20 February 2013

Free Speech



On the weekend Sonja and I were in a book store. We were there with one of our nieces and her boyfriend. That is what Canadians do before we go to the pub. The books help us understand our world; the liquor helps us forget.

Sonja's niece and her boyfriend are like most young Canadians I meet. They are young, fast and scientific. They give me that precious element you will not find on a periodic table. They give me hope.

After the three of them had gathered up their purchases Sonja noticed I had nothing in my hands. "There's a book of Thompson's in the window," she told me. "Maybe you haven't read it."

I figured I had but I went outside to look at it. It was "Kingdom of Fear," the only book of Thompson's not in my library. I am not finished it yet but the theme of the book seems to be Coming To Grips With the World in the Aftermath of 9-1-1.

Hunter never did so and I am not so sure any of us have either. We have grown accustomed to a heavier, dirtier, smellier boot of state power pressing on the gasping windpipe of our Freedom but we have yet to find a way to even begin to reclaim the Rights of Man that have been extinguished in the past dozen years or so.

The urban occupations held a year and a half ago met their doom soon enough; Idle No More always looked to be more smoke than fire. At least both those public demonstrations provided a spark of light in the deepening fascist darkness of this dim century. The change in the American presidency, while thoughtful in intent, has given rise to the terror of flocks of assassin drones where once only song birds did fly.   

We, like Hunter, have not come to grips with the overpowering reality of the modern terror state one bit. We may not love Big Brother but we have failed to meet him on a battleground of our own choosing, where we might, after some considerable persistence, take the motherfucker down a notch or two.

In Hunter's words, "If we all had a dash of Muhammad Ali's eloquent courage, this country and the world would be a better place because of it."

4 comments:

RossK said...

Heckuva line, that line about the periodic table.

If that Louisville hillbilly were alive today he'd probably swipe/use it.

Unfortunately, the boxer from Louisville no longer can.

.

Mr. Beer N. Hockey said...

Hunter chose his heroes well. Like to think I have as well. Ali is one of the last ones I have left.

Nazz Nomad said...

KINGDOM OF FEAR IS A PRETTY FINE READ- DEFINITELY WORTH PICKING UP-

Mr. Beer N. Hockey said...

Glad I did not get to the book until now. Thompson's savage commentary seems all the more appropriate given some time to mature in the cask.