Criminalizing dissent

This Kos post from Rakkasan caught my eye:

Then I said "Senator you've been holding state office for 10 years, the same amount of time republicans have had control of both houses of goverment. You were term limited from the House as majority party whip and now you're a senator. During that 10 years of talking about how you're against abortion the abortion rate has not only remained legal, but has actually increased. During that 10 years you have never put forth a bill to ban abortion, ban gay marriage, or provide school vouchers on demand. These are issues important to Christian conservatives but in all this time nothing has been done. Again, Senator, why should Christian conservatives continue to support republicans since the only time they talk about these issues is when they're trying to get elected to office?"

I was expecting to be at the very least pelted with rotting vegetables but to my surprise there was dead silence in the crowd as they awaited his answer. He mumbled something about democrats creating the problems and it taking time to undo it, but while I was listening to his answer two men took me aside and asked me to leave or they would have me arrested for disturbing the peace and trying to incite a riot. I laughed saying I found out what I wanted to know and that I would leave on my own.

So, let's see now: Asking tough questions of your state senator is tantamount to "disturbing the peace and trying to incite a riot"?

I guess we should have seen this coming: First it was antiwar dissenters being threatened with arrest for wearing T-shirts saying, "Protect Our Civil Liberties." Now merely asking making a Republican officeholder squirm is enough to bring down the law.

Interesting times we live in, eh?

[Hat tip to Kitsap Pundit.]