Greetings. Many of the freedoms and rights being cheerfully erased by the government in the name of "public order" and "protection against terrorists" may not be obvious to the casual onlooker -- not yet anyway. But when the beatings and false arrests reach a fever pitch it's difficult for anyone not to take immediate notice.

The Salon article "This is Not America" details recent events in Miami, where peaceful demonstrators, journalists, and the innocent elderly alike were swept up in a frenzy of abuse by the Miami police and affiliated law enforcement agencies, now being touted as a draconian and horrifying model for other cities to emulate.

If we allow such abuses to become the norm, we'll have nobody but ourselves to blame.

--Lauren--