PROTESTING VS TERRORIZING

Our First Amendment protects our right to speech, religion, the press, freedom of peaceful assembly, and the right to petition our government for a redress of grievances. The right to protest is rare in the world, and Americans are proud of this right of the people. It is a symbol and reminder that the government works for the people. The right to assemble and petition to redress grievances means we can gather in crowds to protest. The right to protest is not the right to commit crimes. The people cannot use crowds to obstruct, intimidate, or cause harm.

Committing crimes with an intent to affect politics falls under terrorism. Such crimes worry citizens about the consequences of political expression/action. The right to speak freely, the right to assemble, and the right to protest are compromised by those who use violence or threaten violence to silence others. Threats of violence or outright acts of violence deprive citizens of their Constitutional rights.

Gathering in groups to commit crimes with the intent of affecting politics (primarily opposition voters) becomes a conspiracy to commit terroristic acts. No functioning democratic republic can work with crowds committing terroristic acts to suppress opposing political views. Democracy is suppressed when force is used.

Conspiracy to terrorize is a crime against the republic and should come with mandatory incarceration. Should justice officials entrusted with prosecuting the guilty refuse to implement the prosecution, they should be charged for defrauding the public from the salary they are being paid and dishonorably discharged for failure to execute the duties of their role.

Terrorizing, at minimum, should be prosecuted as a felony and cost the criminal the right to vote. If you want to affect change peacefully, you can act peaceably to achieve such an effect. Still, if you do so violently or criminally, you should lose your right to protest (and potentially your freedom). Like the right to bear arms, you have that right but can lose it by acting irresponsibly in a way that infringes on the rights of others.