What Have You Got to Lose?

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the freedoms outlined in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. I am including the full amendment because I believe that several of them have been evident over the past two weeks of protests.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for are a redress of grievances.

            Last week George Floyd, a black man, died with the knee of a white cop on his neck. Almost immediately, people began to assemble to protest police brutality. Almost all Americans believe that the cop abused his power, and he has been arrested and charged with second degree murder. The three other officers involved have been charges with lesser crimes.


            There is no question that the protesters had the right to assemble in protest and to use their right to free speech to voice their objections to what occurred in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The problem that I see happened when people – whether the original protesters or other people who decided to take advantage of the situation – began rioting, looting, burning businesses, and killing people. 

An even bigger problem as I see it is that elected representatives supported the riots. Some mayors of big cities seemed to think that rioting was protected by the Constitution. No, assembling and protesting are protected acts, but rioting, looting, burning businesses, and killing people are crimes!

It was interesting to me to see how the riots were worst in big cities governed by Democrats. I think I saw a comparison of 25:1, meaning that there were riots in 25 Democrat-controlled cities compared to one Republican-controlled city. What made the difference? Are the Democrat governors complicit with those who want to weaken the United States? Do they have bad policies? Are there more blacks in Democrat-controlled cities? Are the mayors too proud to call in the National Guard, or to ask President Trump for help?

It is probably some combination of several factors that caused worse rioting, looting, burning, and killing in Democrat-controlled cities. The sad results of all the negative behaviors is that the black communities are worse off now than before all the destruction. The people who claim to have the good of the black people in mind and heart are the people who have brought destruction to them. They may have moved forward a few feet in gaining more understanding from white people, but they were pushed backward many times more feet. 

One of the few ways to get rid of racist police departments and rogue cops is to stop electing Democrats. Liberal policies due not work no matter how good the intentions. Growth comes from following conservative principles. Even though there are some Republicans-in-name-only – such as Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney – who are more liberal than conservative, there are numerous other Republicans who support conservative principles. The question asked by presidential candidate Donald Trump is just as important today as it was in 2016: What have you got to lose?