I’ve been meaning to post something here about the post-election arrests, which included a friend of mine, in northern Brooklyn since yesterday, but haven’t really been sure of what to say. Gothamist’s coverage has been solid, and their update on it today is well worth a read. (Also worth reading on the subject: New York Shitty.)

I wasn’t present when any of this took place, so my perspective is somewhat limited. That said, though, there is something that’s been unsettling me since I first heard about it. Consider the case of a country who, after eight years in office, votes out a head of state who by this point has become widely unpopular. The people take to the streets in celebration and, in some cases, are met with resistance from riot gear-clad police. In the abstract — if we were reading about this taking place somewhere distant, I suspect that we’d be appalled.