I was pleased to see an Occupy Wall Street march in Charlotte in advance of the Democratic Party convention. At least some folks have their eye on the ball. Protesters highlighted Obama’s murderous attacks on innocent civilians via drone technology and his Wall Street sycophancy.
However, it was disappointing to see only one thousand or so turn out. Two possibilities come to mind: Perhaps even OWS participants are lured into lesser-evil somnambulance, or worse yet, Obama’s brutally violent response to OWS has had its intended effect. People don’t feel like getting their head bashed by paramilitaries masked as police officers.
And then, of course, there are the “Free Speech Zones.” If there were an award for oxymoronic excellence, there would be no competition. Protesters who voluntarily allow themselves to be coralled deserve to be in the prison that free speech zones represent.
Piece of Mindful 
We should once again thank the Supreme Court of the U.S. for inventing “TPM” (time, place and manner) regulations limiting First Amendment speech. Authoritarian judicial activism scores another victory against ordinary citizens expressing grievances in out in public where others might see and hear and alternative to the usual dense fog of state propaganda.
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Right on both counts, Mark. OWS consists (consisted?) of many dem and libertarian implants, both of which tend to fall back into the ruts of partisan politics. Then there are the dems who are still trying to co-opt what is left of OWS energy to bring it into electoral politics. As to the police violence, it has accomplished its intended effect of stifling participation and protest.
“Free Speech Zones?” If Americans are willing to let them be cowed by arbitrary limits of constitutional rights, then they deserve what they get. On the other hand, those of us who are willing to stand outside of those zones and practice our rights have now become extremists. Such be the power of OWS that it practiced those rights, and was met with a further erosion of civil liberties. This is how totalitarianism (as practiced by our mono-party body politic) subjugates our society.
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” those of us who are willing to stand outside of those zones and practice our rights have now become extremists.”
Writes the man anonymously. ‘Sorry, that was just too funny to pass up.
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You’re right, if you look closely enough you can see the barb wire fences in the background of the DPC Free Speech Zone.
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