Still, every citizen is granted the right of free speech, and so today's bus tour of AIG offices and executives' private homes rolled on. Organized by Connecticut Working Families Party and ACORN, the angry riders exercised their constitutional right to hoist silly signs and carry out futile acts of peaceful protest.
At least these people acted within the Constitution, which arguably is more than we can say of the U.S. House of Representatives.When my wife and I read yesterday about plans for the anti-AIG bus tour, we shuddered -- free speech is all well and wonderful but, we agreed, somebody's gonna do somethin' stoopid.
As if to underscore our concern, we noticed the sign being held by the white-haired guy in the center of that photo -- Damn You, AIG.
Check out the crayoned blood dripping from the letters.
Sure, he's within his rights. All the same, he's a walking, talking clue that this shit could get a lot uglier before it gets much prettier. Consider the threatening e-mail messages that AIG CEO Edward Liddy read to the House Financial Services Committee last week:
That's not to suggest that those revved-up, bus-riding citizens' speech should be suppressed -- only a prediction."All (AIG) executives and their families should be executed with piano wire around their necks. My greatest hope."
"If the government can't do this properly, we the people will take it into our own hands and see that justice is done. I'm looking for all the CEOs' names, kids, where they live, etc."
Whatever happens, speaking of predictions, some simpleton will blame the media.
