RIOTING IS OVER THE LINE FOR PROTESTING

RIOTING IS OVER THE LINE FOR PROTESTING

By Domenick J. Maglio PhD. Traditional Realist

President Obama was a community activist before he entered the national political arena. He learned as a community organizer how to use non-violent means to influence the changing of public policy. His ability to persuade through his oratory skills, not inciting violence was his methodology of choice to get his follower’s grievances addressed. The protest he encouraged and implemented were peaceful.

His silence about violent actions in the guise of protesting is troubling and confusing. In his November 2016 joint press conference with Germany’s Chancellor

Angela Merkel, he stated that, “I’ve been the subject of protests during the course of my eight years. And I suspect that there’s not a president in our history that at some point hasn’t been subject to these protests. People who feel strongly or are concerned about some of the issues that have been raised during the course of the campaign, I wouldn’t advise them to be silent. What I would advise, what I advised before the election and what I will continue to advise after the election is that elections matter.”

President Obama’s statement is puzzling as it fails to mention that many of the actions of the protestors are illegal and violent. Americans understand that they are privileged to live in a free nation where citizens have the right to free speech and assembly. Thus they do not and should not remain silent if they desire their voice be heard through a peaceful protest but not a violent one.

The mob violence we have witnessed in Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, MD where 108 participants in a so-called protest were arrested for their violent behavior. The vicious beating of a white male who displayed a Trump sticker was also not an acceptable means of protest.  It was an uncalled for assault on a citizen’s free speech. The looting of businesses and burning of buildings is not a “street party” but a series of criminal acts against law and order.

 President Obama’s advice of tolerance towards protestors is ironic since he had little of it when opposed by civil protestors. The Tea Party movement was a peaceful protest against his progressive policies that were attempting to erode traditional moral values. There was never a hint of violence in any of those Tea Party demonstrations yet President Obama openly mocked and ridiculed them.

His own vice president, Joe Biden, called Tea Party members “terrorists.” President Obama’s support of the Tea Party’s right to express its viewpoints would have gone a long way in establishing his credentials as the president of all the people. His underwhelming support of honorable public servants, and police officers who do an incredibly complex and dangerous job did nothing to tamp down resentment and violence. No administration should cater to one group over another. We are supposed to be a nation where justice is equal for everyone. There have been police officers killed nearly every day, up significantly from 2015 numbers, which demonstrated the president’s policy of silence toward these violent hoodlums is not working. The policy of allowing rioters to “blow off steam” is a license to encourage more, not less destruction.

Peaceful protest against a politician or policy is protected under our Bill of Rights and has been a hallmark of our freedom of speech. When the protests turn violent it crosses the line into lawlessness. Chaos is not allowed or condoned by any viable government. It leads to more forceful attacks and greater violence. The violence shuts down free speech leaving only brute force to determine who will be in control.

Violence should not and cannot be tolerated as a legitimate means of protest as it will spread like a brushfire overtaking the structural underpinnings of a stable society.

America should let it’s voice be heard and not be silent. It is part of our Constitution, Bill of Rights and tradition to have these freedoms and rights. The fact is regardless of some political official’s sentiments citizens have no right to violence or other lawlessness.

America is a nation based on law and order. Any lawless act threatens the safety and stability of us all.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN  and a new just published book, entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.