I never expected the following commentary to create such controversy, especially not on a board for fans of my college Alma Mater:


I'm sorry, but this can't wait until Monday. It can't even wait until Saturday.

Yes I will be getting my computer back on Friday, and will have it hooked up by Saturday!

But I was listening to NPR yesterday morning and heard Frank DeFord give a tribute to Max Schmeling, the former heavyweight boxing champion and Hitler's "poster child", who died at the age of 99.

It seems that from the tribute that Schmeling was kind of a reluctant symbol. He refused a decoration from Hitler, kept his American manager, who was Jewish, and even hid Jews in his apartment.

Well it got me to thinking of how many Germans there were that didn't agree with Hitler, but rightly so, went along out of fear. That led me to wonder how many Americans now are opposed to Bush and his imperial policy, but are remaining silent out of fear.

I can see why, one need only look at the way folks like Linda Rondstat, the Dixie Chicks, and Carlos Delgado were treated. Bush has managed to create a climate of fear that last November, enough folks bought into.

I'll admit I too act with a bit of trepidation. But I still act. Maybe I and my fellow activists are speaking for those whose fears keep them silent.


But I meant a lot of what I said. To begin with, I do see elements of fascism in Bush's foreign and domestic policy. Especially the "Climate Of Fear".

Now I admit that Bush isn't going to hang Ted Rall or Aaron MacGruder(Boondocks) in public, as we still have this little thing called the 1st Ammendment. But the way AM-Radio and its cable news affiliate attack dissenters, many of them are basically executed in the court of public opinion.

Of course, there is one antidote to this fear, hope. The efforts of MoveOn.org to get Howard Dean elected head of the DNC not only should show Bush and the corporate wing of the Democratic Party that the "Grassroots" is not going away and has indeed maybe gained more power.

I thought this energy would carry over into the meeting of Harrisburg PA's chapter of MoveOn. It may have in that the discussion was spirited, but the meeting was still basically an organizational meeting, with various other discussions. I at one point asked if this was a meeting or a roundtable!

But we actually, upon further review, did get some actual work done. We decided we need to look into other local activist groups, that we need to also focus on local politics as well as national and that defeating Sen. Santorum, is a major goal.

I wonder if the NAACP, the African Nation Congress, or even Students for a Democratic Society had these kinds of "growing pains", of course, I think my gnat-like patience may be an issue as well.

But we are on our way! At least I think!