Saturday, August 15, 2009

The Gun and the Girl and going too Far

Any of you who are over 40 remember her. Lynette Fromme got released from prison yesterday. While reading some of her history, I could not help but notice that there are similarities to our own well-known activist here in Lake Worth, Cara Jennings. I am talking about the choices they make.

“Squeaky” Fromme surrounded herself with lost individuals with highly questionable solutions to life's "ills." For the most part, they were young and questioning everything. When you are idealistic, you meet all sorts of characters that can be very bad influences. You get caught up in the euphoria and constantly on a different sort of "high." Although on the fringes of the Charlie Manson family, she was not involved in those shocking murders. She got a life sentence for something totally different—pointing a gun at President Gerald Ford.

On September 5, 1975 she was again protesting. This time it was saving the California redwoods. It was always something. She arrived at Capitol Park to confront the President. The gun was loaded but none of the rounds were in the firing chamber. She was subsequently convicted of attempted assassination of a President of the United States because of a 1965 law after the assassination of President Kennedy. She received a life sentence. Fromme’s intent was to get the attention of the President on clean air and the environment.

Cara’s activism seems to be intensifying. Is this not the same thing minus the gun and minus a President? Sometimes good intentions just go too far.

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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 16, 2009 at 5:59 PM

    You can't be serious. You're equating any activism of any sort with the kind of nutcase behavior evidenced by Squeaky Fromme? This is one of the most ridiculous analogies I've ever seen. Thanks a bunch for the enlightening political analysis.

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  2. Lynn AndersonAugust 16, 2009 at 6:02 PM

    You obviously have a reading comprehension problem.

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  3. AnonymousAugust 16, 2009 at 6:08 PM

    Really? Enlighten me. How exactly is Cara Jennings's activism analogous to what Fromme did? Isn't Jennings just exercising her first amendment rights? Or do you object to any form of protest?

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  4. Lynn AndersonAugust 16, 2009 at 6:13 PM

    I would be happy to enlighten you but I don't think you want to be. As I said, you have a lack of understanding of the written word. Next time, sign your name to your comment if you dare.

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  5. Lynn AndersonAugust 16, 2009 at 6:30 PM

    I have nothing against protesting--just doing it within the law. Personally, I think it a waste of time. The only way to affect change is to be elected to office. She has done this now twice. This is where the power is...not holding up signs and getting arrested, etc. Protesting is similar to any addiction. Usually it intensifies due to the influences of the people you meet along the way and one thing leads to another and ends up bad as it did in Miami. I don't think going to jail is a badge of honor which is the goal of some who protest.

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  6. steve ellmanAugust 19, 2009 at 11:47 AM

    You don't think going to jail is a badge of honor? Tell that to Martin Luther King. Context counts.

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  7. Lynn AndersonAugust 19, 2009 at 11:59 AM

    Steve--In the beginning of Montgomery I think it was, King spent over a month in jail because of his planned provocation and boycotts. He wanted to go to jail. I think he learned from his mistake in this decision. I have never read anywhere that he was proud of this. He affected change in peaceful ways and people ended up actually listening and government changing.

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