At the end of January, law students at Georgetown University staged a protest in response to visiting speaker Alberto Gonzales. While the U.S. Attorney General conducted his speech on why domestic spying programs are appropriate for the nation, about 30 students stood up during his speech, turned their back on Gonzales, and even wore black hoods reminiscent of the infamous Abu Ghraib outfits.
Along with the protesters, there was a planned response session wherein law professors spoke of the illegality inherent to such spying programs as warrantless wiretaps. Gonzales, however, didn’t stay around after his speech in order to participate in the following discussion panel regarding the constitutionality of NSA actions.
Unlike the students and professors so eager to engage in a dialogue concerning government policy, it seems that the federal government is very willing to talk, but less than willing to listen.
If Gonzales and the rest of the Bush administration hope to rally citizens around the idea of electronic surveillance without a warrant, they are gravely mistaken in thinking that colleges are the place to start. The Georgetown protest proves that young U.S. citizens are not afraid to stand up (literally, in this case) for what they think is right, and what they know is wrong. Students across the nation ought to take heart in the example of these young protesters, and remember that as long as we have the ability to peacefully yet effectively protest, the government will be forever on its toes, just as it should be.