There are conflicting reports about a conference call regarding the Occupy movement. Although eleven mayors of major American cities participated, they deny that the discussion was about coordinating efforts to break up Occupy encampments. Despite the denial, the timing of crackdowns in several of the cities, including Denver, followed soon after the conference call, and all on the same night.
What is especially troubling to me, perhaps because I remember the protest movement of the 60’s, is the asymmetrical use of force. Members of the Occupy movement have been cautioning each other to remain peaceful. Yet they’ve been pepper sprayed, hit in the head with rubber bullets, and bloodied by other means while exercising their constitutionally protected right to assemble.
Lest we forget, Amendment I to the Constitution of the United States of America states: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech … or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
If Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people to assemble and petition the Government about grievances, it should follow that when the people do assemble for that purpose, no government shall use force to disburse that assembly. Yet the mayors of eleven states are using curfew laws and other local statutes as an excuse to remove protestors and their possessions from public parks. When they sweep the parks, they are in military formations, with protective helmets, flak jackets, while wielding pepper spray, rifles with rubber bullets, and night sticks. In back up they have helicopters, unmanned drones and military style vehicles.
Police forces, which usually have a mission statement along the lines of “to serve and protect” are increasingly becoming militarized. This probably should not be a surprise, especially after September 11 and the subsequent terrorist scares. Yet it feels wrong to be treating young people, who are frustrated that their future has been taken from them, as domestic terrorists. Is the next step to detain them, without benefit of attorney until they can be water-boarded and whisked off to a prison in a foreign country?
Homework
11 Mayors on Crackdown Conference Call
Esquire Blog About Crack Down in New York
Popular Mechanics Editorial About the Militarization of Police Forces
Hickenlooper Has Degree Revoked
What is especially troubling to me, perhaps because I remember the protest movement of the 60’s, is the asymmetrical use of force. Members of the Occupy movement have been cautioning each other to remain peaceful. Yet they’ve been pepper sprayed, hit in the head with rubber bullets, and bloodied by other means while exercising their constitutionally protected right to assemble.
Lest we forget, Amendment I to the Constitution of the United States of America states: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech … or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
If Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people to assemble and petition the Government about grievances, it should follow that when the people do assemble for that purpose, no government shall use force to disburse that assembly. Yet the mayors of eleven states are using curfew laws and other local statutes as an excuse to remove protestors and their possessions from public parks. When they sweep the parks, they are in military formations, with protective helmets, flak jackets, while wielding pepper spray, rifles with rubber bullets, and night sticks. In back up they have helicopters, unmanned drones and military style vehicles.
Police forces, which usually have a mission statement along the lines of “to serve and protect” are increasingly becoming militarized. This probably should not be a surprise, especially after September 11 and the subsequent terrorist scares. Yet it feels wrong to be treating young people, who are frustrated that their future has been taken from them, as domestic terrorists. Is the next step to detain them, without benefit of attorney until they can be water-boarded and whisked off to a prison in a foreign country?
Homework
11 Mayors on Crackdown Conference Call
Esquire Blog About Crack Down in New York
Popular Mechanics Editorial About the Militarization of Police Forces
Hickenlooper Has Degree Revoked
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