Protests should be contained and not allowed to disrupt the public. Protests should be held in rented stadiums or auditoriums paid for by the sponsors and reported by the media. Protests should not be allowed in public parks, schools, colleges, residential areas, commercial areas, roads, highways personal property or public property. Protests should require police control. Counter-protests should be separate events and never allowed where protests occur. The media should cover these events and report on them. Protests should not be allowed to insight riots or destruction of property, looting or other disruptive behavior. This is not Free Speech and is not protected by the 1st Amendment. If protests turn violent, participants will be arrested. Crimes will be prosecuted. Protesters and Protest Sponsors will be required to pay damages. The same restrictions should be placed on Marches and Runs that promote causes.
Cities should be allowed to schedule the parades that require the use of roads, but these should be limited to established holidays like Christmas, New Years and July 4th. Participants should not be allowed to promote causes, but should be limited to the themes of the holidays.
The
history of protests in the US beginning in 1765 began with colonists’
objections to the Stamp Act. The colonies had their own legislatures who were
elected to collect taxes and pass laws. The Stamp Act was imposed by the
British Parliament. The “protests” were in print and disseminated through
newspapers and posted pamphlets. Colonists were divided. Loyalists supported
the British and Patriots supported the Revolutionaries. The Patriots harassed
the Loyalists and boycotted their businesses. British soldiers countered the
protests by becoming more oppressive. Each Colony had its own Militia and they
joined to Patriots. The Boston Tea Party was an act of vandalism. In 1775, the
British marched on Lexington and Concord and were attacked by the Colonial
Militia. In 1775, the Patriots outnumbered
The Loyalists and gaining independence from Britain seemed attainable.
In 1791, the US imposed a tax on whiskey to pay down the Revolutionary War debt. The Whiskey Rebellion was the result. The protest was the refusal to pay the tax. George Washington resolved the dispute and the rebellion ended in 1794.
In 1915, the KKK held rallies and street marches and continued these into the 1920s.These were also violent and exclusive.
In 1932, the Bonus March was a “sit-in” by unemployed Veterans of World War II who camped out in Washington DC to petition Congress to pay the bonus they had been promised. The Senate refused and General Douglas Macarthur removed the campers. None of the Senators were reelected in 1933.
The Civil Rights Movement 1954-1968 marked the beginning of disruptive protests.The protests were non-violent parades through the streets. These parades began in 1965 in Selma Alabama. Protestors were arrested for disrupting traffic. Sit-ins were also used to protest and protestors were arrested for disruption. These protests continued from 1965 to 1968.
The protests in 2020, organized by Black Lives Matter affected multiple cities with property damage.
Protests have been disruptive, lawless and destructive for decades. All are funded by organizations that should be held accountable. The right to free speech needs to be redefined and contained to allow citizens and businesses to function without harassment.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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