Police harassment of non-violent protest groups-- before the protest

[nancylebov]

http://pecunium.livejournal.com/333085.html?nc=32

What bothers me started with news coverage of the Democratic Convention. Feature stories about people sleeping in, “the Freedom Cage.” That nomenclature was appalling. When I found out that was a sardonic renaming by those making use of it I wasn’t much happier, because the idea of a “free speech zone” is anathema to me.

I am an american citizen. In the boundaries of the United States there is no public place where I cannot speak my mind on matters political.

The D's made protest unfeasible....The R's went farther.

Comments

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

Land. Of. The. Free.
Home. Of. The. Brave.

I've been trying to adapt that old Soviet joke about 2+2, but it always seems to go awry on me.

Under Reagan, 2+2=6.
Under the first Bush, 2+2=6.
Under Clinton, 2+2=5.
Under the second Bush, 2+2=PONIES.

Okay, I can't really see any progress.

[twistedchick]

The R's will *always* go further.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Is there any reason to think that's an intrinsic principle rather than a longterm pattern?

[sylvar.livejournal.com]

I've submitted this to OhBoyObama, the unofficial, grassroots think tank for the Obama campaign.

http://www.ohboyobama.com/Policy/Stand-up-against-preemptive-police-raids-in-Minneapolis

[madfilkentist]

This sort of thing happens because so many people accept it without complaining. In the Boston subways, there are random searches of people's possessions, under a Democratic governor and legislature. This doesn't do anything to stop terrorists, but we're told that the 0.1% chance of encountering a checkpoint will deter terrorists because it's "unpredictable" and thus disrupt the terrorists' nice, orderly world. I was working in Massachusetts in 2004, when the Democratic convention massively disrupted activity in the vicinity of North Station and turned Boston into a ghost town for a week, thanks in large part to the Democratic mayor of Boston.

People echo the catechism, "It keeps us safe from terrorism" and accept it without complaint. The Democrats complain only when they see some way to blame the Republicans.