Parade protest a case of poor timing - Delmarva Daily Times
Protesters and a Salisbury police officer have an encounter during a protest during the Salisbury Christmas Parade on Sunday regarding police treatment of minorities.(Photo: Staff photo by Todd Dudek)
George Orwell, author of the famous novel "1984" about the dangers of authoritarian government, once had this to say about free speech: "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."
In other words, every time you see a protest march for a cause with which you don't disagree, it's an affirmation of just how free all of us are. Because, in theory, someday it might be YOU protesting or petitioning the government for change, and it's vital to know you can do so freely.
Sadly, they don't hand out common sense with protest signs. In America, the right to free speech and peaceful assembly is paramount. But unlawful assembly is well, punishable. And while there is a proud history of peaceful civil disobedience in our nation, acting in a disruptive fashion can set back a cause instead of promote it.
That's why the protesters at the Salisbury Jaycees' Christmas Parade on Sunday afternoon should have given more thought to what they were going to do — and where.
Salisbury protester: I was 'unaware' of parade
VIDEO: Protest at the Salisbury Christmas Parade
GALLERY: Police Clash with Protesters at Salisbury Christmas Parade
You may or may not agree with the protesters' message — that events in Ferguson, Staten Island and elsewhere demonstrate police mistreatment of African-Americans. Yet people with such grievances have a seemingly infinite number of legally protected ways they can state them — marches, speeches, fliers, Facebook groups, tweets.
As Mayor James Ireton so succintly put it, the time and place of Sunday's protest was in "poor taste." You are not going to convince the general public of the wisdom of your cause when you are detracting from a popular holiday event. Families were there to catch candy thrown from Christmas floats and get in the holiday spirit; politics weren't on the radar screen. It is highly likely that many people at the parade were dissuaded instead of persuaded.
If anything, it gives fuel to the protesters' opponents. In a national discussion in which nuance is often lost, images of unruly activity takes focus off of one's message. And, in the case of these particular protesters, that only sets back the cause of promoting equal treatment under the law.
In the end, three individuals were arrested on charges including disturbing the peace, obstructing and hindering, disorderly conduct, failure to obey lawful order and even, in one case, assault. The protesters indeed got headlines — and a record spurt of mobile web traffic at DelmarvaNow.com. But it's unlikely the Rev. Martin Luther King would be particularly impressed with the effort.
Free speech? Lawful protest? Maybe a well-considered act of civil disobedience like Rosa Parks not giving up her seat on the bus? Sure, those are ingredients of our free and imperfect society.
Acting like the Grinch at a Christmas parade? Bah, humbug.
IN SUMMATION
A poorly planned, disruptive or illegal protest can set back a cause instead of promote it.
Read or Share this story: http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/12/09/parade-protest-editorial/20167637/