http://www.fraughtwithperil.com/blogs/holte/archives/001662.html
I'm talking about Robin Hood because I'm trying to connect what is going on right now to a story that illustrates the general point. Robin Hood wouldn't have a chance in our current society. He'd get Tazered and hauled off to jail the first time. The nearest thing we have to his "merry men" are the sad folks whose criminal records, drug use, medical or psycho-somatic problems have them living in the street. We won our freedoms, but freedoms are never permanent. Robin Hood includes a lesson that too.....
In one of my favorite versions, Robin Hood won his freedom, he became a free "yeoman" again and probably bought a farm somewhere and built a house. The story says that he still was in danger. According to the story he got sick, visited a doctor, the doctor was an old enemy, and opened his veins. Dying one of his old comrades found him nearly at his last breath. He shot an arrow to mark where he should be buried.
Freedom can be betrayed, but more often it is lost by inattention. Right now people are being locked up for opinions, being put on black lists for having the wrong name, protesting, exercising first amendment rights. Right now the Government is denying our first amendment rights, our fourth amendment rights, and is telling us to shut up about it. We are like Robin Hood, only we cut our own wrists. The King couldn't kill Robin Hood, but an old enemy pretending to be a friend could. He could protect his right to the commons against Kings and soldiers, but not against an enemy wielding a doctors knife wielded by a Prioress.
http://www.boldoutlaw.com/rhbal/bal120b.html
John became King of England. Repression shut down the "merry men" eventually. The forests of Nottingham are no more. The Sheriffs tazed a guy for exercising his first Amendment rights. A judge is being promoted to Attorney General for denying fourth amendment rights on the word of the Government (Jose Padilla). What is right can be defined as illegal. Justice is about what is right but it is not always about what is legal. Islamicists Terrorists will never defeat the United States -- only people like George W. Bush, Cheney and others who would destroy the constitution can do that.
Chris
Posted by cholte at September 19, 2007 08:56 PM