Stuff My Brain Says #84

"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 a redress of grievances." - Amendment I, U.S. Constitution

This past weekend marks a sad day in American history. People all over the country got together to "petition the government for a redress of grievances." Primarily, they were protesting the death of George Floyd, who died when in the custody of the Minneapolis police. However, many of those protests shifted from "peaceably" to violent; including destruction of property and looting.

These types of protests need to stop. 

Here are a few considerations:

Every person needs to register prior to attending any protest.
Every person needs to publicly display their name on their clothing during the protest.
No wearing of black clothing and NO hoodies allowed.
Every person will go through a checkpoint prior to attending the protest.
If you fail to comply with the above you will be arrested and removed from the assembly.

Now, let me address the whys:

Many of the reports I read and videos I saw were concerning hooded individuals initiating the violence, destruction of property, and looting (what does the looting of a Target have to do with #BlackLivesMatter I have no idea). In Cleveland, over 60 people were arrested for aggravated rioting, vandalism, disorderly conduct and curfew violations. Some of those individuals were not from Cleveland. If every person is registered, publicly wearing their name, and are not hidden behind dark clothing and hoods, the chances of someone starting a riot are greatly diminished. And the checkpoints will guarantee no one is carrying a weapon or clothing they can use to disguise their identities (you have to go through checkpoints to get into Cleveland Indians games after all).

"But J.P., don't you know that we have a right to protest? It's in the 1st Amendment that you posted at the top of this article."

Read it again. It says you have the right to PEACEABLY assemble. Not riot. Not destroy property. Not bludgeon people with two-by-fours (yes, I saw that video too). PEACEABLY assemble.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." - Preamble to the U.S. Constitution

As the preamble above shows, the concept of the Constitution, and the Amendments contained therein, are based on the intention of a CIVILIZED SOCIETY. IF you choose to behave uncivilized, you LOSE that right. 

Don't agree? Go commit a felony, go to jail, serve your time, and try to vote. Why can't a felon vote? Because the act of the felony (an uncivilized act) DISQUALIFIES the person from the rights of a citizen in a civilized society. You know, part of the "domestic Tranquility".

When the violence and destruction become the news, the meaning of your protest is no longer the news. So, if you therefore have no desire for your message to be heard, you don't protest.

If you can't act like adults, you should be treated as the unruly children you are.

©Emittravel 2020

Stuff My Brain Says #80

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." 

The above is the Oath of Enlistment that I affirmed when I joined the U.S. Navy back in 1984. 

"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 a redress of grievances."

The above is the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The same Constitution that I swore to support and defend.

Recently, groups of white supremacists, Nazis, and those who stand against white supremacists and Nazis, have held marches and protests. Now, as a person who stands for the rights expressed in the U.S. Constitution, I want to say that I support the RIGHT for those to speak their minds. That does NOT mean that I agree with or support their views. It means that I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. 

As a refresher, the First Amendment does not establish the rights of the people, but states the limitations of the government ("Congress shall make no law..."). 

According to the First Amendment, Congress shall make no law that would prohibit the right of the people to peaceably assemble. 

PEACEABLY assemble.

When an assembly of people turn violent they no longer have the right to assemble. That does not mean that if you are being violent AS a "hate group" or being violent AGAINST a "hate group", YOU are in the wrong. 

When you peaceably assemble you CANNOT throw stones, bricks, or punches. You CANNOT destroy public or private property (which includes statues and monuments - there are civil and legal ways to remove them). In other words, you have the right to assemble in a non-violent way. 

You may hate white supremacists and Nazis. That is your right. And, as a white supremacist and/or Nazis you may hate those who protest against you. But NEITHER group has the right to cause harm to the other. At that point you fall dangerously close to being a domestic enemy - and there is a large number of folks who swore to support and defend the Constitution against you.

Remember: You have the right to assemble peaceably and you have the right to speak freely. You do NOT have the right to be heard. 

© Emittravel 2017

The Merc with the Shut-Your-Mouth

My wife and I went and saw Deadpool at the local theater the other day. First off, that was a great ride of a movie. Lots of action, humor, and visual . . . uh . . stimulation? Okay - it was high on the scale when it came to nudity and violence. In fact, it was what is known in movie parlance as a "hard R".

We walked into the theater knowing it was an R-rated flick. We were ready for it. Though, we were sure there were some who walked OUT of the theater very uncomfortable. You see, there were quite a few small children (along with what looked like parents) in the theater. We did overhear one father tell his kid prior to entering that he was surprised that it was rated R, but since they had already bought the tickets . . .

It's not like the rating for the film was hid from the public. But I think that many brought their kids because of it being a superhero movie. You know, those funny Guardians of the Galaxy, or "got no strings on me" Avengers. Apparently, even though most of us had never even heard of the Guardians of the Galaxy prior to the movie, Deadpool was a known entity in the comic book universe. The alternate title of the movie was "X-Men Origins: Deadpool". And I'm glad that the production studio kept it true to the character's . . . uh . . . character. Deadpool, whose nickname is the "Merc with the Mouth", never took himself too seriously. He KNOWS he's in a movie (like he KNOWS he's in a comic book) - constantly breaking the fourth wall to talk to the audience. And he's quite violent - just like the comic.

So I had to wonder, with all of the parents with kids in the theater, what exactly IS the purpose of the movie rating system anyways?

And then I figured it out.

The purpose of the movie rating system is to have a way of keeping adults from accidentally finding themselves in a G-rated flick. The only expected "Thumper" is a topless dancer, and not a fuzzy bunny in "Bambi". Gotta protect our sensitivities, after all!

©Emittravel 2016

Stuff My Brain Says #58

Politicians, and many who worship at the altar of the "Mainstream Media", believe that the solution to the violence committed using guns would be more, and stricter, gun laws. You know, I honestly wish they were right. A few laws are passed and suddenly such violence is all but a forgotten memory. But you want to know the truth? That is a false hope.

There are already more gun laws on the books than can be counted, and since there is STILL violence committed with guns, more laws can't be the fix. Yet, the cry for more laws has become almost deafening. Obviously, more laws is not the solution - or places like Chicago would already be the safest places on the planet. It is already against the law to commit murder - with any type of weapon - and that has not stopped it from happening.

What is the solution? Some say putting God back in the front of our lives. Others say focus on strengthening the ties of traditional marriage and family. Do I have the answer? No. But I CAN tell you that if something does NOT work, more of it won't either.

© Emittravel 2013