There's so much circulating in email now, that I want to help  with this overload by pointing to two things which came yesterday. They have the virtue of incorporating what so many of the other emails contain, so that you feel caught up and tuned in when you read them.

The first thing to read, that's starting to circulate, is a transcript of a speech by actor Tim Robbins, in the wake of the Baseball Hall of Fame canceling a gala celebrating the 15 year anniversary of his movie, Bull Durham. The context for the Robbins run-down of the repercussions for expressing anti-Administration sentiments is introduced in this paragraph:

“I can't tell you how moved I have been at the overwhelming support I have received from newspapers throughout the country in these past few days. I hold no illusions that all of these journalists agree with me o­n my views against the war. The journalists' outrage at the cancellation of our appearance in Cooperstown is not about my views, it is about my right to express these views. I am extremely grateful that there are those of you out there still with a fierce belief in constitutionally guaranteed rights. We need you, the press, now more than ever. This is a crucial moment for all of us.”

As Robbins eloquently tells it like it is, he includes telling examples of how being anti-war has been getting people's votes cancelled, with especially poignant stories dealing with how children have been punished for expressing such sentiments. Robbins characterizes the goings o­n, saying, “A chill wind is blowing in this nation,” i.e., “If you oppose this administration, there can and will be ramifications.” The personal nature of what Robbins says, about things that have directly impinged o­n him and o­n his family, make this an especially compelling read.

The other piece I appreciated yesterday is the latest of the Linksletters that we post for Wade Frazier. This o­ne is a recap of what has happened leading us to where “we have reached a pregnant historical moment where more Americans are questioning what the U.S. government is doing in their name.” He deals with how important this questioning is in light of the fact that, “Now, as with American sports, the o­nly thing that seems to matter to the American media and the mass of Americans is whether we 'win.' Whether we cheat to secure our victories, or whether our cause is 'just,' rarely enters into the equation, except in the most superficial ways.” Wade's concise running commentary is a wondrous trip through the current reality, and the urls, with which the commentary is punctuated, are extensive — just about anything worth reading that's circulating now is at your fingertips here.   

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