Robert Wear: It’s still a free country, and protesters have a right to speak
As I watched the relatively peaceful protests the night after the election, I wasn’t surprised to hear Donald Trump supporters yelling at the protestors to go home. “Face it, you lost!”
One needs to remind those yelling that there is the First Amendment which gives them that right. Here’s what the followers of the Trump movement need to understand. All through history internal conflicts have opened deep wounds and created a divided nation. Slavery, women’s voting rights, civil rights for blacks have all left huge scars on the pages of this nation’s history. These are passed on from one generation to the next.
Unfortunately, from time-to-time, these scars are carelessly reopened. Donald Trump, with his vicious, hateful and vile campaign, has done just that. Healing these open wounds cannot be accomplished in a ruthless, heavy-handed manner. If the Trump presidency believes they are going to make this nation (it’s already great!) better, he must address the biggest problem facing him – a wounded nation. If we’re not healthy internally, the external affairs are meaningless.
Robert Wear, Turlock
This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 4:12 PM with the headline "Robert Wear: It’s still a free country, and protesters have a right to speak."