One of the fondest memories I have of high school was all the trouble that I caused. I really do like trouble. I was never one to follow popular opinion, nor was I one to follow the rules. I like to do things that really make a point about the state of the world or the state of the school.

I skipped most of the pep assemblies at school; A) because it gave me a longer lunch and B) I was not "peppy" nor did I have much school pride. One of the few assemblies that I made it to was pretty boring. At the end of the assembly it was looking like we would get an extra 15 minutes of lunch and everyone was excited, hell that is 50% longer then normal.

This is where me not doing what I am supposed to comes in. Everyone was instructed to stand and face the flag for our national anthem, after that we could leave and take a longer lunch. I refused to stand, and luck would have it two of my friends decided to sit as well. The anthem did not start. The principal looked at us and announced over the microphone that everyone must stand.

We refused. Everyone was standing except us. Everyone was looking at us. Everyone was pissed off at us. This was eating into valuable away from school time for them. The principal pointed at us and told us we must stand. We refused. A fat kid (who I presume was very hungry) named Darius, Tried to grab me by the arms and forcefully stand me up himself. I resisted the urge to kick his fat ass down the bleachers and just used passive resistance and dead weight. No teacher, nor the principle tried to stop this kid from physically assaulting me.

The principal Told everyone that no one could leave until the three of us stood up. We refused. People were screaming at us and extra lunch time was ticking by. Finally 15 minutes had passed without the principal or the three of us giving in. He told everyone in the gym that they could go (the national anthem was not played). Since he is such a nice guy, he told everyone that they still got an extra 15 minutes of lunch. His exact words were "you three stay! everyone else can go, be back at 12:45".

After the room had cleared out, he told us we are required to stand. Maus was laughing in his face, I thought this was hillarious. Maus was just nervous though and that is how he deals with being nervous. We were given detention and not allowed to eat that day.

I still don't feel I got my point across, but maybe it raised some questions in some people mind. "Why wont those kids just do what they are told?" "Maybe they are on to something here?" Maybe not. Not many people know the words to the Star Spangled Banner and most people don't know that there is more then one verse. The "national anthem" is another tool used by the state as propaganda to increase support for the war and to increase nationalism. The final verse of the national anthem is as follows:

O thus be it ever when freemen shall standBetween their loved homes and the war's desolation!Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n-rescued landPraise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,And this be our motto: "In God is our Trust."And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Yes, this country sure does love war. "Then conquer we must, when our cause is just, and this be our motto: In God is our Trust". Not only do I disagree with both the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem for the references to "God" being our driving force in the world, but I disagree with saying them because they try to rally our nation to support unjust wars (I also believe all wars are "unjust" but I will save that for a later blog).

Forcing kids from an early age to recite these things and not question authority is terrible. Remember when Britney Spears said "I don't know much about the war, but I trust our president completely". People are taught that they should just fit the mold. They do not think for themselves, they do not research things, they let other people make decisions for them. This is why our society has become more totalitarian then it has ever been. People have never questioned the law. The law of "god" or the law of man. People do not question what the government is doing at all. People are taught to respect government and not dissent.

People are taught to outcast the people who do dissent. They call these people un-american, nut jobs, commies, or anarchist (that last one may be true, {read; "Maginity on Anarchy", coming soon!}). The problem is not dissent, the problem is lack of dissent. Dissent and public demonstrations are all we have. Government has been chipping away at our freedoms since Congress passed The sedition act of 1798.

Most people have some vague idea of what the bill of rights says. The first amendment says something about having a bunch of freedom that no one can take away. Actually what the important part says is; "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech or the press..." Yet, seven years later the sedition act of 1798 was passed, a law that did abridge the freedom of speech and press. It provided jail sentences for people (like me) who criticize the government.

I have a book about people who have been jailed in the last 5 years for exercising freedom of speech and/or freedom of religion called "Bill of Wrongs" by: Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose. It is an interesting and entertaining book and I suggest you check it out from the library and read it. It has anecdotes of our major loss of freedom that has been "justified" as of late. It tells of how ordinary people like you or me have been jailed and held without trial.

Yes people will talk about me for years at Orchard View High School. I am most infamous for wearing an Anti-Flag shirt on our field trip to the veterans home. Yes I was once again berated for being disrespectful. Mr. Bolthouse about had a heart attack when he seen me get off the bus. A lot of those old war veterans understood what I was saying. They did not want to see our young kids (poor) getting killed over in Iraq either. They know first hand how the government fucks its "hero's". They were not offended, at least not the ones who I spoke with. What a way to turn a recruitment tool used by the school into a real educational adventure!

I recommend that you try a little dissent of your own. Don't be afraid to go against the grain and question authority. We can only keep freedom by demanding it. We cannot sit passively by and watch big business take over more then they already have. We cannot continue to let authority figures strip us of our rights. If you enjoy freedom, you really do have to fight for it. I am not talking about invading and occupying third world countries. I am not talking about war. I am talking about standing up to our totalitarian governments. Yes a little dissent can go a long way.