The decision to dedicate this blog over the past week to Peter McWilliams was prompted by the Gonzales v. Raich Supreme Court decision, and the realization that the fifth anniversery of his death (which is today) was approaching.
I did not know Peter McWilliams, nor did we have much if anything in common in terms of lifestyle and life experience. But that's probably all the more reason why I wanted to get to know him better. And reading things by and about him was fun, always interesting, and often enlightening. Which prompts even greater anger over his death. He was a sick man, yes. Nobody knows when he would have died. But he had the means - the medication - to continue a productive life for several years at least. And it was taken from him by the State.
The Police State was alive and well in 2000, under Clinton, before Bush, before the PATRIOT Act. The forces that want to spread State coercion into every aspect of our lives were already present and active.
It is no surprise that so many people meekly subject themselves to the humiliation of airport security searches, let the feds spy on them (I have nothing to hide!), and in general are willing to exchange freedom for security. Nothing there is substantially different from meekly complying with the War on Drugs, which has assaulted civil liberties long before the War on Terror was conceived. You can't be outraged at one, without being outraged by the other; if you agree with one, you'd probably consent to the other.
This may or may not be the last of the Peter McWilliams blogging. I have no plans to blog more or search for more about him, but that's not to say I won't come across more about him through my regular blogsurfing. Thanks to Sunni, the Freeman, Matthew at Strike-the-root, and anyone and everyone else who called attention to this project.
I'll end with this, from Sunni Maravillosa's Memorial:
The Thought Police killed Peter McWilliams in hopes they would silence his voice. They've accomplished that, but only in a literal way. By killing my friend, our would-be rulers have strengthened my resolve, and will create new activists out of many of those who've previously been silent.
I think Peter would consider that a fitting tribute.
James Leroy Wilson's one-man magazine.
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And thank you for deciding to pay tribute to him with this project.
ReplyDeleteYes, thank you for taking the lead; and for publicizing the controversy surrounding the details of his death. I've updated my memorial blog entry to include links to your entry, and the Penthouse article.
ReplyDeleteenjoyed the series and believe in the resistance - we need to keep the same focus on the target that Peter did. it is important to keep a sense of humor and to understand that it is the rare human that ever gets to see the culmination of their life's quest.
ReplyDeleteIf we blog it, they will read.