Dissent Will Not Be Tolerated

Dissent is what makes a democracy a democracy. The right to disagree with your leaders, and to voice that disagreement, is enshrined in any free democracy whether the constitution is codified (as in the US) or not (as in the UK).

Senator George Allen (the racist one) was heckled yesterday by a 20-year old student at a rally. The student, Mike Stark, asked Allen "Why did you spit at your first wife".

Then three men accosted him and threw him to the ground. The men were campaign workers for Allen, and the incident was captured on video.

As Stark said later, "I am a constituent, I am allowed to ask my Senator questions".

That may have been true before the Bush administration, Mr. Stark. But nowadays I'm not so sure.

Farewell, proud democracy.