Protests Matter (Public Domain) |
The United States of America is a country that was conceived in protest against an unjust government, a country that claims
to be dedicated to the propositions of free speech and assembly.
Non-violent protest fits right in with these principles and history.
So why is it that a presidential candidate is so bent upon dismissing those who protest his statements and actions? Do we want a president who is so leery (and leering) of whom he considers an enemy that he won’t even allow protesters their rights? Do we
believe a self-professed “good Christian” when he refuses to acknowledge, let alone love, these so-called enemies?
Hardly a month after the country celebrated (well, at least had a day off) Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History Month, Donald Trump has been embroiled with one protest-oriented controversy after another. At a victory rally in Las Vegas, he talked about wanting to “punch [protesters] in the nose” and have them carried out in stretchers. At a campaign rally in Valdosta, his “people” ordered Black Lives Matter protesters out the door.
When someone is doing this as a candidate (with the cheering and blessings of thousands), one might wonder what could occur during such a presidency.
“Wonder,” however, isn’t the most fruitful response. Historical research can provide far more clues.
Resources
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/02/29/donald-trump-georgia-rally-valdosta/81129964/
Copyright March 2, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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