Viewpoints: Letters / Opinions
Freedom of speech and the rule of law
By Paul Bergeron Sr.
August 21, 2017
Monday AM
What a mess. A group of people get a permit to hold a rally to protest the removal of monuments honoring the soldiers on the confederate side of the civil war.
The KKK and other extreme right wing groups get wind of it and decide to add their voice to the permitted protesters. Their agenda has never been a secret. They want a white race America and believe that a race war in the USA is the way to reach this utopian dream. They came prepared to protect and initiate violence should the opportunity arise.
The extreme left gets wind of the same rally and decides to show up ready to defend the right to dismantle said monuments in support of the powers that be. They also came prepared to protect and initiate harm to their opponents.
Both of these groups represent tiny minorities of our population. The vast majority of people in the USA believe in the Constitution of the United States.
The first amendment of the Constitution has only about 45 words in it. Look it up. It is crystal clear that the people have a right to PEACEABLE assemble.
Since the election of President Trump, the powers that be seem to have ignored the peaceable part of the first amendment and allowed the far left to violently assemble. Each incident on the part of the extreme left has for the most part has been ignored by law enforcement. This has to stop or more and greater acts of terror will take place.
The overwhelming number of people in the USA believe that the peaceable assembly to petition the government for a redress of grievances is a good thing. That freedom of speech by individuals and groups is a good thing to a point,(yelling fire in a crowded being one example of free speech not allowed).
Hate speech, bigotry speech, anti gay speech, in fact all speech shall not be abridged according to the first amendment and must be protected by law enforcement. I do not condone or agree with all protected speech but cannot fathom the consequence of not having it.
Now is the time for law enforcement to step up and enforce the law, to protect and serve the people and to protect the Constitution of the United States of America.
The permit holders should have been protected.
Paul Bergeron Sr.
Chugiak, Alaska
About:
Received August 17, 2017
- Published August 21, 2017
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