Securing Our Conventions

I caught this photo a little late. It’s from the NYT feature, the 2012 Presidential Campaign, Week by Week, and what it shows are members of the National Guard waiting their turn for weapons at the Republican Convention. I should also say, I’m curious why the NYT also ran a photo feature yesterday of violent clashes at the ’68 Democratic Convention in Chicago unless the point was irony. Whether we’re talking about Occupy last Fall, Tampa last week (where Isaac seemed to wash out protest), or Charlotte this week, not to worry, our democracy seems securely in the hands of the authorities.

(photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times caption: Members of National Guard units from Orlando providing additional security at the Republican convention line up to receive weapons on Tuesday.)