Whiny Philadelphians, specifically some local on-air personalities from Channel Six, are upset tonight after their Christmas tree lighting was disrupted by protesters at City Hall. The people protesting staged a “die in,” tying up traffic in center city and making noise which drowned out the stage acts featured at the event. The protesters were out in the terrible weather because of the cold-blooded murder of Eric Garner in New York and the case in Ferguson, MO in which Michael Brown was shot and killed over the summer.
One particular broadcaster posted on her Facebook page and asked her constituents whether the protests were happening “at the right time or place.” This prompted many whiny Philadelphians to complain bitterly that the protesters are “disrespectful” and that they “should be arrested.”
Actually, no, they should not be arrested because the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution promises the people the right to assemble and protest. Nowhere does it state, in fact, that people lighting a Christmas tree have the right to not be interrupted by those who are exercising that freedom, so too bad.
The answer to the question posed by Philadelphia’s local personality Cecily Tynan is yes, it IS the right time and place for a protest, because a protest is a guaranteed right; a right that is not confined to a particular time or a particular place.
In this country, how has change been enacted throughout history? Has change been enacted by people maintaining the status quo and making sure to preserve the “peace and quiet?”
Absolutely not.
Change has traditionally occurred when people make noise. Lots of noise. At inappropriate times. Change happens when people shake things up, shout things down, march, sit in, protest, yell and shout. Keeping the peace and quiet and minding the status quo is the exact opposite thing to do when trying to get a message across.
So the whiny Philadelphians who are apparently not fans of the Constitution can take their complaints and their hand wringing right to North Korea, where perhaps they may be more comfortable. In North Korea, any public ceremony is sure to be dead quiet since the people there have no rights and most certainly will not be protesting anything.
This is the USA and that means we all have the right to protest whenever and wherever we want to on public property. This right is a cornerstone of the Constitution and it is one of the most important concepts in American history. How did the Civil Rights movement come about? Protest. How did women gain the right to vote? PROTEST! If anyone asked the suffragettes whether or not they were marching and yelling “at the right time and place,” the answer would have been a resounding YES.
The answer was yes then, and the answer is yes now. Yes, it is the right time and place for protest because protest can-and must-happen at any time and place for change to occur. Do not question the protesters; celebrate them. They are participating in the very essence of what it means to be an American.
By: Madison Cheyenne