March 23, 2008: A Symbionese Easter

By a strange confluence of events, I was working yesterday on the portion of my new memoir book (to be published next year by Encounter) concerning the Symbionese Liberation Army when I heard the news of Sara Jane Olson's rearrest. I didn't know Sara Jane, but I did know her cohorts in the SLA, Bill and Emily Harris, the kidnappers of Patty Hearst. Many years ago I was almost hired to turn their life story into a movie - whatever that would have been - when the film's putative director - Milos Forman - couldn't enter the jail with me to talk with the Harrises. Milos was stateless then and was, justifiably, afraid any association with the Harrises would jeopardize his citizenship. There is more to the story than than, of course, but you will have to wait for the book. Those events had seemed so far away when I was writing them - only to see Sara Jane's name popping up on my computer screen. This means nothing, other than idle chance, of course, but it was an odd resurrection of another sort for Easter.

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Reading the story at first glance it occurred to me that there may have been another clerical error concerning Sara Jane Olson.

How did this woman 'turned-housewife' scape the Bill Clinton pardon clearing house?

Well, reading on there it was. Sara had been a fugitive for decades and was finally first arrested in 1999, only after Bill had been out of office.

It's like she had a winning lotto ticket and never cashed it.

A victim of bad timing. It's just sad ;)

Posted by: Lem at March 23, 2008 7:44 AM

Wait a minute, my mistake, lets go back, Clinton was in office in 1999.

I know what happened, the slow wheels of justice hardly moving. Sara was probably tried and sentenced only after Bill had left office.

So you see, Bill can not be blamed for that oversight, his legacy still safe ;)

Posted by: Lem at March 23, 2008 7:58 AM

I didn't know you knew them. I knew one of the SLA members, too, because I accidentally hired him to work in my house -- he was a wood floor guy -- six years ago just before he was arrested. Mike Bortin. I should have googled him first.

Posted by: Michael J. Totten at March 23, 2008 9:57 AM

I'm looking forward to the book, by the way. I will read it at once when it is published.

Posted by: Michael J. Totten at March 23, 2008 9:57 AM

Yeah I'm looking forward to reading it also, in part because you will probably address a number of questions I've had about it that the MSM took a powder on. It might've been the most stereotypical 70s event possible.

Posted by: Captain Hate at March 23, 2008 10:51 AM

Roger, maybe you can tell me,'cause I've been wondering for a while - was Symbion ever liberated? And from whom?

Posted by: Eric Akawie at March 23, 2008 1:56 PM

As I sit here passing time before I leave for my Episcopalian in laws for an Easter Honey Baked Ham, I pondered whether or not there is a novel sitting out there.

Something along the lines of SLA meets Code Pink meets Weather Underground meets Manson Family. I think there's a story there but just not sure how to put it together. Roger can you help. I have two of those in laws who can write screenplays but can't sell them. Would you help??

I'll definitely read what you have to write. I remember coming back in 1975 after living in Germany for eight years and remember all the havoc they, SLA, caused.

Oh, add the Baader Meinhof group to the meets. Man, there were a lot of crazies out there in the late '60's and '70's.

Posted by: promoguy at March 23, 2008 2:56 PM

Eric, I think Symbion is a Silicon Valley startup, you know, the one with the revolutionary new software.

Posted by: Gary Rosen at March 23, 2008 7:26 PM

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