Doubleplusgood Activism

For several weeks now there have been flyers on bulletin boards in buildings on campus reading things like “AMERICAN VALUES. Invading Iraq: $185,000,000,000. Funeral Costs for 543 American Soldiers: $581,000. Capturing Saddam: priceless. Some things money can’t buy. That’s why we use bombs.” This is the work of some students who are setting a sterling example of paying heed to Big Brother by forming the UC Davis chapter of the Students for an Orwellian Society. The motto of this society is “Because 2004 is twenty years too late.”

Along these lines, a few people are encouraging public readings of 1984 on April 4, 2004, which is the 20th anniversary of the opening date of the novel. When asked Why read 1984? they answer Because we still can.