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applesanity.com > fetish > symbionese > the why

This case is over thirty years old. Why am I so obsessed with it? Why do I own newspapers and magazines published about this case, from the time of this case? Why would I obtain the FBI files of this case? Who the fuck cares?

Because the Symbionese Liberation Army and the kidnapping of Patricia Campbell Hearst, otherwise known as Patty Hearst or Tania, taps deep into the roots of the American Psyhe.

The Symbionese Liberation Army is the logical conclusion of the radical 60's. Patty Hearst is the best illustration of teenage rebellion; her parents, what money and connections can get you.

As this page is still under construction, wait for the formal arguments and citations. I just want to get my opinions out for now.

(Under Construction)

What it Means to Have Rich Parents

She commited several acts of armed robbery. She conspired to overthrow the government. That's not quite treason, but it's pretty close.

And yet, she served only three years of prison time.

As soon as she was arrested, her parents hired for her a team of shrinks and one high-powered, overpriced lawyer. All of this after she went on record describing her folks as 'fascists' and 'capitalist pigs.' Oh mommy dearest, your love is so unconditional.

What it Means to Have Connections

Her old man was Rudolph A. Hearst. Her old man owned the Hearst Communications Corporations. Her old man had sway. Just think for second what that means.

As soon as Patricia Campbell Hearst was kidnapped, he used all his influences to bring her back.

When you own lots of newspapers, you get to meet lots of people. They do what you say because you can commit all sorts of libel and nobody can stop you.

The San Francisco Chronicle became one giant 'missing poster.'

Think about it - on the day that the Los Angeles police raided the S.L.A. safehouse, everybody was fully away that Patty Hearst was NOT there. She was busy robbing Mel's Sporting Goods the day before, in San Francisco. Chance of her dying in the crossfire of L.A. police guns: absolutely zero.

That's right: L.A. police went after the S.L.A. only after they knew she would not be harmed. I'd say that having the ability to dictate police activity is quite some sway.

And after she got arrested, old man Hearst used all of his influence to get her free. Despite a jury convicting her, despite the judge sentencing her to 8 years, Jimmy Carter commutes her sentence. I wish my parents were rich, white, and owned a bunch of newspapers.

Even though our founding fathers were against titles and lordships, we Americans are fully aware that there exists within our borders, a very select group of people who exist beyond the borders of laws and regulations that the rest of us have to abide by. They are the Kennedys, the Bush's, the Vanderbilts, and the Hearst's. They are the American Nobility.

What it Means to Have A Media Frenzy

This case was high-profile. There have been high-profile kidnappings before, like that pilot's baby. But this was different. This was the first true media frenzy. This media frenzy established the protocol for all media frenzies to come. Camp outside the house of the victim. Flood the public with images, saturate every orifice with sound bites.

Then, why was this case so different? Why did it warrent a treatment that had never been done before. The hell if I know. Give me more time.

What it Means to Get Away With Armed Robbery

Patty Hearst helped to rob a bank. With an assault rifle. And apparently, under no duress. Even if somebody was forcing her to do shit, she was holding a gun - guns make for good bargaining chips.

Her lawyer and her team of shrinks claimed brainwashing.

So what is it? At one end of the spectrum, you got brainwashing, force, or blackmail. Then, you have a bit of Stockholm Syndrome. And at the other end, you have some old fashioned teenage rebellion paired with rich white guilt.

It all looks like teenage rebellion to me. She was rich, white and attended University of California at Berkeley. Berkeley! You have got to be a moron, in order not to know the politics at Berkeley. After the September 11th attacks, some protestors burnt down a newspaper office that had an American Flag displayed prominently in their front window - it was some offensive 'jingoism,' apparently.

Patricia Campbell Hearst was engaged to her high-school math teacher, Steven Weed (heh, heh, weed) who was himself a 60's radical. Needless to say, her rich parents were very much so against her engagement.

Her entire life, she lived a rich, white, and sheltered life. Suddenly, she gets kidnapped by a bunch of hooligans on a mission of perceived greater good. They were going to steal from the rich and give to the poor. They were telling her that she was part of an evil corporate fascist regime - the Hearsts.

I say, she ate that shit up. How romantic.

We see this shit all the time. Patty Hearst is not unique in this sense. On college campuses everywhere, we witness protestors getting into all sorts of trouble. Most of these protestors come from rich white families. Damn straight.

What it Means to be Alive During 1974

The question begged now is, can you blame her for taking up the cause? Although I hate hippies, I just don't know. If she and the Symbionese Liberation Army did what they did last week, then, let's crucify those assholes. But they did what they did in 1974. Does the timing change anything? Hell yes.

In order to understand 1974, I had to read newspapers from 1974. And the overwhelming sentiment was pity. Seriously. There was no newspaper that denounced Patty Hearst. Perhaps it was because the Hearsts were newspapers. I don't know.

What is perhaps more plausible was that the early part of the 1970's was the time of the logical conclusion of the radical 60's.

The 60's were a time of protesting. LOTS of hippies. New ideas in gender roles, a war in a faraway place that killed almost 60,000 Americans, a war that seemed to have no relevancy, an economy in shitty shape, civil rights...

Unfortunately, the 60's was all about protesting. All talk and no action. The burnouts were starting to realize that all their protesting achieved nothing. If people weren't going going to listen, they would have to be forced to listen, or be removed from positions where they wouldn't matter to anyone anymore.

Down in Lating America, radicals were hearing of this guy named Che Guevara. He was not a talker. He was a doer. He was a revolutionary. His face looked good on red t-shirts.

It was time to take matters into their own hands. Like the 'Weathermen,' the Symbionese Liberation Army was the logical conclusion of the Radical 60's Instead of waging futile protests, wage war. Actions speak louder.

You can't just read old clippings of Patty Hearst. You have to pick up the entire newspaper. This story had to compete daily with the likes of a bad economy, some Middle East Crisis, and one very large Nixon tax evasion scandel.

It seemed like the government was failing the people. And if the government fails you, it's time to do something about it.

1974 was a very different time. We nowadays may distrust Bush and all, but people back then had a deep, deep mistrust in their government. They had more reasons for distrust than us, and their reasons were better.

Patty Hearst evaded capture for so long only because she could find a safehouse in any college town she went to. Everyone was sympathetic to her cause. At one point, her fiancee was on her side too. She may have just been a rich white guilt-ridden young woman full of rebellion, but she had good cause.

Actually, I'll go one further. I'm going to show you that Patricia Campell Hearst was just opportunistic. The S.L.A. was Patty Hearst's chance to fuck shit up, to establish some individuality, to piss off dear old daddy.

Written by Dinah Cheshire
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