I make a list every morning so I remember all the tasks I need to do that day. Homework assignments, articles, meetings, my work schedule, it’s all on there. If I don’t make a list, I can almost guarantee that I will forget an assignment or a task that needs to be done. For the sake of this article, I made a list of crucial information that I don’t want to forget. This list is as follows:
- Eritrea, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Iran, China, Nyanmar and Cuba. These are the top ten most censored countries in the world, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
- The American Revolution began on April 19, 1775, to break away from Great Britain’s unfair rule. According to Campaign 1776, an estimated that 6,800 American Revolutionaries were killed in action, along with 17,000 who died from disease, 8,000-12,000 who died while prisoners of war, and 6,100 who were injured.
- “The total number of Americans killed in all U.S. wars is more than 1.1 million”, according to PBS.
- According to the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, the Bill of Rights went into effect on Dec. 15, 1791. On Dec. 15, 1791 the First Amendment went into effect.
- The First Amendment is a privilege.
As an American citizen, I am granted rights through the United States Constitution. Along with my unalienable rights-being life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness-I’m allowed to have the freedom of speech, the freedom of press, the freedom to choose my own religion, and so on. I am grateful for my freedoms, because there are hundreds of thousands of people who do not have them. My only question is, when did the American people decide it was OK to take these rights for granted?
The First Amendment protects citizens if they use offensive language to protest, symbolic speech, or even if someone decides to not salute the flag. It does not protect you if you destroy public or private property as a result of protesting. Destroying property is not protesting, that is rioting. This was the case on Jan. 20, after President Trump was inaugurated, where 217 people were arrested and charged with rioting, according to CBS News. CBS News reported that although only 217 were arrested, there were about 400 to 500 people who “were armed with crowbars and threw objects at people and businesses, destroying storefronts and damaging vehicles.”
Active protesters should also know that they are not protected when they block roads and building entrances. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, “The general rule is that free speech activity cannot take place on private property, including shopping malls, without consent of the property owner. You do not have the right to remain on private property after being told to leave by the owner.” This is known as civil disobedience, or non-violent unlawful action as a form of protest, as defined by ACLU. CNN reported that a law that could be passed in North Dakota could make it legal for drivers to run over protesters in the road, as long as it is “unintentional.” Indiana, Minnesota and Iowa have also created laws about protestors blocking the roads.
The right to protest is a gift, a gift that comes with some restrictions. When people become a citizen of the U.S., you give up some of your rights to protect the rights of others. This means that you cannot hurl rocks or strange liquids at police officers, because it endangers their lives. So don’t do it. Protesters have the right to participate in peaceful protests, on streets, sidewalks and parks. In many cases, protesters do not need a permit. However, permits are needed for large marches that require street closures, rallies that use a sound amplifying device, or rallies at certain parks, according to the ACLU.
To all the protesters out there, protest your life away if you want to. Protests did not begin with President Obama or President Trump. CNN has a gallery of protest pictures that go back 50 years to Kennedy’s presidency. It’s your right to disagree with the government and let them know. It’s your right to hold signs up and even use vulgar language if you see fit. It’s your right to hand out fliers or pamphlets. It’s your right to collect signatures for a petition. Just remember these rights and practice them with the law in mind, because violence is never the answer.
Photo credit: 1. ABC News 2. New York Daily News