Have we ever truly been a democratic nation?

"Suddenly the door literally burst open and Whittaker burst in
like a tornado; some men followed him. We could see a crowd of
them on the porch. They were not in uniform. They looked as much
like tramps as anything. They seemed to come in-and in-and in.
One had a face that made me think of an ourang-outang. Mrs. Lewis
stood up. Some of us had been sitting and lying on the floor, we
were so tired. She had hardly begun to speak, saying we demanded
to be treated as political prisoners, when Whittaker said:

"You shut up. I have men here to handle you." Then he shouted,
"Seize her!" I turned and saw men spring toward her, and then
some one screamed, "They have taken Mrs. Lewis."

A man sprang at me and caught me by the shoulder. I am used to
remembering a bad foot, which I have had for years, and I
remember saying, "I'll come with you; don't drag me;

{197}

I have a lame foot." But I was jerked down the steps and away
into the dark. I didn't have my feet on the ground. I guess that
saved me. I heard Mrs. Cosu, who was being dragged along with me,
call, "Be careful of your foot."

Out of doors it was very dark. The building to which they took us
was lighted up as we came to it. I only remember the American
flag flying above it because it caught the light from a window in
the wing. We were rushed into a large room that we found opened
on a large hall with stone cells on each side. They were
perfectly dark. Punishment cells is what they call them. Mine was
filthy. It had no window save a slip at the top and no furniture
but an iron bed covered with a thin straw pad, and an open toilet
flushed from outside the cell . . . .

In the hall outside was a man called Captain Reems. He had on a
uniform and was brandishing a thick stick and shouting as we were
shoved into the corridor, "Damn you, get in here."

I saw Dorothy Day brought in. She is a frail girl. The two men
handling her were twisting her arms above her head. Then suddenly
they lifted her up and banged her down over the arm of an ironbench-twice."
From Jailed for Freedom by Doris Stevens

After receiveing an email today, I decided that on my lunch I would look into this as I didnt believe it could have happened here to women from powerful families (imagine the uproar if the LA Jail had even broken one of Ms. Hilton's fingernails!)! This did not happen in some russian country nor a backwards middle eatern place. This happened in the USA in 1917 to women who did nothing but stand outside the White House and hold signs asking to be allowed to vote. This was the worst but these women, a Vice Presidents; daughter, diplomats daughters and wives, women from weathly families, were subjected to this after being arrested (Sometimes with no law under which they were arrested) were starved, given wormy conmeal to eat, allowed to be ebaten by mobs while cops watched, etc..

As the current events (the election, the coverage of a woman being a VP candidate and shouldnt her place be at home raising her children) unfold on the news, I found it interesteing that I had never heard of this event. We werent taught in my school that this happened. Nobody ever mentioned that we did this to women nor have I seen this brought up presently when speaking about Palin and how she cant possibly be a mother and a VP (they told suffrages to go hom and have babies as well). The government seems to not want to tell us things that we may not like!

Much like the bill that was passed last year that paid off FHA loans by the government and allowed banks to reap the profits. Also the legislation that was passed that allowed people who own half million dollar houses to be bailed out of their mortgages. And now today, the House may vote to approve a bill that from what I have read and heard on teh radio, in the newspaper, etc.. the American people have told their Senators and Congressman that they dont want. The Senate already did it! What ever happen to "government of the people, by the people, for the people?" Is that only SOME People? Maybe we do need this Bill, maybe it is a good thing to teach our children to overindulge adn the government will bail you out. But is we do need it, why isnt it being explained? Why does it include decreasing a tax on Puerto Rican rum for goods sake? Arent these people supposed to be representing their constuents in Washington? If 85% of American are saying dont approve this bill in this manner (and yes I acknowledge that surveys can be scewed), why isnt Washington trying to explain it to us so that more will buy off on it? Do they believe that we are too stupid to understand? Or that we will just get in the way if they tell us? What ever happened to democracy?