Yikes.

Quarantining dissent: How the Secret Service protects Bush from free speech
In case you’re too lazy to click the link, the gist of the article is this: if you want to hold up an anti-Bush sign (even ones without profanity, such as “The Bush family must surely love the poor, they made so many of us.”) along a motorcade route or at a speech Bush is giving, you will be directed to a “free speech zone” which is out of view of the event. If you refuse to go to the area (even if you refuse politely and are non-violent), you will be arrested, taken to jail, and face (depending on the area) up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
If you are carrying a pro-Bush sign, you can stand wherever you want.

This gives me the creeps. I knew that our Constitutional rights were being limited by the current administration, but this is too much. I could almost see it if they were making EVERYONE with signs go to the “free speech zone” but if some forms of speech stand one place and some stand in another, that’s not exactly fair, is it? Does the phrase “separate but equal” ring any bells? That was unConstitutional, too.
Come to that, what ever happened to “I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it?”
Oh, and as a sidenote: the Homeland Security Department has advised local law enforcement agencies keep an eye on anyone who “expressed dislike of attitudes and decisions of the U.S. government.” So I guess if you’re open about disliking the current administration, that makes you suspect.
The way I see it, either Bush doesn’t know about this, in which case he’s too damn uninformed, or he knows and has chosen to allow it, in which case he is violating our Constitutional rights instead of upholding them, like he swore to do.
Neither is particularly pleasing. God, I can’t wait for the next election.