This is definitely a complex topic with a lot of emotion because current events are continually broadcast on 24 hour news networks that thrive on controversy. One of the most sensitive topics has been the accusation that some police officers unjustly treated black male citizens in carrying out their duties. This attributed to establishing the Black Lives Matter movement; a form of civil disobedience with rallies throughout the U.S. Unfortunately this same controversial topic resulted in five police officers being killed in the line of duty in Dallas, TX, three police officers killed in the line of duty in Baton Rouge, LA and other cities as well. President Obama has participated in forums to address this controversial topic and asked that
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The key is that the peaceful resistance not get out of control in a protest march. This is the challenge because people are watching across the U.S., and across the World, from all political views and the ability to connect with people usually happens in small ways; not if someone feels like they are being told what to think. Several articles discuss how the protest march that protesters participated in was the first for many of them (Time, 2016). The protesters in this New York city protest tied their frustration back to the events surrounding Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, MO. The protesters indicated that the protest was part of the new civil rights movement. In that light, Dr. Martin Luther King, emphasized using peaceful protests to help change the hearts of people. It is important to have transparency when trying to figure out if accusations of brutality have merit (CNN, 2016). This has been part of the motivation for cities and police departments to include body cameras on their uniform in attending to their police vehicles. Athletes and celebrities have also held peaceful protests in several different forms (Washington Post, 2016) enabling them to use their public recognition to help further the conversation. For those people, especially in high public positions, it is important to continue to help the conversation for the long term so that peaceful protesters and police, city officials are not talking past each other.
So in conclusion, peaceful protests do not negatively impact a free society. Freedom of speech and the right to assemble are two of our most basic rights as a country. Do we still have a long way to go as a nation that does not have differences? Of course we do, but I am up to doing my part to contribute to a better
The key is that the peaceful resistance not get out of control in a protest march. This is the challenge because people are watching across the U.S., and across the World, from all political views and the ability to connect with people usually happens in small ways; not if someone feels like they are being told what to think. Several articles discuss how the protest march that protesters participated in was the first for many of them (Time, 2016). The protesters in this New York city protest tied their frustration back to the events surrounding Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, MO. The protesters indicated that the protest was part of the new civil rights movement. In that light, Dr. Martin Luther King, emphasized using peaceful protests to help change the hearts of people. It is important to have transparency when trying to figure out if accusations of brutality have merit (CNN, 2016). This has been part of the motivation for cities and police departments to include body cameras on their uniform in attending to their police vehicles. Athletes and celebrities have also held peaceful protests in several different forms (Washington Post, 2016) enabling them to use their public recognition to help further the conversation. For those people, especially in high public positions, it is important to continue to help the conversation for the long term so that peaceful protesters and police, city officials are not talking past each other.
So in conclusion, peaceful protests do not negatively impact a free society. Freedom of speech and the right to assemble are two of our most basic rights as a country. Do we still have a long way to go as a nation that does not have differences? Of course we do, but I am up to doing my part to contribute to a better