Rule of Law vs. Free Speech
Many of us are watching with disbelief as college campuses throughout the country erupt with students protesting what is going on in the Middle East.
I want to support Israel, our ally, yet at the same time, I am appalled by Netanyahu’s slaughter of innocent Palestinian women and children: over thirty thousand victims! The world watched in horror on Oct 7th as Hamas conducted a stealth attack on Israel. Wasn’t Israel’s defense system impenetrable?
This transports me to the spring and summer of 1970, the period I fondly refer to as the radicalization of Rosemary Bova. I was in graduate school when students were killed at Kent and Jackson, both State colleges. We closed Columbia’s School of Social Work and met as a small group throughout the summer. We spoke out, wrote pamphlets, and distributed them, eager to affect change.
The school responded favorably to some of our demands and classes began the following fall on the main campus. I was elected to speak to the student body. I was speaking up and being heard!
Fifty years have passed since that era. I’m glad students are raising their voices to call out the inhumane treatment of Palestinians. Gaza is now in rubble. Hamas’ attack killed 1200 and took over 200 hostages. What point is Israel trying to make? I recognize war is never the answer!!!
But let’s get back to our country. Many of the protestors did not attend the colleges at which they were taking part in protesting. I wonder, who are they? Agitators? Professionals? Do or did they have something else in mind? Were they radicalizers? Were they being paid?
Yes, 50 years ago was a different time. A simpler time. We didn’t have rampant disinformation disseminated on social media sites.
People choose to live in America because they can speak their truth. We have freedom of speech guaranteed by the first amendment. We also have the rule of law although some would like to dismantle it. My go to phrase for years? Both-And. We don’t knowingly promote inaccurate information on the internet. We follow the law. If we want to protest, we get a permit.
I wonder where these “agitators” are coming from. Are they attempting to radicalize our college age youth? I once heard of a college that created opportunities for dialogue amongst cohorts of students of different faiths and ethnicity along with their professors. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, I saw this on the news once… and never again.
Our country has become polarized on a number of issues. We are at the point where no one can disagree with another or have a dialogue with each other. We are human and we need to explore different points of view.
And yes: we are a country with the rule of law. Over the past decades everyone knows that that concept-the rule of law- has been applied disproportionately to thousands of people, landing them in prison.That needs to be corrected; and we need to continue to follow the rule of law while correcting errors of the past.
So where does that leave us? I celebrate students protesting, making their voices heard and raising consciousness. I also celebrate our right to protest within the rule of law. Where do you stand?