“Step away from the Keyboard! Hands in the air!”

The whole scenario races through my mind. The Blog Squad of the Anti-Terrorist Security Forces bursts in the door to arrest me. I’m protesting, “What’d I do? What’d I do? Why are you arresting me?” One of the growling military types smacks me with his AK47, knocking me to the floor, and snarls,” Don’t play innocent with me, you subversive sonofabitch! We know what you’ve been doing!”

Two of them carry my computer out the door. They swarm all over, ransacking my place looking for arms and explosives and Damn! They find my stash! “No! No!” I plead! “Don’t confiscate my chocolate!” (It’s my one and only, single, uncontrollable addiction). “We’re taking you to the Anti-Terrorist Security Center; we found your Blog on the Internet! You are guilty of criticizing the government! This kind of terrorist activity is now under our control! You will be nullified and rendered powerless!”

“What about my rights? Aren’t you supposed to read me my rights?” I scream, struggling to stand up. The one who knocked me down sneered, “You are a terrorist…you don’t deserve any rights! You bet, I’ll read to you! I’ll just read the charges against you. I’ll read every single word. These charges are serious and there are a lot of them. You are charged with the following crimes:

  1. Stating that the most destructive and terrible anti-human force in the world today is the U.S. Military;
  2. Stating that George Bush is an arrogant, lying, warmonger, who should be charged with War Crimes;
  3. Stating that the whole Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld administration is a bunch of lying, arrogant, warmongers, who should all be charged with War Crimes;
  4. Stating that Condoleeza Rice, who also lies, is not a fit person to head the U.S. State Department or to represent the US to other Nations around the World;
  5. Stating that John Negroponte, is not a fit person to head the new, combined security forces, and also should be charged with War Crimes for his stint in Central America;
  6. Stating that John Bolton is not a fit person to represent the US at the United Nations, inasmuch as he does not respect the institution, worse, is dedicated to destroying it; and
  7. Stating that Paul Wolfowitz is not a fit person to head the World Bank, inasmuch as he views the world in Machiavellian terms of domination and power, shrugging off “collateral damage,” rather than viewing the world with decent, respectful, humanistic and humanitarian considerations of what measures will ease the suffering of the tortured, hungry, homeless, sick, oppressed human beings on the face of this war torn, ecologically doomed, planet. …..End of charges.”

Well, at least I was quoted correctly, I feel a little sense of relief!

I’m struggling against the handcuffs and feeling panicky. “Hey! Wait a minute!” I holler. “This is a democracy; don’t you know that? We have the right in this land of the free, to criticize the government; we have the right, even the obligation, to speak out and object to heinous crimes that are being committed in our name, in the name of the citizens of the US!

Don’t you know that George Bush is asserting that he’s bringing democracy to repressed citizens in other countries? Don’t you know these things? Where are you from? What the hell do you think democracy is all about? It’s the right of the people to know what’s going on, even to demand to know what’s going on, and to take responsibility to warn, when things are going wrong. What do you think we’re supposed to do? Sit on our assets and let everything that we believe in…the whole freakin’ American Dream, be destroyed by madmen who have taken control of our country?”

“Shut up, bitch! You’re in trouble enough already. Now we’ll get you for resisting arrest!” the leader snarls, grabbing me and forcing me toward the door. My eyes fall on the framed parchment copy of the Bill of Rights that hangs near the door. “See that document on the wall?” With my hands behind my back, I’m trying to gesture toward it; I’m screaming, “It’s the Bill of Rights. Article 1. says that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. Article 4. says that people have a right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, and a warrant shall only be issued upon probable cause.”

“I told you to shut up, bitch!” He slams me forward and I’m literally and figuratively banging my head against the wall and The Bill of Rights, which crashes to the floor. As I’m dragged out the door I hear the crunch of the broken glass as boots stomp across the parchment page.

(fade to black)

Who was it, some Senator? I heard the other day that one fearful official or another was warning about those dangerous bloggers, and pledging to take action to bring them under control. It really freaked me out!

But then, I got to thinking about it. In the face of that feeling of despair that many of us share, that I’ve even described as the futility of the times, I suddenly felt very powerful…and proud of the new technology that belongs to the people. Click here to PUBLISH for all the world to see.