For several hours on Friday afternoon, the area south of the Campanile ceased to be a part of the University and even the country as it was transformed into a tiny nation-state owned and controlled by Gore/Lieberman, Inc.

Inside this little country our rights as citizens of the United States of America were put on hold by the administration that dictated what we could wear and say while inside its borders.

Before even being admitted to the country, our civil liberties were violated as Democratic wardens patrolled the lines searching backpacks and persons for any signs or stickers of the opposition, which might be used as propaganda inside the borders.

These were not Secret Service personnel searching for weapons that might be used to cause harm to the Vice President; I have no problem with that.

These were college students like you and me, who were given the power to go through our private belongings looking for items which they did not want smuggled into the borders of their Democrat-land.

This search-and-seizure took place on the streets, well outside of the designated borders of their compound.

Despite the efforts of the Democrat-land Border Patrol, some enterprising individuals were able to smuggle some contraband stickers into the area. I received them and wore them with pride.

During my entire stay inside the compound I was accosted many times by several volunteers of the Democrat persuasion who removed the stickers from my person.

When we asked why we were not allowed to wear the stickers and whether we had certain inalienable rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution, the warden in question blatantly stated we had no rights inside here, and if we refused to give up the contraband stickers, we would be physically removed by the Secret Service.

I did not go to the rally looking for trouble. I was not acting on behalf of any organized party nor was I trying to disseminate information or protest anything that was being said.

I attended because I felt as a citizen I should show an interest in how our country is to be run and how democracy works. I am an independent voter who could still be turned either way if the right candidate decided to focus on the issues in which I am concerned.

But when anybody involved with a political party intent on gaining my vote for their candidate informs me I have “no Constitutional rights” in the country I live in, and to exercise those rights I have to go someplace else or be moved there by large men with earphones and trench-coats, I am going to let my discontent be known.

I certainly hope this is not an indication of things to come from the Gore administration.