This is the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, added
because our normally with-it founding fathers did not specifically
protect these rights. Nine other amendments protect us in other
ways but the first is, essentially the most critical and the
foundation of the freedoms that define the United States of
America.
“Congress shall make no law rspecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
This is the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, added because our normally with-it founding fathers did not specifically protect these rights. Nine other amendments protect us in other ways but the first is, essentially the most critical and the foundation of the freedoms that define the United States of America.
Freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of petition and assembly. Peaceable assembly.
It isn’t easy to support this freedom of assembly during a war when support for the men and women putting their lives on the line is so important. It is easy to think there should be no protesting assemblies because they undermine that very support.
However, ignoring for the moment the protesters who think they’ll get their way through violence, most are clearly protesting White House policies – not the armed forces. Many stateside dissidents these days are remarkably well-developed in years and experienced in the ways of protests. They were young during the Vietnam War and seem to have learned that “peaceable protests” make fewer enemies.
Young protesters today are in no immediate danger of the draft, as was the case during Vietnam. Our troops over there in Iraq and Afghanistan volunteered for the armed forces.
The fact that the protesters obviously care what their government is doing is, in many ways, encouraging. But they really need to get control of their throwing arms.
Civil disobedience is an American tradition starting perhaps with the Boston Tea Party but, when the disobedience degenerates into vandalism, those taking part should expect to be prosecuted.
Still, there is no “nice” way of protesting; you have to make waves; you have to get their attention. That’s why there are powerful sound systems, huge posters, press coverage and letters to Washington, D.C. What you don’t have to do is to throw bricks through store windows or set fire to police cars. Non-productive acts all and they detract from the business at hand which is letting the government know it may have gone off the rails. We don’t necessarily need to support what troops are doing in Iraq, but we must support their courage and good intentions, and fervently hope they’ll come back – soon.
Making large protests more complicated and annoying are those times where they clog main civic arteries. It’s scary to see fire engines and ambulances stuck in traffic, surrounded by a screaming, roiling crowd, and those actions not only are are illegal but also needlessly put lives at risk. It’s not hard to imagine a loved one in danger and a streetload of loud-mouthed protesters blocking the road.
It’s also scary that so many hundred of thousands of Americans feel they need to protest because they see the White House going full speed ahead, taking very little advice from the Pentagon, our allies, the United Nations or the American people themselves. If citizens think the government is acting like bullies they absolutely have the right to do what they can – protest first, vote later. On the other hand, protests are costing already-strapped cities lots of money. Amnesty International suggests the bills be sent to the White House.
Think about this: without freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, to petition and of assembly, we are pretty much in the same league as Iraq.
There is one other thing and we can’t stress this enough. During the Vietnam War returning troops were often abused by some misguided members of the public. It made the awfulness of their war even more terrible and, in many cases, served to prolong a serviceman or woman’s recovery from the physical and mental wounds of the battlefield.
This time there must be none of that. This time, no matter what you think of the Iraqi war, there must be no spitting, no epithets, no frowns or snarls. Anything less than full appreciation of military personnel is absolutely unacceptable. Support the troops; question the government.
