Blog #3: Freedom Lense

 In this country, we are all given certain rights through the Constitution and especially the Bill of Rights. The first amendment contains six freedoms. The six freedoms are petition, press, assembly, speech, religion, and abstaining from religion. These freedoms allow us to express ourselves without fear of punishment if we stay within reason. There are events and movements happening everyday in our society that deal with the first amendment. An example of a movement that has ties to the first amendment is the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter movement uses their first amendment rights to speak out and hold protests mainly against policy brutality. They have held marches, used social media, and even had speakers go on main stream news networks to talk about their cause. 

Protests can be peaceful but they can also get pretty violent. The first amendment protects our right to protest peacefully, but it does not protect violent protests. Many scholars are analyzing the comparison of the Black Lives Matter movement and what occurred at the capitol during the beginning of January. Throughout the article, they argue that these events were not comparable at all because the Black Lives Matter protests were for a cause and to help people see the hold white supremacy has on them and the country so they can break free, but the capitol events were all about destroying democracy and upholding white supremacy.

I have a lot of conflicting opinions regarding these two protests. On the one hand, I think everyone has the right to express their opinions regardless of if I agree with them or not, but on the other hand I don't believe someone has the right to take those opinions and use violence to get them across. I think that these two events are definitely comparable. Even though they did not have the same motives or cause, I find it hard to believe that two protests can't be compared. 

Let's start with the Black Lives Matter protests. I feel that this movement has every right to post things on social media, go on news shows, hold protests, and so much more. The problem becomes when these protests stop becoming peaceful. I do think it's important to take into consideration that every violent protestor might not be there 100% for the movement and to maintain peace. They may be there to make the movement look bad, they may be paid to incite violence, or they may be defending themselves and are just portrayed in the wrong light. I completely support their right to march for what they believe in, but I vehemently oppose burning down buildings, smashing car windows, and looting stores. That stops becoming protected speech and starts becoming unprotected action. 

Here are Black Lives Matter marchers lying peacefully in the streets to protest the unjust death of George Floyd.

This is a black owned business that was burned down by Black Lives Matter protestors.

This can also be said about what happened at the capitol. This protest began as completely peaceful and protected by the first amendment. Eventually, it turned and became violent with people even breaching the capitol building.

I feel that this is definitely comparable to the Black Lives Matter protests. They both started out very peaceful, but eventually turned into violence and rioting whether or not it was meant to as well as whether or not the people doing the rioting were actually there as supporters of the movement.

I don't think it is fair to say that one of these turning to violence is wrong, but the other is justified. Violence is violence. It doesn't matter what your political opinion is on the matter; what does matter is that the people inciting violence be held accountable for their actions.