The video that the Rhode Island 131 group posted of its attack, protest, walk-by-shouting, whatever, on Monday shows how pathetic the whole thing was.

The video does add the implied possibility that there was some shoving involved, although it may have been two-sided.

The idea that this has commanded the attention of all of Rhode Island’s governing officials for a day would be inexplicable if we hadn’t already seen similar reactions for far less (like a handful of fliers on the East Side). It’s inexplicable, that is, except as propaganda, which has exposed the real threat — namely, that governing officials are on the hunt for excuses to curtail our freedoms while distracting from their own failures.