A 15-year-old boy in Prosser, Washington drew some unflattering pictures of George W. Bush. One of them depicted Bush as a devil launching a missile. His teacher told school officials, who called the police, who called in the Secret Service. The good news is that the boy wasn't hauled off by the Secret Service. The bad news (aside from your tax dollars going down the drain again) is that the boy was undoubtedly traumatized, and the school took disciplinary action, although exactly what action they took is unknown at this time.

Drawing the alleged president of the United States in any kind of costume is neither dangerous nor against the law. At least it wasn't against the law back when we paid attention to the Constitution. Art (recall Laura Bush's inadvertent launching of Poets Against the War) and education are always the first institutions to be attacked by a repressive regime, and this repressive government has proven to be no different than others.

Under our new Alice in Wonderland regulations, an adolescent boy is not allowed to draw a picture of what he considers evil. However, parents are allowed--and encouraged--to tell their children the following lies:

Iraq was behind the September 11 tragedy.

The president is an honest, moral man.

You must always respect whoever is in authority, no matter what s/he does.

People in America are free, and the young people being killed in Iraq are dying for our freedom.

The invasion of Iraq will prevent further terrorist attacks on our country.

The administration is fighting the war on terror.

Telling outrageous lies to children is in. Looking at the truth (any fool who bothers to check Bush's record when he was governor of Texas or the history of the relationship between the Bush family and Saudi Arabia can grasp the truth for all of its ugliness) is out. What a country.