The "New York Times" and CNN report attracted my attention because it deals with an offshoot of the Black Lives Matter protests that has nothing to do with blacks, but with another oppressed minority. Around the 1600s Conquistadors from Spain ruled what is now New Mexico, and forced their Catholic religion on the Native Americans. A statue of one of the Conquistadors’ leaders stands outside a history museum in Albuquerque. Encouraged by the Black Lives Matter movement, Native Americans and their supporters staged a protest and attempted to pull down the statue.
A counter-protest group, a right-wing militia called the New Mexico Civil Guard, gathered to protect the statue. Scuffling broke out between the two groups and then one man, who police believe was a member of the militia, began shooting. He hit one of the anti-Conquistador protesters. At last report, the victim was in critical condition. The alleged shooter was arrested.
The first amendment: Freedom of Speech; gave both groups the right to protest. But not the right to fight, resort to violence, or tear down public property. Unfortunately exercising your freedom of speech, can lead to violence.
Our founding fathers came together to create a government that wasn't tyrannical but instead gave citizens the right to publicly, peacefully, express their views. Unfortunately when a group feels it is being denied that right, they might become violent, as happened here. I feel that Native Americans had the first amendment right to protest against the statue, but not the right to tear it down. The right wing militia had the right to support the statue, but not to become violent. The shooting was shocking and shameful and way over the line.
This violence then becomes the story, and distracts from the protesters’ issues on both sides. The shooting proves that in this case, actions speak louder than words.
Officials in New Mexico say they will take down the statue to remove it as a flashpoint for violence. So the anti-statue protesters got what they wanted. That seems like poetic justice since a militia member has resorted to shooting.
I didn’t know about the history of Conquistadors in New Mexico—that they had oppressed, abused, and forced their religion on Native Americans. (No freedom of religion for them.) And I didn’t know that different minorities, including Native Americans, were now demonstrating in the streets, prompted by the Black Lives Matter protests. So I learned a lot from this article as for Black Lives Matter, many important movements started when we underestimated the power of people's voice and anger.
Websites:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/us/conquistador-onate-albuquerque-new-mexico-unrest.html
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/16/us/protest-wrap-tuesday/index.html
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