Well, the congressional hearing on federalization of our local immigration is taking place today. Are any of you bloggers going? I was planning to go, but I think I've decided not to. Last week I got in touch with Jayvee, my editor at the Tribune, to see if he could get a "press pass" for me. Apparently, there are no press passes, nor a designated section for the press. We would just have to fight with the throngs for a seat, and I expect there will the throngs. (I just realized that "throngs" and "thongs" are almost the same word. Here's a Middle Road question for you: "Do you expect there will be thongs at the hearing?" Sorry to even put that image into your head.)
Instead of a press pass, I thought about going anyway, and wearing my NMIFA soccer ID around my neck, and carrying myself like I belonged in the front row. That kind of stuff always works for me.
But, ultimately, I think I decided that I've already heard all the points of view on this. And I don't want to hear them again. Some of them churn my stomach. Plus, I don't like to be in places that require a lot of security. I don't' worry about the threats. I worry about the security guys walking around with those M16's, looking a little unsure about what to do other than just spray. It was pretty freaky after 9/11, driving up the airport here in Saipan, seeing these guys in full combat gear, walking around with their machine guns. I actually asked one of them, "Is that a real gun?".
So, anyone going?
7 comments:
Want to join the bank robbing crew instead?
Sure. Let's start with Gringotts. (I'm reading book 1!)
Hi David,
I just got back from attending the Congressional sub-committee hearing. I got there about an hour early to get a good seat, only to have one of the congressional staffers kick us all out and tell us that only witnesses were allowed to be in the room until right before the hearing. Then I noticed a bunch of the reporters going in, so I got in line behind them. The guard tried stopping me telling me I couldn't go in yet. I asked him if that meant I was no longer considered a member of the press. Needless to say they let me in.
I have a lot to say about it, and will be talking about it in Food For Thought. I don't think I'm going to blog about it though, the nudibranchs don't like sharing the spotlight with politicians.
Harry, I look forward to "Food for Thought". I hope you'll comment on the machine gun to pen ratio.
i like the idea of you wearing you NMIFA soccer Id around your neck to try and get in! heh
Then I guess I had better not ruin one of the plot lines from book 7 concerning Gringotts.
Harry, will you publish your findings on your 'food for thought' web page?
The brash walk and a flashed something-or-other ID works like a charm most of the time. Striking up a conversation with a legitimate invitee also helps the cause.
In this case with total seating for maybe 35 people the odds are not good that you would have had a spot, David.
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