Merrimack College CM 401A "The Sixties"

Hi all;

(BTW, this looks alot better on the blog than it does in the e-mail HTML)

Since I try to continually add more to your education dollar, I'm putting out this special DNC Summer Supplement. 

We spent a great deal of time discussing the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention.  If you recall the Haskell Wexler movie, Medium Cool, you might be able to recapture some of that by taking a walk downtown.  It's not as hard as it sounds.  Get to a T station, like Riverside near 128 and hop on a trolley to Park Street.  It's worth it.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and let's face it, you know more about recent politics and protest than most of your peers.

One part of getting an education is passing it on to others.  SO I feel you have a bit of an abligation to go in!

 
Here's a quick travelog I pulled together describing my trip in town. 

Speed bump
 

The first thing I noticed was a rubberized speed bump separating the high=speed lane from the others, stretching from just north of Anderson RTC to Boston.  This starts about 3 miles north of rt .128.  The barrier begins before Anderson RTC, so it is not there to allow quick access to Boston for commuters.  I’m wondering if it’s for easy access from Hanscom Air Force Base.  If anyone is familiar with Bedford’s back roads maybe you can help me out with this one. Usually civic planning has a simple idea in mind, and this one doesn’t seem to benefit the average commuter.  HelicoptersAfter finding a free parking spot alongside MIT on the Cambridge side of the Charles, it’s a quick walk over the Longfellow Bridge, “Salt and Pepper-shaker Bridge”, into town.  That’s when you notice the helicopters.  I saw at least four, hovering on station, covering the entire North Station area.  With the exception of an orange Coast Guard Kiowa, they did not appear to be military, so I’d assume they were from various police services.  We cut a trail through the Massachusetts General Hospital as a more direct and air-conditioned route to the Fleet Center.  The rest rooms and coffee shops are also helpful.  This brought us out to Hawthorne Place,  just past MGH, where the sign saying “If you lived here, you’d be home by now” is located.  This is an up-scale little village, with shops and surgeons, in their Seersucker shorts, having a quiet Sunday B-B-Q.   The traffic sounds are completely gone at this point, though it’s less than 500 feet from the most congested rotary in all of the Commonwealth.   An eccentric older lady was taking a stroll with the most elaborate baby carriage I’ve ever seen.  It had multiple and redundant shock absorbers, a larger flatter layout than I’ve ever seen before, and a heavy duty black netting that also blocked sunlight from the inside.  Inside, the “baby” darted up and around the pram like a demon child, revealing not a kid, nor a dog, but an hairless cat, like Dr. Evil’s from Austin Powers.   Another minute puts you at the Green Line elevated trolley.  The National Guard, in full cammo, were posted, about 50 meters apart along the entire visible length.

  

Double layer 8’ high steel mesh, some asphalted down completely surround the Fleet Center and Tip O’Neill buildings.  There were multiple guarded entrances for  press, police, and delegates.  At key locations, there were “drawbridges” staffed by three troopers, with full body armor, that would allow quick access to vehicles in and out of perimeter.

 

Mobile barriers, dump trucks  

These beasts are at key intersections, fully loaded with sand.  The man in hat leading the first truck is uniformed Secret Service.  I saw BPD, Staties, Environmental Police, Park Rangers, MBTA Police, Boston Housing Police, Capital Police and National Guard.  Swat teams on Curley Bldg.

 

This phalanx of Tactical Police was just beginning to form as I got there.  They had color-coded helmet tape to facilitate various unit formations and maneuvers. 

Welcome to the DNC 2004!

 

This is one of the front doors to Fleet Center.  This point is about 100 meters from the building itself.  

 
 I didn’t realize I was in the Free Speech Zone at first.  It is in a very out of the way spot.  Since I’m used to the Big Dig work-arounds that lead foot-traffic around and through various construction debris, I assumed I was just in a transitional area, as I had been over the years of the construction.  It was stark, dark and empty.  There was standing water, and it’s also covered by the last section of  old rt 93 still standing.  Coincidence? None of the organized groups will use it.  They refuse to recognize it’s legitimacy.  It would be the perfect place to “get away” from a crowd, except for the standing water.  As far as a viable forum for dissent, it just plain stinks.  But It’s sure safe!

 
 

From here protesters and news media have a great view of each other.  This is a Worm’s Eye View of the MSNBC rooftop site from within Free Speech Zone. 

 

Canal Street is right across from the Convention.  It’s a decent size street, would be easy to control, and is in plain site of any convention attendees.  It would have been a much better choice.

 

“Uh, Oh! I think we goofed”

 
 

As we walked on, we passed by the front of the building hosting MSNBC. And inadvertently sneaking past security.   The street was filled with media limo’s, Fed Ex trucks, Verizon cable utility trucks and about 20 cops and firemen, many eating, YES!, donuts. We just kept following the crowd and got a really good view of the Fleet Center. After taking a few pictures, I made some light conversation with a cop, who was quite pleasant while informing me how much danger I was in by NOT having any ID badges.  He, very politely and light-heartedly led, me out side a flexible barrier and wished me a nice day. These guys were probably nice, too, but never got to talk to them.


 

I did NOT take this picture, it came from Yahoo news, but was about 100 feet from where I was at that moment. 

“Ladder-al” thinking from BFD

 
  

This was my last picture from “inside the Soft Zone”.  That’s the name for the less-stringent but secure area.  The Hard Zone is inside the steel mesh.  I was quite impressed by the ingenuity involved here.  The ladders would make it tough for vans to get through, also the guys with scoped rifles could have custom vantage points if needed. After the main convention site, we decided to hike over to the Boston Common.  Since I went to Grad School on Beacon Hill, I know the area well, and we made our way past Louisburg Square, where John Kerry lives.   Those who know me, know my favorite movie is the original Thomas Crown Affair, Dunaway, McQueen, not the dreadful one. As we passed the house used in the movie, a neighbor of the actual owner was stepping out to see what was happening on Chestnut Street.  She was almost friendly and was complaining that it looked like Kerry was back in town.  At that moment he was supposedly headed to Florida for late pre-convention politicking.  Anyhow, here’s how Louisburg (not Lou-EEE-burg, as my matronly guide quickly corrected me) Square looks when the candidate is home.  The little guys in blue blazers kept talking to their watches.



Secret Service guys

 

  

The Common is block away.  Most of the protesters have begun to gather here instead of the above-mentioned Free Speech Zone. 

 

Mission Accomplished!

One interesting booth sold George Bush inflatable “Pinnoccio” dolls.  It was kind of fun to see a counter culture vendor in straw hat and American Flag apron selling one to a Capitalist in his Brooks Brothers Summer Weight Blazer.

 

  


This was a bit disturbing, but obviously necessary these days, a Scout on the dome of the State house.

  
    

 
Just as we were leaving we ran into one of my idols. 



 "The Raging Cajun", Mr. James Carville!  He was popping out of a store, and I said hi and shook his hand.  He smiled, but would have preferred his anonymity.  Well, that's too bad, James!  Price of celebrity.  Love you dearly, but odds are I won't get another chance to shake the hand of a man that shook the hands of presidents and prime ministers too often.

Celebrity is a strange mindset.  I'm not a "fan" usually.  I've seen plenty of famous people, including John Kerry at a CSNY concert, also at the Fleet Center, actually sat two rows behind him.  But I left Kerry and Teresa alone.  I met Steven Tyler and Aerosmith back stage, and almost asked him to take my picture with my friend, but that would have been bad!  So why did I bug poor Carville?  Guess I must be a political junkie!

 
(BTW, this looks alot better on the blog than it does in the e-mail HTML)


So, here’s how I’m spending my summer vacation.  I’ll be interested to see if anyone responds. See some of you in September. JP