THE CZECH IS IN THE MAIL
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left a legacy of nonviolence and tolerance for generations of Americans.
In Taylor, Elgin, Rockdale and many other communities, King’s legacy was honored and celebrated through marches, songs and presentations Jan. 19.
I had the privilege of covering the event in Taylor for the newspaper.
King, like many of us today, exercised his First Amendment rights. He paid the ultimate price for doing so, but his legacy lives on because of his bravery and the bravery of others willing to stand up to racial discrimination and segregation.
I believe King today would be proud of Americans across the country exercising their constitutional right to peacefully protest the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Act.
As I mentioned in a previous column, recent anti-ICE protests revolved around the actions of federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this month.
On Jan. 7, an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old protestor Renee Good during a brief encounter. According to federal officials, Good tried to run over the agent in her vehicle, while Good supporters believe the shooting is unjust.
Taylor and Elgin are among cities that have seen anti-ICE protests on Jan. 10 and Jan. 11, respectively.
We strive to make it to as many of these events as possible – if we know about them.
While reporters were aware of the Taylor protest, we didn’t find out about the Elgin event until it happened.
A few readers asked why a reporter failed to show up at the Elgin demonstration, which I appreciate. As long as we have advance notice, we will arrange to have coverage.
Like King and his peers in the past and the anti-ICE protestors today, I am an advocate of the First Amendment. Freedom of speech is great, albeit it can get us in trouble from time to time.
While we may not always agree with each other, let’s respect each other’s First Amendment rights. After all, the constitutional guarantee to free speech is a thing of beauty.
Chlapek is the area editor of the Elgin Courier and Taylor Press. He can be reached at jason.chlapek@granitemediapartners. com.
