Excitement and anticipation continue to build as my fair city approaches the Democratic National Convention. I'm representing one of the police forces contracting with the city to provide additional security. Groups from around the city are starting to send out bulletins to the downtown businesses. My building is right in the "hot zone", between the Convention Center and the Pepsi Center, so I'm trying to get a satellite office away from the downtown area for the week considering they're predicting my usual 15-20 minute commute to work will be a minimum of 2 hours. The protest groups are ramping up. 5 groups have websites devoted to how they're going to disrupt the convention. Then we've been warned that other groups have announced their intended presence, including both Pro and Anti-abortion groups, Anti-war groups, All Nations Alliance, Earth Liberation Front, the Animal Liberation Front, and the Anarchist Movement (there's some irony there, that the anarchists are organizing . . . LOL). We've been given a list of the hotels where the delegates are staying and how many will be in each hotel, as the protesters will be targeting them there, as well as at the convention sites.
I lived in Little Rock and was standing in front of the State House Convention Center the night Bill Clinton was elected to his first term, and was there when he announced for the presidency as well. I remember all of the national news media and some of the protesters, but it didn't seem so large or involved as this convention. I just hope everyone shows respect for life, if not respect for opinion.
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