In response to this post, several distressed members of the Branding24seven community made these impassionate pleas: “are we no longer allowed to express an opinion even if it is unpopular without fearing of losing our livelihoods?” “Could America cease to exist?”
The JMS team is back with its weekly shot of motivation to give you the strength to push through this challenging period. If it’s your first time here, Dear Readers welcome, and thanks for stopping by the JMS blog. FYI, JMS is a consulting firm located in Philadelphia that advises organizations and businesses on how to manage crises with efficiency and expediency. To that end, the JMS team is in the business of designing recovery plans as robust as possible that avoid behavioral and financial paralysis.
Two weeks ago, this publication decried the ravages large U.S. cities from Los Angeles to Philadelphia had undergone as a by-product of massive looting sessions which tragically blemished the awareness peaceful demonstrations were desperately trying to bring to the tragic issue of police brutality in Black and Brown communities. The JMS team found it so reprehensible that a police officer could willfully trample all over a person’s civil liberties under the auspice of an arrest, that it joined a chorus of protests heard around the world to decry the unwarranted level of brutality witnessed and demand justice. After all, aren’t police officers supposed to apply the principles of the U.S. Constitution as they work hard to enforce law and order to keep citizens safe?
To that end, the 14th Amendment affords us a few precious liberties that no one can take away from us, not even the police. So, it does not matter just how checkered your past might be, Dear Readers, we are all entitled due process. Suffocating for 8 minutes and 46 seconds while undue pressure from the knee of the officer is restricting the respiratory tract of an alleged offender is far from providing due process. That the police officer has to wrestle an uncooperative alleged assailant is one thing. But, once in handcuffed, why prohibit George Floyd from breathing for such a long time? It is precisely the blatant disregard for Floyd’s safety at the hand of a police officer who should be the gatekeeper of our collective civil rights that highlighted the shocking state of injustice in The Land of the Free and sparked hundreds of protests.
In case it’s not clear, Dear Readers, protesting his death was not about calling him a good citizen. It was about taking a stand and holding the police department accountable as the JMS team understands that injustice to any citizen is an injustice to all of us! In America, not being a good citizen is generally not punishable by death. Certainly not without the benefit of due process, the right to appear in court to face said charges, and the legal representation to defend the alleged mischaracterization of not be a good citizen.
Today, however, this blog wants to underscore the distinction between freedom of free speech and racial injustice. Expressing opposing opinions is not a sign of blatant racism. You may not like it, Dear Readers, but that’s the beauty of Free Speech! We are all entitled to have an opinion and express it on our personal social media pages. Should we, therefore, be fired when the opinion express on our free time, bothers the top brass of the company we work for at the same time? Not! That is not how we do things here in The Land of the Free! Are we turning America into a police state? Oh Em Gee, is that the legacy we want to leave our children and grandkids?
Most definitely Not! For this reason, this week’s shot of motivation is a reminder that we must do everything that we can to protect our values or else Edmund Burke’s ominous warning will become an unfortunate premonition:
“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it”.
Translation? In these times of heightened awareness as the plight that the Black Lives Matter movement had been championing for the last few years managed to fire up the mainstream consciousness of so many of us, this blog wants to caution against overreacting. We should not lose the hard-earned gains made in the past that have made America that beacon of hope and democracy for so many worldwide. Dear Readers, here are three warnings, the JMS team is leaving you with to mull over as the nation attempts to move forward and heal.
Dear Readers, nobody can curtail your speech, you are free to express your opinions and ideas whenever and wherever!
It can be on social media, at the supermarket, and even at work. Anyone who wants to live and work in a place where it is impossible to have the freedom to articulate any opinions in public should consider moving to a country ruled by a communist regime. Otherwise, Dear Readers, you should not fear retaliation or censorship ever. Not in The Land of The Free, where the 1st Amendment reigns supreme! That is not who we are, and the U.S. Constitution tells us so! Consequently, Dear Readers, if you are unexpectedly let go of your job due to an opinion you’ve had, you have legal recourse. Absolutely nobody can police you. Point. Period. Next!
Does fighting for injustice or racism mean defunding the police?
Oh really??!! How are things working out in Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), Dear Readers? Imagine that, being hard-working taxpayers who live or work in the area suddenly restricted from receiving valuable public services such as crime prevention or law enforcement simply because a fraction of the citizenry decided to unlawfully overtake public service offices?!
It would be one thing if said fraction of the citizenry had purchased a plot of land to establish some sort of 501(c)(3) legal nonprofit entity and decided to live off the grid following a dubious communal code without disrupting so many lives. It would be worrisome but legal, nevertheless. Instead, we are witnessing an illegal takeover, and it is only a matter of time before crime runs rampant enough to force remaining businesses to move out of state. How is Mayor Jenny A. Durkan planning to afford and provide the vital public services citizens need, amid a devastating pandemic no less, if taxpayers are leaving her jurisdiction en masse? Will monopoly money help her through her “summer of love”? Probably not!!!
Should we attempt to rewrite history?
Definitely not! So, why are we removing statues of historical figures that are offensive to some? Why should a national treasure such as “Gone With The Wind” be pulled from HBO Max? Are we willfully attempting to destroy America? Dear Readers, no country has a spotless record when it comes to its history. Like any other nation, America has had stretches of greatness entangled with despicable periods if not outright barbaric ones. That does not mean that some fraction of the citizenry gets to dictate what we should collectively remember about our history.
This blog stands against this kind of revisionist recollection of the American extraordinaire historical journey. It bears repeating that we are like no other nations but have so much to be thankful for, don’t you think Dear Readers? We may not have the bond of shared heritage, ancestry, tradition. But, can we have a common language, history, and traditions? How else can we stay united otherwise?
Perhaps, American was the greatest experiment in history. And perhaps the myth of the melting pot appears to be more mythical than ever. But, at its core, America is exceptional because of its ideals and the heroes who died for these ideals. Let’s not let them die in vain! Our history, however barbaric it might have been, is our history. We should keep it and learn it so that we do not repeat the same mistakes.
There you have it! Dear Readers, thank you for taking the time to read today’s publication. The JMS team hopes that we are all committed to living up to the ideals of our constitution. As the nation attempts to move forward, let us humbly remember that we are all human beings, with a checkered history of fractured relationships and lapses of judgment, yet capable of greatness. The Fourteenth Amendment protects all of us equally, as no state shall violate a citizen’s privileges or immunities nor deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
As always, this blog welcomes any comments or questions you may have. Dear Readers, remember that your voice can make a difference. What are your thoughts? Do you know anyone who lost his or her job because of old tweets? What arguments could you put forth if you believe in defunding the police, removing Confederate statues, or sanitizing our history in any fashion? Are you worried about the future of America? Let us know what else you would like to see from this blog. Please comment section or by email at jms@branding24seven.com or by mail at:
JMStrategy LLC
21 S. 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19107.
This blog salutes all the good men and women who wear their uniforms with honor and integrity. We appreciate that these are trying times for your department, but your hard work is appreciated. Don’t let a few bad apples ruining it for everyone. You provide a vital service to so many communities! Thank you for everything that you are doing.
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