I remember when I was sixteen years old. That was 1968. I remember the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, NOT dominated by the hapless nominee, Hubert Humphrey, but rather by two things: what went on in the streets of Chicago, and how the national network news covered it.

I remember “the most trusted man in America,” Walter Cronkite stumbling for words to express his surprise and dismay that heavily-armed, stick-wielding police were basically beating the shit out of (mostly young) protesters in the streets of Chicago. In his black Clark Kent glasses, his starched blue shirt and ever so properly tied tie, he harrumphed: “Let us go now to Garrett Utley who is on the streets of Chicago following what has become a riot in response to this convention.”

History has since deemed it a “police riot.” This term has become increasingly more prevalent as ill-trained and (worse) ill-instructed police officers approach public assemblies (guaranteed by the Constitution, incidentally) as simply “crime problems” which need to be subdued and suppressed.

Thank You, Mike Wassenar for sending the story and video of Amy Goodman being arrested in St. Paul, home of the RNC convention. Our hopes and prayers go out to her and her also-arrested crew members.

Here is what Wikipedia says about the presidential election of 1968, in case you forgot or are too young to remember…

The United States presidential election of 1968 was a wrenching national experience, and included the assassination of Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy, the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and subsequent race riots across the nation, the violence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and widespread demonstrations against the Vietnam War across American university and college campuses. The election also featured a strong third-party effort by former Alabama governor George Wallace; although Wallace’s campaign was frequently accused of promoting racism, he would prove to be a formidable candidate, and was the last third-party candidate to win an entire state’s electoral votes. In the end, Republican Richard M. Nixon narrowly won the election over Democrat Hubert H. Humphrey on a campaign promise to restore “law and order”. The election of 1968 was a realigning election that ended the Democratic realignment started by Franklin Roosevelt in 1932.

I watched the video of Amy being arrested, and watched the faces of the cops “just doing their jobs.” I heard one cop say, “Step over this line and you are arrested.”

So much for probable cause! So much for freedom to assemble.

Questions. Did Amy have press credentials for the RNC, or did she and her crew risk their freedom in trying to shoot a video report without “the ticket.” If Amy did not have credentials, why not? Does one need to be a bloated corporate media pig to get press credentials to the RNC? Perhaps being a Republican helps. I suspect Amy is not.

The point of this rant is that the Alliance needs to pay close attention to the ruling of Judge Ponsor, in a Superior Court case in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, one of our sister access centers was the defendant. The case involved a local “video gadfly” who shot footage of a zoning commissioner up to unapproved building activities in his own back yard. The access corporation suddenly changed their rules to say that because the video gadfly did not have a talent releases from said zoning commissioner, the video could not be shown again. Judge Ponsor, after an eloquent definition of what “public access” is said this: A person “filming” segments for a public access show should enjoy the same First Amendment rights as those enjoyed by “bone fide news gatherers.”

I confess I am not a big fan of Amy Goodman. I just don’t like her unabashed liberal slant on the news. But at least she admits it! But these arrests in St. Paul MN are outrageous, and should be topics on the national network news. They were not tonight.

Local news at 11 added to my distress. They reported on high school marching bands, and where to find good pizza in the Twin Cities.

The national media has been mum about any disturbances or protests outside the RNC convention center. I only wish Walter Cronkite were still in the game, because in his journalistic world, flying police batons and tear gas and pepper spray would warrant coverage on his Edward R. Murrow-founded broadcast. Sadly, Katie Couric just flashes big teeth and says nothing.

Surely the end of the world as we know it is not far off!!! (just kidding, but still….. can you believe it!)

- Paul Berg, Arlington, MA