🚀 go-pugleaf

I recently posted the following article on my web site at:

http://www.mcs.net/~liber8r/onfile/KKKrally.html

Have a look for yourself but supply me with your comments.

-----Letter Begins-----

The Ku Klux Klan Rally in Cicero, Illinois
A Test of Our First Amendment Rights
by Mark Karadimos (e-mail: karadimos@geocities.com) 

The Ku Klux Klan is receiving a lot of attention concerning their desire to
rally in Cicero on March 14th. Much of this attention is deserved although
I question the intent of those who have positioned themselves around the
issue. I also question the ramifications of their efforts. 

In order to get a handle on this situation, the exact nature of the issue
needs to be addressed. The issue is whether or not a controversial group of
people have the right to rally in Cicero and anywhere else they choose in
The United States. Also, should the threat of violence be a determining
factor concerning the right to freedom of speech? 

On one hand, people have argued against the KKK's request to rally.
Cicero's president, Betty Loren-Maltese, has turned this into yet another
campaign issue with her former rival Charles Hernandez (in the
February/March issue of The Cicero Town News). The last town meeting
brought out business, education, and religious leaders of the community.
They claimed that the youths in Cicero do not possess the necessary
emotional characteristics needed to make a mature decision in this case. 

On the other hand, no one in Cicero has argued for the Ku Klux Klan's
constitutional right to rally. I believe that the reason for this lopsided
public debate is mainly due to the nature of the KKK. Their reputation for
being messengers of hate is well known and precedes them. They are also
well known for their entrenched views concerning racism and a history for
carrying out race related crimes. That is why it is very convenient for
many people to deny the KKK their right to speak. Nevertheless, even fools
have a right to be wrong and speak their minds publicly. The ability to
speak one's mind is a major source of our strength here in the U.S. A
weakness would exist if groups like the KKK were not allowed to speak. 

Even though Cicero defeated the Ku Klux Klan's request to rally, our First
Amendment rights will still be protected on the 14th. Those rights will be
protected because the KKK will be able to rally. The Town, which happens to
be mostly Hispanic, needs to know that their representatives are opposed to
the views that the KKK attempts to spread. The Town's unanimous decision
(7-0) should have done just that. However, The Town of Cicero must now
undergo a new role as a result of this event. It must educate its residents
to the rights all of us have as citizens of this great land. 

It will be uncomfortable for Town officials and school teachers to explain
why the Ku Klux Klan has a fundamental right to rally wherever they choose
in this country. Yet it is that exact right which makes our country such a
great place. It is that exact reason why so many people from so many
countries decide to migrate to The United States. It is about freedom. We
must preserve our freedom by allowing groups like the KKK to speak
publicly, no matter how strongly we disagree with them. In the Chicago
Tribune, Jane Smiley wrote, "A child who is protected from all
controversial ideas is as vulnerable as a child who is protected from every
germ. The infection, when it comes--and it will come--may overwhelm the
system, be it the immune system or the belief system." 

Our Constitution defends our rights and freedoms but with it comes
tremendous responsibilities. Unfortunately, people today are far too quick
to deprive each other of those rights by removing freedoms and ignoring
responsibilities. It is easy to let someone else worry about issues like
this or to silence opposing views. I am not proud having to admit it but
that is what is happening around this issue. 

In all fairness, Cicero's president did make a reasonable request. She has
suggested for people to stay home on the 14th. She is right because a low
turn out will send a clear message that hatred and violence will not be
tolerated nor entertained. The KKK is hoping for a large audience to stir
up. Cicero residents must not play into their hands. 

Personally, I feel confident that Cicero residents will be capable of
handling their emotions when KKK members preach their ignorance; and that
is clearly their intent. Reacting to their hatred with violence would only
further their misguided cause. A lack of audience or one which is passive
would eliminate the energy that the KKK is expecting to generate. 

The Town, even though it must honor the KKK's right to speak, is not
required to sit by idly as members provoke violence. I am definitely not
versed in Cicero's ordinances nor am I able to quote from the police
manual, but I am sure that there must be some provisions on the books that
may help The Town keep peace. The moment KKK members use racial epitaphs
like "nigger" or "spic," police officers should fine and/or arrest the
members for inciting a riot or disorderly conduct. The Town could even
suggest a certain parking area for KKK members. Police could inspect every
car for compliance with the law, as they should every vehicle. The Town is
not without power to instill peace. 

As we approach this defining moment in Cicero's future, we must take care
to study both sides of this issue. It may be convenient to dismiss the
rights of controversial groups, but the biggest sufferer would be the
everyday American citizen. Instead of sending an unfavorable message to
minors and even fellow adults, let us learn from this and do the right
thing, even though it appears to be the most difficult option we face. 

John Stuart Mill wrote, "The only freedom which deserves the name, is that
of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to
deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it." Thomas
Jefferson, one of The Founding Fathers of The United States Constitution
once wrote, "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too
much liberty, than those attending too small a degree of it." Let's have a
peaceful demonstration and be a role model for every other small town and
big city in this land. Let's show the world democracy in action. 
----Letter Ends----

                    The Liber8r

The Liber8r can be reached by e-mail, voicemail and web site respectively:
liber8r@mcs.com
http://www.mcs.net/~liber8r