I know a lot of us on Kos who are old enough to remember the 60s all too well probably have this flashback problem. Strange, bad craziness just suddenly appears in the headlights, right? Mostly it's pretty pathetic. But every now and then, there's a side effect just too precious not to share.
Hallucinate with me on the jump.
See the New York Times today? Great article about this Texas school board that has a policy of letting teachers carry concealed weapons so they can supposedly prevent another Columbine (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/us/29texas.html). Came across this absolutely wonderful quote from the school superintendant, which I instantly fell in love with --- especially the very last part:
"Our people just don’t want their children to be fish in a bowl," said David Thweatt, the schools superintendent and driving force behind the policy. "Country people are take-care-of-yourself people. They are not under the illusion that the police are there to protect them."
Just for a second there, my neocortex utterly lost hold of the fact that the speaker was a random subgenius annoying his fellow residents of Tiny Town. Suddenly, I thought I was hearing some Black Panther Party militant threatening to draw down on the next Alameda County Sheriff who whispers shit like this in his ear: "Good thing you ain’t in Alabama, boy. We’d clean your goddamn plow" (and bless you for that classic quote, Richard Pryor).
Or maybe it was some old lefty in a Methuselah beard and overalls who’d just gotten his 18th nightstick upside the head at an anti-war demo.
Or some VVAW guy in a boonie hat talking about how the cops roust him and his buddies every time they get together to have a few drinks, and he’s thinking about brushing up on his sniper skills.
Or maybe a modern-day ACT UP activist who has trouble explaining to himself why cases involving fag-bashing teen gangs hardly ever come to trial.
After I shook my head and got rid of all those old images, I spent awhile considering what every blinkered newspaper editorialist, coprophagic TV pundit and wingnut TV preacher in the land would have said of Mr. Thweat and his statement had Thweat actually been black or gay or an angry vet.
Speaking as a strict constructionist on the 2nd Amendment: Hey, just what America needs! More untrained, terrified, armed amateur law enforcement personnel! Hey, Thweat: Exactly why are the police there?
Visions over. Back to your regularly scheduled reality show.