It’s About Making Babies!

How many of the ‘protesters’ in Denver passionate about their cause – and how many conspire to break the law, for pay, to support protests?

MSNBC’s Mike Taibbi writes about Denver cops and protesters clash. He notes that the protesters planned 50,000-100,000 numbers so far looked like 1,000 .. dwindling to 300.

What I want to know is – where the hell is Homeland Security?? Talk about an organization that could use the practice! Why aren’t those agitators with prison records charged with conspiracy to commit inereference, block streets, disobey lawful police orders, etc.? I mean, protesters are usually charged with misdemeanors. But when they receive pay for their agitation, when they coordinate and plan to commit misdemeanors – that planning is the same conspiracy as taking a contract to murder someone, or planning and practicing with a few buddies to rob a bank. Or get together to blow up a federal building.

Such activity wouldn’t interfere with free speech. Be unobtrusive, but identify everyone that confronts police, verify aliases, identities, and criminal records. Focus on those with police records, determine which are paid. Discern from those following their convictions and protesting their passionate cause – and which sell their services. Speaking your mind, even confrontationally, is protected speech. Selling your services to disrupt the peace for pay, regardless of the cause du jour, is conspiracy to disrupt the peace.

If the Secret Service is tracking at this level – let them keep their focus on security risks. If the FBI needs something to do, let them coordinate efforts. But Homeland Security supposedly has all these lists of people. Surely they can use practice updating their lists, identifying persons of interest in political crowds.

Any organization hiring thugs, I mean, protesters for hire, should be considered to be conspiring to break the peace. Corrupted enterprises. RICO.

No community should expect police to face riot conditions, or even confrontation, as a regular part of a planned event. A political protester blocking traffic or threatening a peace officer at a planned event should get less respect and treated the same as someone bombing an abortion clinic. For all we know, the ‘protester’ is in league with robbers attacking the bank that the cop, pulled to Denver for the convention, should have been guarding.

And for all that is holy, treat every single incident of harassment of anyone in Denver as harassment. With full prosecution. We have a right of free speech, until we make someone afraid – that is vigilantism, harassment, or assault, and against the law.

I don’t really believe Obama is the answer. But I *do* want change. Disrespect always gets worse, until someone gets hurt. Let’s expect respect even in protest.