by the people, for the people.

"Yeah, yeah, I know ya told me to be careful what I said; but, hell, it’s my crew. We been together since ages. Anyway, we was eatin’ lunch yesterday, and the radio was on. There was a report ‘bout a protest rally in Washington D.C. and other places, and Benny just starts cussin’ em out like they was a buncha Commies." So, I said ta give em a break, ya know? It was like back durin’ Nam when everyone was protestin’ the war and getting’ kicked around for it. But, they was right about what they was doin’ and right about what they was sayin’, ya know what I’m sayin’? Of course ya do. Youse who tole me that in the first place. But, these guys is getting’ all hot under the collar and all; and, then, they’s cussin’ on me like I was some stranger alla sudden, like." Gus stopped and gasped like a diver up for air. "Just for askin’ a simple question."

"Gus, Gus, what hast thou donest? Weren’t you about to give up French kissing over all this?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. But, I got to thinkin’ bout whatcha said to me. I still think we gotta go in there an blow the lid off things. But, still, everyone’s gotta right to speak their mind, right? Else, we’re just like Saddam, right? I mean, ain’t that how he do – shutting up the opposition, I mean?" Then, he went on to tell me what had precipitated his change of heart.

"Last night I heard that Sean Penn had gotten hisself blacklisted – ya know, got a contract cancelled because of his views on things and the fact he dared to open his mouth about it. An, lemme tell ya, Penn ain’t no cheese eatin’ surrender monkey, either. Then I heard that guy what plays the president on West Wing got told to shut his yap over it, too. Like, there’s some group called ‘The Committee Against Celebrity Pundits" or something like that – like if you have the means to get a point across, ya don’t got the right to – began to remind me about that McCarthy jerk back in the 50s."

"You mean, when Joe McCarthy ruined a bunch of lives by accusing them of being Commies just so he could grab some power through the headlines?"

"Yeah, that guy you tole me ‘bout. And how that famous Studs Terkel character lost his job with the Chicago American because he signed a petition protestin’ the blacklistin’ and, then, refused to back down."

"I remember Mike Royko writing about him."

"Yeah, so it suddenly got to me that what was going on in our country was more dangerous than anything Saddam might have hidden in the sands. I mean, talk about weapons of mass destruction. What’s worse than everyone shooting off their mouths against others speaking their minds? Ain’t free speech one of the Ten Commandments?"

"Uh, though it probably should have been, I think you mean part of the Bill of Rights."

"Yeah, in the Declaration of Independence."

"You got the right idea, but it’s listed in the Constitution."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It’s one of the few rights left for us to fight for. But, the minute someone starts to point something out that someone else don’t agree with, that someone else starts calling the first someone un-American and all. That ain’t right – seems backwards."

"Hey, you’re preaching to the choir here."

"Yeah, well, maybe I’d better ask the choir director how he gets away with it."

"With what," I asked?

"With sayin’ what you say without getting in as much trouble as I did yesterday."

"That’s easy, Gus. I let the choir say it for me."

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