And so is police repression of the movement. Yesterday, Occupy celebrated its one-year anniversary with demonstrations in New York City and more than 30 other cities nationwide. But in New York, the police were in full force to crackdown on the movement. More than 180 people were arrested by the NYPD on Monday – including some journalists – mostly for disorderly conduct or behavior that used to be allowed under the 1st Amendment.

Coincidentally, this police crackdown against free speech and free association also occurred on Constitution Day – the 225th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Men like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison who understood the importance of dissent and periodic revolution would be horrified at the way peaceful Americans have been treated since the Occupy Movement began a year ago. It’s time to throw banksters in jail, not activists.