But wait - there are rainbows.

I lived through the seventies, and once ought to be enough for anyone.  The permanent déjà vu that set in with Al Gore's defeat in 2000 is maddening, because I know what will happen next.  The story I linked yesterday [University's praise for 1969 violence sets ugly precedent],  about the University of Minnesota President who turned tail when confronted by that era's mobilized mob, is repeated again, almost daily.  About two days into the Duke lacrosse team rape accusation, by a black stripper, it was apparent to everybody -  who wasn't the Durham District Attorney- that the girl was a liar, and the boys innocent.  Facts that expose the trollop, and her politically, and racially motivated cheer leaders, continue in a cascade that shows no sign of abating.  Enter stage left - the Black Panthers.  WTF?  Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead, who has made all the right moves so far - if acting cowardly and injudiciously  is the goal - acquiesced to this interference after being assured, by the Panthers, that  they ''will not have guns.''  Oh yippee.  What he should have done is tell them, ''you have no business here; don't bother.'' As an aside, my single remembrance of a college educator taking a principled stand during the seventies takeover of our colleges,  was Joe McMurray, then president of Queens College.  When a gaggle of  hippie freaks  descended on him during  his morning stroll,  demanding this-and-that, he beat them about the head with his walking cane, and that was that on the QC campus..  Where  is the bronze statue to Joseph P McMurray? I more or less went over the brink this week with news that the California legislature endorsed the May Day insurrection by, and for, illegal Hispanic aliens.  Florence King's apothegm, ''There's no national glue holding us together because somebody put too much pluribus in the unum.'' came immediately to mind. I know what I personally would like to see happen, but it's a selfish indulgence, and the people really behind these demonstrations would like nothing better than a massacre at the hands of the military. Our failure - and by ''our,'' I mean the vast majority who suffered outrage, if not in silence, then by sitting on fat asses - our failure in the seventies was not confronting militants in the streets.   There is, however,  much to be encouraged about this go-around.  Groups like Protest Warriors, and  Freepers physically confront lefty protestors at every turn.  The inchoate   Minutemen  movement.  may well become the template by which we save our union. Band together, take a legally principled stand, tell  elected officials - if you won't enforce the law,then we will, and then do it.  I love all those guys.