YOU! HAVE THE POWER | Dr. Ellen Brown
February 8, 2021 by agutting@reviewjournal.com
Filed under Community
Insurrection!
BY DR. ELLEN BROWN
Insurrection: noun. A violent uprising against an authority or government.
In the United States of America? Surely, you are mistaken.
There was an insurrection in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021. Now, we know that the media freely uses more familiar and inciting terms to describe demonstrations that occur around the country when the people exercise their right to demonstrate: rioters, mobs, hoodlums, extremists. Let’s not get it twisted: these terms have consequences.
The Constitution of the United States gives citizens the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. In fact, the First Amendment guarantees five freedoms: speech, religion, press, assembly and petitioning government. The key word here is peaceably. An insurrection is not conducted peaceably. It is not legal!
The people do have the power; however, that power is explicitly described in the Constitution. Your power to peaceably express satisfaction, dissatisfaction, needs, wants, concerns and positions is still on the books. What is not allowed is seditious behavior — a felony – punishable by up to 20 years in prison!
So, continue to peacefully exercise your power to spotlight that which is important to you. Continue to exercise your power, knowing the difference between insurrection and protest. Continue to express your dissatisfaction for actions that clearly go against the Constitution of the United States of America.
You still have the power!
Dr. Ellen Brown is an affiliate faculty member at Regis University, Denver. Contact Dr. Brown at ebrown.nci@gmail.com