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Theviolencecontinues.
Honestly,ImhavingahardtimewritingthisonebecauseImalmostspeechless.
Theviolencethathascontinuedunabatedinthecapitolrotundaishorrifying.AndwhileIamnotsurprisedthatithascontinued,thatdoesnotmakeitanymore
acceptable.Thisviolence,ifyoulookattheprotestorsandthepolice,isobviouslynotcausedbytheprotestors.AlloftheprotestorsthatIhaveseenoncamerahavebeenacting
withnon-violentresistance,ifthat.Agreatmanyofthemdidnotresistinanyway,
insteadbeingledawaytobesearchedandfined.AsaPirate,Ibelievethatthebillof
rightsshouldbeappliedtoeverysituation.But,thisbeliefshouldnotjustbeaPirate
belief.Thisideathatthebillofrightsisourdefenseagainstinjustice,corruption,and
anarchyisonethatgoesbacktothefoundingofournation,andbefore.Itisironic,I
think,thatthebillofrightsisappliedbymanypeopleinourgovernmentonlywhere
itisofbenefittotheirpersonalinterests.Itisironicthatinoneofthemanystates
wherethebillofrightsisthefirstpartoftheconstitution,itisignoredbythosewho
sworetoupholdit.WhenIwasinhighschool,IwaspartofaprogramcalledtheHouseofPeaceTeenLeaders.Theprogramtrainedteenssuchasmyselftoleadandfacilitateworkshops
oncommunityissuesandonnon-violentconflictresolution.Welearnedhowtosolveconflictswithoutviolence.Oneofthemainthingswelearnedwashowtotalk
carefullyandlistencarefully.Weevendidskitstoillustrateexamplesofconflicts,
bothwithandwithoutcarefultalkingandlistening.Itisthejobofourgovernment,asthegovernorsofthepeople,andespeciallyourpoliceandjudicialsystems,to
facilitateconflictresolutionthroughthosesametactics.Policearetaughthowtoavoidaconflictescalation,andaretrainedtobeauthoritativewithoutmaking
otherstooangryorintimidated.
Itisnotmyargumentthatthepoliceintentionallywentagainsttheirtraining,butinsteadthatthechiefofthecapitolpolicedid.DavidErwin,insteadoftryingto
negotiateortalkwiththeprotesters,insteadofthinkingofthebillofrightsthat
governsourstate,decidedthattheprotestershadtogo.
Iwouldarguethathisactionshavemadehisjobevenharder,ifanything.
Theoft-madeargumentagainstthesingersisthatfreedomsofspeechcanbe
restrictedtoareasonabledegreeinordertoensurethefunctioningofthe
community.And,thereisprecedenttobackthispoint,toacertainextent.Iactuallyhadtothinkaboutthispointoftheissueforawhile.TheSolidaritySingersare
practicingtheirfreespeechrights,butthoserightsmayberegulatedbythecapitolif
itisnecessaryforthefunctioningofthecommunity.Buttheresonethingthatsticksoutatmehere.HowistheregulationoftheSolidaritySingersnecessaryforthe
functioningofthecommunity?Whoserightsarethesingersviolatingbypracticingtheirrighttofreespeech?None,thatIcouldthinkof.Infact,Iwouldarguethatthe
crackdownontheSolidaritySingers,thatregulationoffreespeech,hasactually
harmedthecommunity,andmadethejobsofthosewhoworkinthecapitoleven
moredifficult.Theprinciplebehindtheregulationofrightsincertainsituationsis
thatMyrightsendwhereyoursbegin.
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Ifthisistrue,thennotonlyaretherightsoftheSingersbeingsuspended,butthe
rightsofthecommunity.Thecommunity,inallnormalsituations,hastheunequivocalrighttomovefreelythroughthecapitol,toworkthereifthatistheir
job,andtotakepictures,observe,andenjoythebeautifulbuildingwithoutexcessivenoise,andwithoutanyharassment.
Thearrestofthismaniscertainlyunlawful,andunconstitutional,byanyofthesedefinitions.Theonlyrightsbeingviolatedarethoseofthesingersandtheobservers.The
crackdownhasnolegalprecedent,andthesingershaveeveryrighttobethere
withoutbeingharassedbythecapitolpolice.Honestly,though.Thisisnotthepartof
theissueIfindthemosthorrifying.
ThethingIfindthemosthorrifyingisnotthepolicearrests,notthecontinued
violenceinthecapitolrotunda,butinsteadtheabsoluteapathyonthepartofthe
policechief,governorwalker,andthefarright.Dothesepeoplehaveany
compassionforotherhumanbeings?Isincerelyhopetheydo.IfIwerewrong,ifthe
policechiefhadamultitudeofexcellent,lawful,andconstitutionalreasonstodo
whathedid,thatwouldbewonderful.ButIdonotseethosereasons,andIcannotseehowanyonecoulddowhathehasdoneandstillhavecompassionforothers.
~FrancisJ.Klein
PiratePartyCandidateforGovernorwww.facebook.com/klein4wi
www.twitter.com/[email protected]
