Assange And Free Speech Defended At D.C. Rally
By Bob Small
Speaking about the oath he took when he joined the Marines, Scott Ritter said “Not that I will defend the President no matter what, but that I will defend the Constitution.”
Ritter was one of the many speakers, Sunday, Oct. 8 in D.C. front of the Department of Justice.
Whether this is now the Department of Injustice is a topic for another discussion.
We, the audience and the speakers, and the still independent media were here to show support for Julian Assange — the rally was named Hands Off Assange after all– and to defend what we have left of a free press.
Three of us had driven from Swarthmore, Pa to Washington, DC and attended our first DC rally in however many years.
We had attending many rallies getting both arrested and even injured for various causes.
At a certain point, I found myself repeating Admiral James Stockdale’s line,“Who am I and what am I doing here”.
When I could no longer find grace in going to these events, it seemed like there was no real reason to go.
So why return? There are many reasons including defending the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
The very blog you’re reading is covered by this, as are all blogs in the USA no matter how much with them you may disagree.
Britain is only now about enshrine free speech in a Bill of Rights.
Boris Johnson first proposed it and became a good argument for it.
If we are not activists for the rights in our Bill of Rights, they revert to only being words.
As to the rally itself, most of the hundred or so people remained till the end encouraged, no doubt, by the free ice cream provided by one of the speakers, Ben Cohen who is the Ben in Ben and Jerrys.