Dear Abby: What is Authoritarianism?

There's something to be said for reading newspapers, as opposed to only online news. Under a news story we saved, this paragraph from a Dear Abby column:

"""Dear Abby: At my school, a period of time is dedicated to discussing world events. My teacher, "Mrs. Jones," has often shared her opinions about world events and our government with us. She has very strong opinions and usually gets upset when anyone disagrees with her. One day when she was talking, I told her I did not agree with her opinion and got detention for it. I understand that I shouldn't be rude to teachers, but I believe that my comment was respectful. Was I out of line?
UNCERTAIN
IN FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J.

Dear Uncertain: If the comment was disruptive, it may have been. It would have been more diplomatic had you voiced your disagreement after the class was over."

(The column byline is Jeanne Phillips, and is distributed by Universal Press Syndicate. This item appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on January 29, p. E10.)

After reading Dale Maharidge's excellent book, Homeland, which among other things chronicled the ease with which Americans after 9-11 were eager to give up First Amendment rights, to punish dissenters or even those who asked questions, this item is a little indicator that things really don't change much.

We posted this on daily kos and the reaction was interestingly tepid. We wonder if that's because the politics of the teacher aren't revealed. Some commented they got detention for similar questioning. Of course, all the Dash brothers were in constant trouble for this, especially in high school, but we do recall a few teachers who encouraged us to think for ourselves, and to engage. Anyway, the irony of having world affairs "discussion" in which actual discussion is punished was obvious to us, though surprisingly not to everyone. Theron's thought: Apparently the nuns have taken over the world.