A friend writes:
Seems like we're taking it on the chin in lots of ways, small (Seattle police shining flashlights in campers' tents all night long asking "are you OK?" to keep them awake) and large (NYC beatings, oakland tear gas). Dan Savage has a post up that an MSNBC anchor actually said that oakland police fired tear gas canisters to "calm the crowd". How calming.The mayor of Oakland is getting blasted on her Facebook page - 6000 comments and counting.
I know that the Supreme Court has said the First Amendment isn't absolute--the famous "time, place, and manner" restrictions apply to the exercise of free speech. But my feeling lately is less indulgent:
We either have a right to assemble, speak, and petition for a redress of grievances... or we don't. which is it? especially when it's taking place all across the country.
I don't know. Maybe in each case there was some serious problem developing, but it seems like it's just stupidity and sometimes it seems like it's unconstitutional abuse by police. The media aren't talking about it in any way except to show the pictures.
When the tea partiers had their assault weapons at Obama rallies, and were protesting en masse, police didn't do a damn thing. (Not that they should have, but by comparison, the occupiers are less dangerous by and large than those assault rifle-toting idiots.)
Maybe I'm off-kilter here? am i being too sensitive? the cumulative impact of it all is starting to make me pretty upset.
