Economic Discrimination?

The Press-Citizen guest opinion today has an interesting view of civil rights theory. Apparently, the author decided he wanted to see one of Riverside's performances for free:

"I thought to myself, there are no boundaries, and we are students -- we're not going to pay for something that can be seen from outside -- and isn't this a public park?"

Of course, it is a public park, there's nothing physically stopping him. At some point, the city could decide to build a fence around the theater to keep people from standing around and catching a free show, but all you need at this point is enough chutzpah to stand there and watch. I'm not sure what being a student has to do with anything but the author's attitude.

Regardless, while he was standing around an usher came over to see if he wanted information on the play:

"Do you need any information about the play?" No, I said -- well, actually I said "Uh, sure" without continuing eye contact. I could feel myself getting angry. He turned to my wife and showed the brochure, how we could get tickets and then opened up the brochure so that we could see the ticket prices.

This apparently upset him:

I realized then that I hadn't seen the barrier correctly -- the barrier wasn't a cord -- that was just a show; the barrier was shame. It was effective, too. . . .

I realized then that . . . we had ended up paying for the bit of the show we saw, but we'd paid not with cash, but the tatters of our dignity. . . .

I wanted to drive back and honk my horn to prove I could -- to disturb their $28 public exercise in economic segregation. I decided to go home to the expensive air conditioning necessary to be where my dignity was intact (being a poor husband from a middle class family). Inside was where I belonged on this night. I wouldn't want to shame my wife by accidently crossing an unseen barrier again -- at least not for tonight. For tonight it was enough that I was reminded that I live in a city of segregation, and that I am on the outside.

So all performances should be free, charging admission is just an insidious form of economic segregation against poor students. In that case, would someone please inform the costumers, the copyright people, and all those retail stores where theaters have to purchase props, curtains, set materials, chairs, and the concessions?

Or we could just raise taxes and have the city pay for the whole thing. . .