It almost seems that the authorities are determined to turn America in a locked-down prison in the name of "preserving our freedoms." Freedom to what? To say, "yes sir," to sit down, to shut up, and to keep our eyes front? If the government is us, then we are oppressing ourselves to no good end. A country that wants to live free cannot be an empire. A country that pursues empire will eliminate freedom for all and replace that with privileges for a fortunate few. Don't put up with it. Study the constitution. Understand the implications of what it says. Hold government servants accountable to obey it, in public forums and on election day. Demand that media ask hard question and get meaningful answers. Unless we do it, the past few decades of history prove it won't get done. That's the simple truth. Denying or ignoring it will be the death of whatever is left of our freedom.