Protests an American right; Riots are Not
Several weeks ago, when Americans were asked to shelter in place for two weeks to help hospitals and health care workers be better prepared for the spread of COVID-19, the nation dutifully did as asked. As weeks turned into a month, then two, and the words “summer” and “fall” began creeping into the statements of staying in a lockdown, many freedom-loving Americans began to push back.
As states like Florida and Texas began to open, others like California and Michigan doubled down in their procedures in what many considered a tyrannical fashion.
Millions of law-abiding Americans were beginning to not simply and blindly follow their power-hungry state and city leaders, and began getting out, reopening, and protesting.
In states such as California, Massachusetts, Utah and Michigan, peaceful protesters took to the beaches, state capitol grounds and other places to show displeasure with requirements they felt were too stringent. In Michigan, some protesters entered the state capitol building while carrying legally owned rifles, which brought disgust and ire from many on the left and in the mainstream media.
Interestingly enough, not one person was killed, no buildings or stores were broken into or destroyed, no fires were set and nothing was stolen. The protests were a peaceful and lawful assembly, as granted to us Americans under the First Amendment, which states: “Congress shall make no law respecting 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.”
The key words in this case are “the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” That is exactly what those particular protesters were doing, “peaceably” assembling to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
During these protests, many on the left and in the mainstream media were all so ever-concerned that these people were going to cause a larger surge in the coronavirus and, in turn, that was going to kill millions of Americans because they were outside without taking the precautions of social distancing and wearing masks.
In the past few days, a group of police officers in Minneapolis were making an arrest, and the officer placed his knee on the neck of the detainee, George Floyd, which possibly caused his death. The officer was later arrested and charged. Nonetheless, even with the arrest, many “protesters” took to the streets in the city, destroying businesses and looting area stores of everything inside. These protests exploded nationwide, which led to complete chaos in many cities around the U.S. There was destruction, theft and complete mayhem.
These actions were not protests, but riots. Regardless how anyone tries to paint it, these types of actions are not peaceful assembly by law-abiding Americans to express a redress of grievances against the government.
They are definitely not legal, and they are certainly not protected under the First Amendment. Anyone caught on video stealing or destroying property should be arrested and charged with such.
The interesting thing to me, however, is that no one on the left or in the mainstream media seemed to be concerned about social distancing during these riots like they were during the peaceful protests a couple of weeks before.
So, what I gather is this: It is OK to not care about social distancing when you are destroying your city, but don’t go to church or to the beach. That would be true cause for a lockdown.
Randy Gibson is the CEO of RDG Communications Group, LLC, and the former director of the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce and the Texas State Rifle Association.
