Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

Hello again everyone. Let me begin by admitting that last weeks blog entry: Little Brother, Oh Brother was indeed a little harsh. I can't say that I dislike the book, because that wouldn't be true to say. The only thing about this book that doesn't appeal to me is the idea that Marcus and his friends could possibly whind up in the situation that they did. I imagine that the DHS is just as terrible and ruthless as described in the text; I just don't believe that they are so dumb that they can be out-maneauvered by a couple of teenagers.

None-the-less, Doctorow has done a good job of swaying my opinion of his writing back into his favor with his writing on pgs. 235-238. I must admit that that was some pretty powerful writing. I especially like the reference made on pg. 235 to the right of the people to overthrow a tyrannical gov't. as outlined in the Constitution of the United States. There are many parallels that can be established between the state of oppression San Francisco is left in under the rule of the DHS and the actual reality of our country, post 9/11. We as a society live in a nation where our rights to freedom of speech and privacy are being invaded by the gov't. by such legislation as the Patriot Acts (2001). The main point that I guess I'm trying to segway into is this: in an effort to stop terrorism and keep it's people safe, the DHS has in fact become the terrorists, insighting just as much terror and fear as the terrorists responsible for the bridge bombing. The one thing that makes them even worse than typical terrorists is this: once they have a reason to take more control and rule through fear, the gov't. is never going to let that power go. They will forever continue to insight fear and doubt in the minds and hearts of it's citizens until ever last person has submitted to their will. That is, until someone such as Marcus and his group of rag-tag patriots, and real people in our society, stand out against the injustices being committed by the U.S. gov't.


What Doctorow is saying vicariously through Marcus about the reality of the DHS, and ultimately the federal gov't. in our country, on pg 237 is very accurate in my opinion. But that is just one man's opinion. Here's to you Doctorow! Good work.

-Sam