» posted on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 at 10:42 pm by Andy D
America the Beautiful Day 2: Freedom to Protest
Today I continue my America the Beautiful blogging project. In recent months, various Occupy groups have been in the news. The above picture is from Occupy St. Louis. While I disagree with the political goals of most of these groups, and I think many of the “protestors / occupiers” are being taken advantage of, there is something here to celebrate. In many countries throughout the world, this kind of opposition to the actions of the government can lead to arrests, prison, and even death. Some countries quickly, and quite violently, suppress any dissent. However, in the United States, we have a history of allowing protestors to complain and attack the government without fear for their lives. We can all be thankful of this, and we should celebrate our tolerance of self-criticism of our country by it’s citizens.
filed under 31 Days of Blogging · America · freedoms | 4 comments
Political Friends Blog | 31 Days of Blogging: America the Beautiful said:
Nov 02, 11 at 10:45 pm[...] Day 2: Freedom to Protest [...]
Christina said:
Nov 05, 11 at 6:47 pmMy neighbor’s office is about a block away from Occupy Philadelphia. She said they’re loud, sometimes violent, & wander around in droves, but my thoughts have been the same as yours.
Right now I happen to be reading an old volume of American Heritage: A New Nation. In 1783, Congress literally had to flee Philadelphia as a result of disgruntled citizen-veterans demanding back pay from the War. The original ‘Occupy Philadelphia’ ??!!
Andy D said:
Nov 06, 11 at 8:49 pmI’m reading “Eagle against the Sun” right now. There’s a mention of the WWI veterans camping out in Washington DC demanding an earlier payout of their pension. They had to be run off, and I had a similar thought to yours.
Gerrit said:
Nov 24, 11 at 7:46 amSome protesters have been taken away by the police in New York, including sometimes with the use of violence. But generally, you are correct, the right to protest is generally respected very well in the western world, and in the US maybe even more than in other western countries.
I do think citizens have the right to let their voice heard, but it should not make the functioning of the state get hindered. Hence I also do think some restrictions again are needed, but it is a hard subject where to draw the line. What is the ideal channel for people to communicate with the state about their concerns, the subjects they are uncomfortable with? Quite a tough question to answer. Non-binding referenda may be a good way, as long as the state actively pays attention to the outcome.