It wasn't snark. It was the primary point of the post.
The abusers of State authority used to illegally go after people who were demonstrably hostile to our way of life and political culture. This is not an excuse for the abuse, just a description of the state of things back then.
Now words like "patriot," "Constitution," and "We the People" are what put red lights on the boards of those who are running this nation.
I see this as an unsettling development.