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Set the record straight on Sussex assemblies

June 5, 2020

I wish to call out your mischaracterization of this event as a peace protest (your Breaking News report of June 3) as the vigil is intended as a peaceful, lawful protest of the racial discrimination by many police departments in the United States as evidenced by the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others before them.

We are also protesting the president’s response to the anger these murders have generated across this country and the world.

We are peaceably, lawfully assembling as individual citizens - not under the sponsorship of any organization or group - to protest racial injustice and, collaterally, the response by the president to the anger the recent examples of that racial injustice have created.

We are not assembling to demonstrate for peace.

There can be no peace when “living while black” seems to be enough “evidence” for some white law enforcement members to stop, arrest, and murder people of color with impunity.

They have even entered homes without warrants, and shot and killed people in their beds! Our Pledge of Allegiance calls for “liberty and justice for all” - where is that?

And how can there can be peace when the president’s response - in words and actions mocking the Constitution’s calling for “domestic tranquility” - demands then sends combat troops in full battle gear to intimidate citizens?

We are aware there are groups seeking to capitalize on those who assemble lawfully and peaceably to protest injustice, by using them as cover so they can destroy property hoping to cause riot or worse.

Every mayor and law enforcement agency and state governor is capable of responding to these attempts and restoring order as their particular situation requires. They do not need the bayonets of the 82nd Airborne Division to handle their situations.

The irony that guys garbed in paramilitary combat regalia and waving guns were able to occupy state houses recently is hardly lost on us.

If groups like that can be afforded “police protection” to “lawfully assemble,” we would expect a bunch of unarmed citizens, many of them grandmothers and grandfathers, carrying only signs while wearing masks and observing six feet of social distancing, would be afforded the same protection.

John Mears
Millsboro

 

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