Our right to protest

Dear Editor,

They fled horrible situations, degradation, governments allied against them, slavery and no opportunity for better lives.They fled north, enduring hardships of all kinds, even death. They sought havens and there were those who assisted them in their flight to a better life.

Today there are historical markers along the Underground Railroad routes they traveled and places that gave shelter.

The Cynthia Catlin Miller Pennsylvania Historical Marker north of Sugar Grove is such as she and her neighbors ignored the harsh Compromise of 1850s provision requiring all “free states” residents to assist in the capture and return of run-a-way slaves. There was a $1,000 fine for not doing so — $40,000 in today’s money. Miller and others hosted an 1854 Abolitionist Convention featuring the former slave Frederick Douglass.

The slaves’ flight north is similar to the current South American immigrants’ flight north, to land that once belonged to Mexico.

Former President Joe Biden is accused of enforcing bad immigrant laws poorly. Remember it was presidential candidate Donald Trump who had his Republican legislators kill reform immigration legislation. Trump wanted to exploit the immigration issue in his campaign, which he did very successfully.

Trump has kept the bad immigration law and is enforcing it uniformly, “Any and all who entered the country illegally are criminals and must be deported,” forget about reforming the bad immigration law. Nary a word.

Trump’s enforcement methods have violated humane civil rights, including the death of two citizens who were exercising their First Amendment Rights. Our bad law and Trump’s harsh, simple minded enforcement of it, ignore that some illegal immigrants have been here for decades, served in the military, contribute mightily to our economy, paid taxes, and have a crime rate below the average American citizen. Their efforts elevate our way of life. We need workers.

Enforcement violations of bad law or good law can not be tolerated. Protesters in Minnesota and throughout America believe Trump’s illegal enforcement of bad law is akin to Cynthia Catlin Miller’s beliefs and courage to stand up, speak out, and take risks to abolish long established slavery.

It’s the decades-long, bad immigration law that needs changed, not the citizens’ right to assemble peacefully to voice their grievances.

The protesters are against police state-like enforcement and against bad laws. The Bill of Rights grants them the right to gather and protest.

The protesters believe in protecting the fundamental values upon which our country is based. If belief, and confidence, in “all are equal under the law” is lost, then the United States of America is merely another second rate country and the Lady Justice Statue atop the Court House should be replaced with a Trump likeness.

Local protesters, led by local Indivisible spokespersons, peacefully gather on the southeast corner of our County Court House lawn monthly, not as dramatic as the protest in Minneapolis but significant.Stand up for the Constitution. Join in.

Don Scott,

North Warren