Shouting is not free speech

It seems more and more demonstrators for whatever cause claim they are exercising their free speech rights.  Are they exercising free speech or freedom to disrupt?

Is it “free speech” to shout down a speaker?  By doing so, isn’t a shouter impinging on the speakers right of free speech?  Is it free speech to demonstrate outside a building in such large numbers that others can’t exercise their freedom to come and go as they please.

Some supporters of Bernie Sanders threaten to disrupt the Democratic National Convention.  As far as I know, Sanders has not yet disavowed these supporters.

Similarly, Trump supporters have disrupted other meetings.  Or anti-Trump supporters have tried to disrupt his meetings.

Consider that vocal opposition can arouse to unknown actions those you oppose.

Here is a better protest.  Silence.  Get a seat or a place to stand at a meeting of a politician you disagree with.  Then do nothing.  Don’t applaud.  Don’t boo.  Don’t cheer.  However, do stand for the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner or the Pledge of Allegiance.  You don’t want to be called unpatriotic.  You don’t have to sing or recite.  Lots of supporters do likewise.

You may be alone, but you are not yourself supporting or disrupting the speaker.  If you can get a couple dozen friends to join you, you have multiplied the silence.  If your action catches on, it could happen that a politician encounters a very quiet audience.  Nothing can be more disconcerting to a politician than silence.

See also "Free opinion vs. free speech",
http://magree.blogspot.com/2016/04/free-opinion-vs-free-speech.html

How to protest successfully

Many people are showing up at Trump rallies to show their opposition.  However, their actions often just rile up the Trump supporters.  A much more effective tactic would be to show up and do nothing.  A quiet audience is the worst possible insult to the likes of Donald Trump.

By wearing anti-Trump T-shirts or carrying anti-Trump signs, protesters just energize the Trump supporters.  But if a large part of his audience never applauded, never jeered, but just remained quiet, Trump wouldn’t know what to do, nor would many of his supporters.

Passive resistance like this can defuse many situations and make those who are the targets of the resistance feel very uncomfortable and unsure of their own positions.

I was very disappointed when Occupy Wall Street changed from lots of people carrying signs to a few people camping out in public spaces.  These squatters generated more antipathy than sympathy.

When somebody is shot, whether by police or by a bad guy shooting a cop, riots or demonstrations are not the answer.  Riots reduce the sympathy for the victim, and even distract from getting justice.  The best possible response is flowers at the site of the shooting.

Gandhi and King led the way on non-violent protest.  We dishonor them by even unduly disruptive behavior.