The right to assembly, along with the right to free speech, are two of the most important values held in today's America. The rally that was being held by Donald Trump at the University of Illinois at Chicago was a clear clash of those two ideals and ended up showing nothing but the fact that the bipartisanship found in our political climate is quickly devolving into insanity.
The line between peaceful and violent protest is certainly a thin one to walk, especially when protesters number in the thousands. The right to assembly and the right to peaceful protest is one upon which the foundation of this country was built, and it is certainly one that should be protected. However, in this instance, I am conflicted. If you have read any of my previous articles, it is made perfectly clear how I feel about Mr. Donald J. Trump, and my first instinct is to side with the protesters and call the cancellation of this rally a win. But, frankly, I'm not sure that we can call this a win because, at least in some way, the protesters at UIC have stooped to the level of Donald Trump. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for protesting his rallies by any means possible. Get out there and picket, yell, create signs to make your voices heard, but in no situation is it OK to become violent or demean the individuals who are attending the event in support of Trump.
Protesting is massively important because it allows people to get their voices heard, but if it is directed at the participants of the political base in today's society, then it will only foster resentment.
The right to free speech is arguably the most important cornerstone that makes America what it is, and because of violent protesters, Donald J. Trump had that right infringed upon. Once again let me preface this by explaining how much I loathe what Trump stands for, but that does not mean that he does not have the rights afforded to every American citizen. If we attempt to take away those rights, by getting his rallies cancelled through violent means, we are no better than Trump himself. A lot of the bigotry spouted by Trump boils down to him attempting to take away the rights of minorities in an effort to improve "security." If we do the same thing to him in infringing upon his constitutional rights, that makes us no better than the man himself.
At the end of the day, it is crucial that protests continue in spite of the bigotry and hatred that can be fostered between both sides of the political spectrum. However, it is also crucial that these protests continue in a peaceful manner to ensure that nobody's rights laid out by the Constitution are infringed upon. It is extremely important to change people's political thought through respectful debate and carefully constructed arguments. While this may not always be possible, anything is better than following the mob mentality and resorting to violence.
