One of the people being prominently floated as Trump's potential head of Homeland Security is Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, a prominent pro-Trump voice at the Republican convention and, as you will soon see, quite the self-promoter himself. Here's the reaction of our new potential Homeland Security chief to protests held across the nation last night over the results of Tuesday's election.

x These temper tantrums from these radical anarchists must be quelled. There is no legitimate reason to protest the will of the people. pic.twitter.com/G502pwNSN9 — David A. Clarke, Jr. (@SheriffClarke) November 10, 2016

For the record, yes: He was specifically referring to peaceful protesters.

Of course, public protest in America neither requires "legitimate reason," nor needs to be measured against Sheriff Dave's own notions of which "legitimate reasons" count and which do not. Americans are free to publicly protest the price of dog biscuits, or the ending of the latest movie, or their own employers, or Sheriff Dave, or against the general sense of ennui that can come from eating too many cookies under the shade of a tall tree. They don't need to express any reason at all: They are free to assemble together regardless. That is the point.

That is the whole point. It is in that very book you are holding up. Open it and see.