Yes, it's a sad commentary on today. And there's no mention of the Rachael Ray scarf muzzlement (is that a word?). But I wonder what the same column from 10, 20, 50, etc. years ago would look like.

A sad commentary about the state of freedom of speech in our democracy. Basically this article is a wrap-up of the most egregious examples of punishing detractors with whom those in various levels of power disagree. In the bad old necon McCarthism days, everyone who dared support unpopular subjects was a labeled a communist. Today in this era of even higher degrees of intolerance, the label has become terrorist. When it’s applied to describe a presumed blasphemy, everyone is expected to be very afraid and shun the individual under attack. In history the plot never changes, only the characters.