Sami Al-Arian was a tenured professor at the University of South Florida. His family immigrated to the US after the 1948 expulsion of Palestinians from Israel. Al-Arian was 17 years old when he began his life in the United States. During his adult life, he remained concerned about the fate of Palestinians and was an activist on behalf of his homeland. Using the Patriot Act, the US government listed many foundations, activist organizations and nonprofits working on behalf of Palestinians as terrorist organizations. The government then used Al-Arian’s association with some of these groups as the basis for prosecuting him. And though he was found not guilty by a jury, the judge in the case took the unusual step of overriding the jury’s decision and keeping him in prison. His and his family’s story is recounted in USA vs. Al-Arian by Line Halvorsen.

Steve Kurtz awoke to find his wife of 20 years, Hope, dead beside him. He called an ambulance in an attempt to save her, but when the paramedics arrived, they saw scientific implements that worried them. Not understanding what they were seeing or why it would be in a private home, they called in the haz mat team and FBI to investigate potential bioterrorism. Kurtz is, in fact, an artist whose work examines genetically modified foods and demystifying germ warfare. His work has been exhibited at venerated institutions such as Mass MoCA and the Corcoran Gallery in DC. And while all evidence points to Kurtz’ using benign materials, and being trained and supervised by respected geneticists, prosecutors are pursuing prosecuting Kurtz for criminal mail fraud–an unprecedented legal action with far-reaching implication should they succeed. His case has not yet gone to trail. He is a professor at SUNY Buffalo, and his story is recounted in Strange Culture by Lynn Hershman Leeson.

I felt it rolling around in my brain yesterday when I was writing the Mavericks post. While all of these stories deal with free speech - the ability to say what one believes, whether she is a left-leaning musician or a conservative radio talk show host, without having to worry about personal safety. But what is so striking is the level of violence the so-called American conservatives levy against those they disagree with. While we’ve never really been a country to solve our problems without violence, it still surprises me that the root of democracy - dialogue - seems like a path of last resort to so many.

Shut Up & Sing by Barbara Kopple
It’s 2003 and war is about to be unleashed on the people of Iraq. The Dixie Chicks step out onto a London stage launching their “Top of the World” tour. Front woman Natalie Maines quips to the British audience that she’s embarrassed President Bush is from her home state of Texas to cheers and applause. The British press report her comment which is picked up by the American news, and the careers and lives of these three strong, talented women become targets for pro-war Americans who react by trashing their CDs and worse in protest.

An Unreasonable Man by Henriette Mantel and Steve Skrovan
The life and times of one public advocate turned independent politician Ralph Nader. Perhaps you know the story, but perhaps you don’t. Check out the film.

The Fire Next Time by Patrice O’Neill
This is the third leg of my Trifecta that occurred to me after I wrote yesterday’s post. In the small Montana town of Kalispell, environmental activism sparks antagonists to target citizens and whose passions are further inflamed by a radio shock-jock inciting serious danger. O’Neill made two films about the “Not in Our Town” movement that began as a reaction to hate crimes; it is a movement that encourages dialogue and reconciliation, but when O’Neill and The Working Group arrive in Kalispell, they are unprepared for the level of hate and fear that exists there.

I’d also like to supplement this Trifecta with POV Borders: American ID. Borders is an online project of POV that uses video and forums to engage audiences online about given topics. This Trifecta is about the internal culture of America - how we deal with one another and how our actions effect each other. American ID asks non-Americans, “how do you see the US?” Answers are at once conceivable and surprising.