Red Scare Redux?

From Feds Win Right to War Protesters' Records:

In what may be the first subpoena of its kind in decades, a federal judge has ordered a university to turn over records about a gathering of anti-war activists.

A bunch of college kids gathering to protest a war? They must be dangerous.

According to a copy obtained by The Associated Press, the Drake subpoena asks for records of the request for a meeting room, "all documents indicating the purpose and intended participants in the meeting, and all documents or recordings which would identify persons that actually attended the meeting."

Of course, no modern day subpoena would be complete without:

A source with knowledge of the investigation said a judge had issued a gag order forbidding school officials from discussing the subpoena.

I worry that pretty soon it'll be dangerous to do anything of conscience without being anonymous or at least pseudonymous.

At least there are tools like Rubberhose available. From the Rubberhose manual:

We hope that Rubberhose will both protect your data, and offer a broader kind of protection for people who take risks for just causes. Civilization advances slowly, and traditionally it is human rights campaigners, free-thinking academics and community activists who propel it forward. Society often resists these gingerly-placed prods, and the entrenched moguls punish those who dare to upset the status quo. They label the activists as trouble-makers or whistle blowers to justify misusing them. Where there is injustice, we like to upset the status quo too, and to support others who want to do the same. Our motto is "let's make a little trouble." The Rubberhose development team is releasing Rubberhose to help protect activists who want to make a little trouble. Feel free to make a little trouble yourself.

(Those who find Rubberhose to be a bit difficult to get up and running with may want to check out PhoneBook, which is supposed to be easier to install and use.)