Maria, Jenny, and I had decided to make a stand! The war was unjust! So we paraded up to the dean’s office with fifteen or so other people and joined the sit-in. We three were the youngest, the only freshmen, but we felt just as strongly as the older people!
In high school, we were known as the TTs, “the Terrific Trio” to those who were friends and “the Terrible Trio” to those who envied us, and there were plenty of both. We were the top students in our class and maybe the best the school had seen in the last ten years. We were good. We knew it, and we wanted to make a difference in the world. So, during the summer, we had decided the following:
Over the summer, the dark clouds of war had been brewing. We saw them and decided that this was something so important to the world that we should do something it. We started school. Last week, Jenny met Billy, and Billy was part of the college antiwar group.
When we got to the dean’s office, Billy, who was becoming Jenny’s boyfriend, and was a poli-sci major, told us, “It’s pretty crowded inside. You can sit out here and get arrested, too.”
“Arrested!” I said. “Does it hurt?”
“No, this is a peaceful demonstration. Everyone is very nice and polite on both sides. Getting arrested is just a way to show you’re serious.”
Then he took Jenny inside. It felt kind of strange, but we sat down in the hall. A couple minutes later, some coeds came out of the dean’s office and sat down with us.
“It’s hot in there!” one said as she fanned herself. “Oh, and I’m Shirley.”
We introduced ourselves, and pretty soon, we felt like we are a part of the whole group. We met Jimmy, a photographer, and there were lots of people moving in and out—protesters, school photographers, school reporters, students, professors, and administrative people.
Sure enough, a security person came along with some short, bald-headed, four-eyed dean and warned us that we would be arrested if we didn’t leave. They were polite, and we were polite; however, we didn’t leave. Thirty minutes later, they came back with more security people, and some of those had handfuls of cable ties. They warned us once again, and some of the people we were with said, “bye,” and left. The photographers and reporters stayed but kept out of the way. And some of us just stayed—we were here to get arrested for our cause!
A fat, old black lady in a school security uniform came up to me with a handful of cable ties and said, “Okay, if that’s the way you want it, sugar. I’m arresting you. Please put your hands behind you.”
“My hands behind me? Like on the cop TV shows?”
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As she was getting handcuffed, an Administrator guy was reading us our rights... this really was just like on TV! |
“Do you want to get arrested or not?” she asked impatiently like I was buying a ticket from her and others were waiting their turn.
I looked around. Strangely, no was looking at me or her, so I swung my arms behind me and raised them up so she could reach. I felt the plastic circle one wrist, and then another piece circled the other. When the second one tightened, my wrists were locked together. I had my hands tied behind me! It was a strange sensation! I hadn’t expected it to feel this strange! Sure enough, Jimmy, who was a junior and on the school paper’s staff, was taking pictures of the arrest happening. It was kind of silly; however, I was giving him a big grin as I was getting tied, and he snapped several shots. I wiggled my shoulders to see how this felt. I quickly found that if I twisted too hard, the plastic bit into my skin, which was not good. Worse, my bra strap slipped off my shoulder! I nearly dislocated my other shoulder before I remembered I couldn’t bring my hands forward. Still worse, that stupid Jimmy got another shot of me! He smiled at me and said I looked just fine. The fat security lady came by and slipped my strap back where it belonged. Yeah, these people were okay.
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so I swung my arms behind me and raised them up so she could reach. I felt the plastic circle one wrist, then another piece circle the other.... |
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When the second one tightened, my wrists were locked together, and I had my hands tied behind me! It was a strange sensation! I hadn't expected it to feel this strange! |
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I quickly found that if I twisted too hard, the plastic bit into my skin, not good. Worse, my bra strap slipped off my shoulder! |
As serious as this was and as silly as I felt, I couldn’t stop smiling. I guess I was feeling good about doing my part, but maybe I was just really scared and tied up at the same time.
Maria was next, and thank goodness Jimmy started shooting pictures of her instead of me. As she was getting handcuffed, an administrator was reading us our rights. This really was just like on TV! It was certainly spooky, but in a very polite way! I saw Maria had a big grin, too.
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Jenny was lead out of the office, and the fat lady handcuffed her, too. |
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Jenny and Marci sat beside each other, and at one point they posed for Jimmy... both grinning like they had eaten a canary... it looked like a nice shot. |
Jenny was lead out of the office, and the fat lady handcuffed her, too. There were now six or seven of us handcuffed, all the women. Some of us had signs taped to our chests, ones saying, “Stop the War!” but Jenny, Maria, and I hadn’t planned that far ahead. The security people had us sit in a line in the hall. Jenny and Maria sat beside each other, and at one point, they posed for Jimmy, both grinning like they had eaten a canary. It looked like a nice shot.
Once we were all cuffed, the security people lead us away to get booked and bailed. I thought that was going to be about the end of our unusual experience. Boy was I wrong!
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The security people had us sit in a line in the hall. |
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Once we were all cuffed, the security people lead us away to get booked and bailed. I thought that was going to be about the end of our unusual experience. Boy was I wrong! |