>What "massive public outrage?" A pitiful 400 people showed up to the San Francisco "Restore the 4th" protests.

As far as I could tell, a total of `1' in Seattle. You know in Poker there's a `sucker' in every hand? Out on Westlake Center, Seattle, at noon on the 4th of July, that would be me. At least I left the pitchfork at home.

The only other time I came over to participate in one of these group-hugs, was the Turkish/Egypt-O'clock WTO protest in 1999. That one was different.

`Save the 4th' showed their cards, and NSA took the pot. The people have spoken: "meh".

I disagree that it is that simple. I found out exactly an hour before the Utah NSA Datacenter event was scheduled to happen; not exactly easy to deal with on a national holiday. I also think the Occupy protests (and subsequent police actions) have had a very chilling effect on protests in the US.

Just because people didn't give up their hotdogs to risk getting their heads smashed in doesn't mean there's not outrage.

Agreed. National holidays might not be the best day to hold protests.

Yeah, "protests" seem to largely be an excuse for (... well ...for lack of less insulting terminology with any descriptive power..) "hippie minded" people to get together, bang some drums, and do some homeless camping. Expecting every issue of concern to the public to manifest itself in that way is patently absurd.