Keep the right to protest

by Bob Henline in The Straight Line | 0 comments

Last week an unfortunate incident occurred at the Occupy Salt Lake City camp in Pioneer Park. A man died. Preliminary speculation is that the death was the result of a drug overdose and/or carbon monoxide poisoning from a propane heater found in the man’s tent. In response to this tragedy, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker ordered the camp closed and instructed the police to evict the protestors on Saturday, Nov. 12 if they hadn’t already vacated the property by sundown.

As an activist and a firm believer in the right of the people to assemble, but also the power of those people once assembled, I’ve followed the Occupy story pretty closely. I spent a bit of time walking through the Pioneer Park camp and have talked to a number of people that were a part of this group. I did not choose to camp there overnight, nor was I a “regular” protestor. I do, however, firmly support the right of the people to assemble, protest and to petition our government for a redress of their grievances. I was appalled by the decision of the mayor to evict the protestors from the park and disgusted by the heavy-handed tactics used by the police to enforce that ridiculous decision.

It doesn’t matter how you feel about the Occupy movement. The issue here is about basic civil liberties and the abuse of power by government officials. People have the right to be on public property and protest the actions (or inactions) of their government. You have that right, I have that right, the Occupy protestors have that right. I didn’t agree with the Tea Party protestors that marched around the state spouting their beliefs, I didn’t agree with the Take Back Utah group that drove ATVs down State Street in protest, and I sure as hell don’t agree with Carl Wimmer bringing a Southern Poverty Law Center-certified hate group to Utah to rally about the removal of religious symbols from public land – but I do support their absolute right to do it.

Over the past several decades, our nation has been falling into a pattern where any criticism of the government is labeled as un-American or unpatriotic. We fly our American flags on our houses, we have decals on our cars and we wear it on our shirts in support of troops involved in wars around the globe. Yet, if we question the need for, or propriety of, these wars we are considered to be enemies of the state. Is this the freedom for which so many have bled and died over the past two centuries?

Civil liberties don’t belong to any one of us, or any group of us. They belong to us all, equally. When government can limit the rights of one group of people without consequence, they can do that to any group of people.

This nation was founded on principles of freedom and liberty. This state was founded by a group of people that fled their homes in order to find a community where they could practice their religious beliefs free from persecution and repression. Yet we don’t honor that spirit today.

Instead of engaging in open dialogue with people of different opinions, we marginalize them. In some cases, we attempt to silence them. That is what has happened here; our government deliberately moved to silence a voice of dissent. They waited for an excuse and as soon as they had it, they pounced.  Eighteen people were arrested for having the audacity to remain in a public place after being told to leave by thugs with badges.

Let me spin this in terms with a bit more perspective. Imagine yourself sitting in church and the police show up and order everyone out. Do you go? Do you allow your right to worship freely to be stepped upon by the police? Or do you refuse and stand up for your beliefs and your values?

No, the Occupy protestors weren’t fighting for their freedom of religion, but they were fighting for their right to assemble, which is protected by the very same amendment to the United States Constitution.

What we allow the government to do to any one of us, they can (and will, eventually) do to all of us. Whether or not you support the values espoused by this group of people, a free society must absolutely respect and protect their right to stand for them.