Violators of space, time, view and peace 

By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist

A number of years ago, Laura and I were invited to a local, large university for a dinner honoring several people, including one of Laura’s friends. It wasn’t black tie, but it was the next step down from that.  

There were brief opening remarks, the meal, then the main program. This was held at a large venue, but far from the university campus. You had to know it was there to be there.

Just after the meal, and just when the university president got up to speak, a bunch of protesters came in the main doors and started raising cane. They didn’t touch anyone or anything, but just marched around the room for about 20 minutes beating a drum and shouting.  

The president, the dais and all the security were silent. It was as if they knew this was going to happen. They finally left, and to this day, I don’t know what their beef was about. Had I been in charge, they would have been arrested.

I may sound hypocritical, but I support your right to protest; but please, do it in the wilds of Utah or New Mexico (that will get me some letters). I was appalled they let this go on at this time, in this venue.

For the 1968 Democrat National Convention, I only got to hear it on the radio, not see it on television. It was just a few weeks before we moved from the Beaver Farm to Cincinnati. I was already hesitant about moving from the country to a large city like Cincinnati. This event did not assuage my fears.

When it comes to protesting, as I said, I am for the right, but only under certain conditions.  

Actually, just a couple of conditions: (1) respect other people’s property and time; and (2) don’t harm any living creature.  

We have come a long way from the mid-1960s' scenario at Berkeley where protesters wanted to stand on a police car but took their shoes off first so they wouldn’t scratch the paint. Today, anything goes, and everything comes off. Yes, I consider the opening ceremony at the Olympics this summer a protest against all that is decent and moral.

The other decay we see today is graffiti. It uglifies everything. I find it particularly disturbing on railroad cars. I fault the train companies for tolerating it, and the trespassers for applying it. This starts with management neglect.  

During the Giuliani administration, the New York subway system was cleaned up and so was the city, using the “broken window” method of policing. It has been proven that if a city or other entity pays attention to the small things, such as broken windows, it has a positive effect on the big things. It wasn’t long before left-wing professors denounced this idea, and we universally adopted the slovenliness we have today and the crime rate that goes with it.

I have even seen a website in praise of graffiti and all the “free expression” that goes with it. What about the private property this violates? Not a word on this website. The only graffiti I ever liked was “American Graffiti.”  

Even the “freedom loving” Democrats know the average person likes things neat and orderly. This week, at the United Center, they kept the area inside where the cameras were neat and orderly. This despite the chaos less than 200 feet away outside their double- fenced sanctuary and their anything goes attitude. What hypocrites.  

And shame on the media for colluding with them.

Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press. He may be reached at jthompson@taii.com.