Arrested at the RNC

Thanks for Marcellus Hall's article and illustrations about being arrested at the Republican Convention in New York ("Under Arrest," October issue). I am an opinion columnist for the Athens Banner-Herald, the daily paper here in Athens, Georgia, and was arrested in New York on August 31 while covering a protest. I could certainly identify with Hall's words and pictures.

Getting arrested during protests over the Bush Administration's repressive regime is an occupational hazard for a journalist, but it also is a badge of honor.

The people I was jailed with were inspiring and unforgettable. Even under the harsh conditions of holding pens and jail cells, every arrested protester that I met showed unfailing humor, kindness, and camaraderie.

The New York mass arrests were just one more example of a war on dissent that has escalated under the Bush League crew. Such repressive measures underscore the need for stronger street protests.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said so well, "Whenever you take a stand for truth and justice, you are liable to scorn. Often you will be called an impractical idealist or a dangerous radical. Sometimes it might mean going to jail. If such is the case, you must honorably grace the jail with your presence."

Ed Tant

Athens, Georgia

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