The American citizen has journeyed very far from his original shores which he once looked upon the horizon from. With his civilization at his back, his understanding was that his freedom was secured by the whole of society as it was woven into the fabric that every picture was then stitched upon. Not so in the current era, he now must turn his back to the surf, unable even to stop the foreign invasions as he watches out for his civilization, who lays brickwork at his feet.
He pays taxes for the bricks, he elects those who purchase the bricks, his children's schools teach bricklaying, all his storekeepers sell trowels, and his government hires the bricklayers and draws the plans.
The man's neighbors all see him cry out that these brick walls will soon surround him, he claims he will be unable to see or be seen, to hear or be heard. His government sends messages to every citizen calling him a dangerous liar who has theorized that his elected officials, the stores, and his neighbors are conspiring against him. His neighbors hear his cries and laugh, they call him a liar. He points at the bricks being laid by the workers, and they point at the bricks and laugh. This will never stop you from being heard, they say, we got a message from the authority saying you can still speak, just listen to you crying right now. He cries again as the bricks enclose him on all sides and the roof is sealed against wind and rain, sound and speech, breath and life.
A neighbor asks where that man who cried has gone. The neighbor sees a bricklayer at his feet, laying bricks. He asks him what are you doing and the bricklayer replies, I am just doing my job, I am defending your neighbors from your freedom of speech.