In which I ponder where our country is headed

I am not the type to post political missives on my blog or to post information that can be found elsewhere, but this is something that I think people need to know about.

You may have heard about the recent appearance of “free-speech zones” being set up at locations where protesters are anticipated. The latest one is in Boston at the site of the Democratic National Convention. And this one is chilling.

The “free-speech zone” is located where the busses arrive that transport delegates to the convention. The zone is out of sight of the convention center itself and is located underneath elevated train tracks. The zone is surrounded by two layers of chain link fence topped with razor wire. The whole zone is covered in netting. There are many pole-mounted video cameras that are monitored by the Department of Homeland Security. The National Guard patrols the zone looking down from outside. Originally there was only one entrance and one exit. Exiting the area required ducking under a beam 5′ off the ground.

A federal judge who heard the case toured the zone. After seeing the zone, he called it a “festering boil” and “an affront to free expression.” Then he met privately with the Secret Service. His ruling was that the “free-speech zone” would stay in place, the capacity would be lowered from 4000 people to 1000, and a second exit would be added.

There are some particularly striking images linked from the Wired News article.

What kind of country have we become? Where are we headed?