Response to Cato the Youngest

He's angry protesters trashed Rumsfeld's property

I'm not a big fan of cops busting protesters' heads, but in this case I'd have made an exception. People in government service, in time of war, particularly, should not have to put up with this sort of crap. The cops should have kicked ass and taken names.

He's talking about this Foxnews AP reprint.

War protesters trashed the grounds around a northern New Mexico home owned by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, placing "No War" stickers and throwing children's clothes around the property, authorities say.

No arrests were made during the demonstration Thursday, said Lt. Eddie Martinez of the Taos County Sheriff's Department.

The protesters were among 400 to 500 who began demonstrating at Taos Plaza and marched along U.S. 64 to two Rumsfeld properties at El Prado, a couple of miles northwest of Taos, Martinez said.

"They got onto his property, and that would be trespassing," he said. "There's issues and laws they need to understand. If their choice is a peace demonstration, then they should keep the peace."

Obviously, the protesters have the right to disagree with the actions of their government. This means they can be creative and investigative and protest at or near the homes of our officials. However, that doesn't mean they have the right to violate and deface private property. Those who did should have been arrested for trespassing and vandalism, as applicable. Lt. Martinez, his unit, and those involved in making arrest decisions should be reprimanded for not enforcing the law.

But the protesters certainly don't deserve to be beaten, kicked, or have their "heads busted" as Cato desires. Nothing in the report says the protesters were violent or destructive to any serious degree. If the police encountered such unruly activism, then force would be fine.

Cato's comment bothers me because it sounds like he endorses police brutality to be used on protestors when they have the ability to distract, discourage, bother, or interrupt the work or private lives of important government officials, especially during wartime. Alone, that is not a reasonable opinion to hold as it could apply to almost any kind of demonstration of opposition. Public officials are not entitled to a bubble of immunity from the public eye and mouth. Certainly their property and privacy are to be defended, but petty action like this doesn't in any way necessitate police aggression.

Posted by Drizzten at March 24, 2003 12:30 AM