This wave must rise

If you’re like me, you know that the Public Discourse is little more than a stagnant parade of lies, damn lies, and statistics—a Mark Twain quote that’s gotten plenty of play this election season. But if, by some odd coincidence, you’re not like me then what follows will be news to you.

And that’s fine. But here’s something that’s not so fine: Ever since Black Tuesday (Part Duex) Talking Heads from across the board have pointed fingers and lobbed their mud, blaming (or praising) all in sundry for the Bush Junta’s supposed victory. A chief target? The so-called “youth vote” that somehow “didn’t” show up and magically sweep John Kerry into office with the singular force of their drug-and-rap-fueled mental powers.

Hopes that “the kids” (that would be anyone aged 18-29) would put Bush down with their paper ballot bullets were dashed for a number of reasons (say, widespread, systemic, racist voter fraud). But anyone who tells you that they failed to turn out is a damn liar. Over twenty million (that’s 20,000,000) of the little bastards exercised their Constitutional rights…for whatever that’s worth in this age of corporate voting.

More importantly (from my perspective), a few of “the kids” are beginning to realize the simple and obvious truth: that only a sustained, popular action will do anything to change this country for the better. And God bless ‘um for the realization.

The prime example comes to us from the shadow of Columbine…namely Bolder, Colorado, where 16 students of Bolder High School staged a sit-in Thursday, spending the night in their high school library. In protest, you see.

Their action raised enough of a stink on the local level to attract U.S. Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO), who came flying in Friday morning, vulture-like, smelling a photo op from miles away. There was much nodded and shaking of hands. Udall even promised to join a “summit with local youth” at the School to give them a means of “expressing their opinions ‘without having to camp out in the library.’”

Now, I know fuck-all about the Honorable Mr. Udall…apart from what I’ve just learned on his website and opensecrets.org. But I like to think I know a thing or two about the “democratic” process in this country. And a cynical individual might look at this little sit-in and smell the stench of pandering.

Not that I’m a cynic…I am, but that’s not the point. After all, forty years ago these kids would’ve been suspended, beaten with sticks and thrown right into juvy, Do Not Pass Go. So we’ve come that far. But I’m afraid it’ll take a lot more Boulders before we can move any farther. Twenty million vote are fine and dandy…but until we clog the high schools…until we empty into the streets…until we’re force to doge the mace, the tear gas and the bullets…I’m afraid it’ll be a cold day in hell before those in power truly listen to any of us.

I wish I could fly to Boulder right now and tell that to their faces. Somebody's got to, and they're most certainly not going to learn it in public school. Those who remember high school should have no trouble recalling the One Great Lesson that four year stint in Hell is designed to impart: Namely, “sit down, shut up and be deferent to authority.”

We can see where that attitude’s gotten us, can’t we?