>>> THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE
>>> THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE
CONSTITUTION STATES THAT
CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW
ABRIDGING THE RIGHT OF THE
PEOPLE PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE.
THE RIGHT PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE
AND PROTEST HAS LONG BEEN THE
SUBJECT OF CONTROVERSY
THROUGHOUT AMERICAN HISTORY AND
PROTEST AS IT STANDS IN THIS
COUNTRY IS BECOMING PIVOTAL IN
THIS ELECTION.
NOW, WE AREN’T ALL IN THE SAME
PLACE ON WHAT FORM PROTESTS
SHOULD TAKE, WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK
LIKE AND HOW EXPLICIT ITS
PURPOSE SHOULD BE.
THIS SUMMER’S PROTESTS TRIGGERED
OSTENSIBLY BY THE KILLING OF
GEORGE FLOYD BUT REALLY A
CONTINUATION AND CULMINATION OF
YEARS-LONG EFFORT AGAINST POLICE
VIOLENCE AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE
HAS BEEN AT TIMES VIOLENT AND
HAS BEEN MET BY UNPROVOKED
VIOLENCE INCLUDING IN
MINNEAPOLIS WHERE I WAS SHOT BY
A RUBBER BULLET IN THE MIDST OF
AN ENTIRELY PEACEFUL PROTEST AND
AT LAFAYETTE SQUARE WHEN THE
PRESIDENT HAD FEDERAL FORCES
CLEAR OUT PROTESTERS, SPRAYING
THEM WITH AN IRRITANT AND BEATING CIVILIANS WITH BATONS.
BEATING CIVILIANS WITH BATONS.
1965, SELMA, ALABAMA, PROTESTERS
WALKING PEACEFULLY ACROSS THE
EDMUND
EDMUND PETTUS BRIDGE.
1969, NEW YORK CITY, POLICE
CONDUCTED A VIOLENT OVERNIGHT
RAID AT THE STONEWALL INN.
THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY FACED
ROUTINE HARASSMENT AT THE TIME
AND THAT EVENT GAVE RISE TO SIX
DAYS OF VIOLENT CLASHES AND
PROTESTS.
51 YEARS LATER, THE LGBTQ
COMMUNITY STILL FACES HARASSMENT
AND LEGAL DISCRIMINATION.
1920, AMERICAN WOMEN SOUGHT THE
UNIVERSAL RIGHT TO VOTE.
HUNDREDS OF WOMEN WERE VIOLENTLY
INJURED OVER THE COURSE OF THE
ULTIMATELY SUCCESSFUL MOVEMENT.
WOMEN STILL MAKE LESS THAN MEN
DO AND CONTINUE TO FACE ECONOMIC
DISADVANTAGE.
ALL OF THESE PROTESTS FOUGHT
WHAT WE KNOW AND CALL PRIVILEGE.
THEY SOUGHT REDRESS AND I CAN
CITE EXAMPLE AFTER EXAMPLE HERE
AND ABROAD THAT WHEN SOMEONE
COMES FOR YOUR PRIVILEGE, YOU
WILL FIGHT THEM.
WHETHER THEY COME IN PEACE OR
WITH STONES OR WITH FUEL FOR
FIRES, PROTEST IS A
SYSTEMATIC -- A REMINDER OF
SYSTEMATIC INJUSTICE.
IF IT’S DONE QUITELY, HOPEFULLY
FROM AFAR, YOU CAN GO ABOUT YOUR
BUSINESS AND YOUR LIFE AND
PRETEND IT’S NOT REALLY ABOUT
YOU AND IT’S NOT REALLY A
SOMETHING, THAT WOMEN DON’T HAVE
THE VOTE AND BLACKS DON’T ENJOY
THE SAME RIGHTS AND WOMEN DON’T
EARN AS MUCH AND BEING GAY COMES
AT A COST, IT MIGHT BE TRUE BUT
DON’T MAKE TOO MUCH NOISE
POINTING IT OUT.
2016, JUST FOUR YEARS AGO, COLIN
KAEPERNICK PROTESTING PRETTY
BRUTALITY.
COST HIM HIS CAREER.
AND HE REMAINS THE TARGET OF
PEOPLE WHO SAY HE WAS OUT OF
LOIN
LINE, DOING IT IN THE WRONG
PLACE.
THEY SAID THAT THOUGH MARTIN
LUTHER KING JR., TOO, WHO WROTE
IN HIS FAMOUS LETTER, YOU
DEPLORE THE DEMONSTRATIONS
TAKING PLACE, BUT YOUR
STATEMENT, I AM SORRY TO SAY,
FAILS TO EXPRESS A SIMILAR
CONCERN FOR THE CONDITIONS THAT
BROUGHT ABOUT THE
DEMONSTRATIONS.
I’M SURE THAT NONE OF YOU WOULD
WANT TO REST CONTENT WITH THE
SUPERFICIAL KIND OF SOCIAL
ANALYSIS THAT DEALS MERELY WITH
EFFECTS AND DOES NOT GRAPPLE
WITH UNDERLYING CAUSES.
1963.
IT’S THAT SIMPLE.
NOBODY PROTESTS NOTHING.
THERE’S SOMETHING BENEATH THESE
PROTESTS THAT THOSE WHO HOLD THE
POWER DON’T WANT TO HEAR, AND AS
LONG AS THE UNDERLYING CAUSES
ARE NOT HEARD, AND CONTINUE, THE
PROTESTS GROW LOUDER AND
UNFORTUNATELY THEY TURN VIOLENT
SOMETIMES AS THE POWERLESS
STRUGGLE TO FIND VOICE AND BE
HEARD.
I’VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I’LL SAY
IT HERE AGAIN.
THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED, NOT
THROUGH PEACE BUT THROUGH
VIOLENCE.
THIS LAND WAS FORCIBLY TAKEN
FROM NATIVE AMERICANS WHO WERE
FORCIBLY RELOCATED FROM THEIR
LANDS OR KILLED.
ENSLAVED PEOPLE WERE FORCIBLY
BROUGHT TO AMERICA TO WORK FOR
FREE.
THE COLONIES WERE EMANCIPATED
FROM BRITISH RULE THROUGH A WAR
ON A GOVERNMENT THAT EARLY
AMERICANS FELT DIDN’T REPRESENT
THEIR INTERESTS.
MUCH OF WHAT WE ENJOY TODAY, OUR
FREEDOMS, ARE THE FRUITS OF
