July 7, 2008 - The political parties are arming themselves, in preparation for their respective conventions.

Congress has approved $100 million to pay for security expenses at this summer's presidential nominating conventions, with $50 million dedicated to each party.

CNN's Ed Lavendera reports that Denver and St. Paul officials have said that the types of weapons being purchased are "top secret.”

Apart from the traditional pepper spray and rubber bullets employed by police for controlling large protests, Denver, Colorado and St. Paul, Minnesota officials may be spending large sums on weapons CNN calls 'science fiction-like'.

Weapons such as the sonic ray gun, which emits a head-splitting frequency and deafens large groups of people. Also rumored for the conventions is the goo gun - which shoots a gel that can coat and wrap people whole, or stop a moving vehicle in its path - and a microwave pulse emitter - a radio frequency device that makes one's skin feel like it is on fire, previously deployed in the streets of Baghdad, Iraq.

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing both cities to disclose how security money is being spent, with hopes of determining what specific weapons may be deployed against Americans. However, officials say it is important they be secretive about the technologies employed by their security forces, lest the crowds that will inevitably surround the conventions gain the upper hand.

Ed. Note:  Am I the only person who thinks these “officials” consider the American people to be their enemy? “…lest the crowds that will inevitably surround the conventions gain the upper hand.”  The upper hand on whom?  I believe that government officials consider all Americans to be criminals or troublemakers.  Whatever happened to “innocent until proven guilty”?