Joshua Johnson: Protesters Were Exercising Their First Amendment Rights

RUSH EXCERPT:

JOHNSON: “Two people with two very different life experiences, but each one makes a valid point, I think. President Obama certainly makes a very valid point in terms of the treatment of African-Americans. President Trump also makes a point that most police men and women are probably outstanding, at least at following their orders. What I saw from last night from anchoring some of our coverage on MSNBC is the issue may be with the orders. The heavy handedness I think comes from higher up than just the officers. I would love to know from every governor and mayor in the country whether any of their standing orders to any of the uniformed officers on the street included protect the protesters. Those protesters were exercising their First Amendment rights. As were my colleagues, including some who were hit with tear gas canisters. And I’m wondering whether or not the right to protest for improved law enforcement was lost in the push to reclaim the streets. It’s amazing how much power a handful of people in the context of a whole nation, a handful of people who broke a handful of windows and set a handful of cars and shops on fire militarized the entire law enforcement apparatus of the entire nation. It reminded me of that line from the movie ‘the dark knight” introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I am amazed at how quickly that happened. So even though both president Obama and President Trump have a point Y think the problem is that a piece of what president Trump said about the outstanding work of policemen and women, we clearly have varying definitions in this country of what outstanding means.”