Those rights just aren't coming back.

Would you feel better if they got rid of the protest zones and somebody assassinated Obama's ass?

Which rights are you specifically talking about? The protesters obviously have a right to free speech; they don't have a right to disrupt whatever they want to though. I'm sure they'll be speaking, speaking quite a lot (ranting, chanting). Just because you have a right to say something doesn't mean anyone has to listen.

Are protest zones good or bad? I thought they were bad as an infringement on the 1st amendment. Has something changed?

Yes. Government that restricts the full particpation of the people is not proper government.

Granted, we've never had proper government. But don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

What's the point of free speech if you can't get close enough to be heard?

The Supreme Court has held that free speech protections apply to campaign contributions, so we can't take the corrupting influence of big money donors out of our politics, but I guess those protections don't extend far enough to allow the "free" speech to be heard above the din of big money political events.

I'm sad that the Democratic convention has taken a page from Bush's playbook here. Nobody wants another '68 convention, but there has to be some room in the script for democracy.

It's only bad when the government of China does it.

Or Burmese generals.

Or Republicans.

No one who continues to identify themselves as a Democrat or Republican has any business even uttering the word "freedom" or lecturing the rest of the nation about Constitutional rights.

Shame. Shame. Shame.

To those of you so eagerly anticipating your collective moment of glory in Denver, enjoy your magisterial coronation. Don't let the fact that your brothers and sisters are caged like petty criminals distract you from the tribal celebration.

This is Fascism, my friends. And there is no justification for it. None.

When you wave your little flags and proudly don your little donkey pins, whatever you do, don't listen to that faint, desperate voice buried deep within your conscience; the one that says "This is wrong." There will be plenty of time for that later.

....and the t.v. cameras will there in force. There will be split-screen shots; 1. protesters and demonstrations vocally trying to be heard and 2. reporters with microphones stuck into the faces of smiling, clueless delegates coming into the big party. The contrast will be the metaphor of the pretend democracy we've evolved into.

We're talking about the first amendment right to peaceably assemble. And that's what it is; a restriction on where peaceful, law abiding taxpayers can assemble and make their grievences heard.

I'm an American first, and an Obama supporter second. I think that the protesters are hurting the Democratic party, betraying their own (alleged) candidate's wishes, and I don't particularly like them.

But they should have the right to peaceably assemble on public property, wherever they want to. All of America is a protest zone, and all of America is a free speech zone. It's unconstitutional nonsense when Bush does it, and it's unconstitutional nonsense when the DNC does it, too.

And why is it that protesters at abortion clinics don't have to protest a mile away from the clinic, but no Democrat can come within a mile of Bush, and no Repuli... I mean PUMA can come within a mile of Obama? They should be properly searched for weapons, and shouldn't be allowed to disrupt the proceedings, but they should be allowed to protest in the street if they so choose. This is a dark day for the Democratic party, and I'm incredibly ashamed.

To balance security issues with the freedom of expression in a venue like this. That said the pens used to corral protesters absurd. There has got to be better way to strike the balance.

I am curious how this will be set up. If no one from the general public is allowed, that is one thing. But keeping certain people out because they disagree with you, and letting supporters in, is a very bad precedent. Could you give us some analysis of the actual ruling?

The conventions are technically not government organizations and are allowed to control who can come, just like the Trekkie Convention theoretically could. I'd really like to hear more about the details of the ruling. The outrageous thing about free speech zones is that Bush has treated the Presidency like a presidential campaign.

We have the right to do anything we damn well please, including ignoring the officially sanctioned "protest zone"... or anything else for that matter. What we don't have is the right to do so with impunity. Thus it has ever been.

What we DON'T have is the right to be free from arrest for doing whatever we damn well please. This, too, is the same as it's ever been.

Graying hippies will remember that the protests in Chicago were unsanctioned, unofficial, and ultimately met with a violent push back and many arrests - complete with a massive show trial for the perceived main instigators.

. . . Obama is the best Democratic candidate since 1968. Do you want Denver to be a repeat of Chicago?

Here's some info about the credential process for the acceptance speech:

http://www.demconvention.com/credentialing-plans-for-invesco-field-at-mile-high/

Honestly it seems rather remarkable that they are going with the 70,000 at Invesco rather than just delegates, press and selected guests in the convention hall – which I think is the usual.

Is there a precendent for this one- anyone?

As an individual who attended the street rallies at the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, I can assure you this is nothing new. There was a so-called "protest pit" (AKA "free speech zone"), which was separated from the Staples Center by a large fence and numerous riot police. At one point, the police decided to clear the area by releasing tear gas and firing rubber bullets indiscriminately at peaceful protesters.

Interestingly, this came as Hillary Clinton and then Bill were delivering speeches at the convention.

Oh the irony.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/081600-01.htm