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 Editorial: Philadelphia's message on political protest 09/20/00 - by Daniel Patrick Touey - Philadelphia Inquirer Is there anything that would get you to stop traffic? Of course there is. Whether it's to Free Mumia or secure justice for slain Police Officer Daniel Faulkner, each one of us feels strongly enough about something to get out there and try to get the message across. Except now, after what happened after the Republican convention (Inquirer, Sept. 16), we've all got more to think about. That's because we've learned that, in Philadelphia, political protest comes with a heavy price. Arrested on a misdemeanor, you may spend days in jail before your arraignment and then receive bail in the six figures. Use your house to make up some signs (or puppets) for a protest, and the police may get a friendly judge to give them a warrant to come and take it all away. And if you become a leader of your cause, you risk being picked up on sight and your cell phone marked as an "instrument of crime." Your rights under the Eighth, Fourth and First amendments mean nothing in this city. (Those are the ones that bar excessive bail, illegal searches and seizures, and the abridgment of free speech.) Police Commissioner John F. Timoney or District Attorney Lynne Abraham can do pretty much whatever they want to you. And until we are ready to stand up for everyone's rights, even those with whom we passionately disagree, then things will never get any better. What we must all admit now is that the rules change in the justice system when politics are involved. And that should upset you, whatever your views on the issues. If anybody thinks that the message sent by the police and the District Attorney's Office is just meant for some kids dressed in black and overturning newspaper boxes, they are dead wrong. Their message is meant for you. And if you think twice now before you pick up a sign or sit down in the street to protest injustice, then that message has gotten through. |
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