Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Whose First Amendment

I do get a bit frustrated with journalists treating brutal police actions against protesters one way, and treating similar actions against journalists as an unambiguous assault on democracy. I've even seen journalists complain that since "everyone" claims they're a journalist now (you know, people working for small independent outlets or just trying to cover things for the public generally and not just THE NEW YORK FUCKING TIMES), it makes it harder for them to get the special abuse free treatment from the police which allows them to objectively cover both sides of the "cops beating up people" news.

Not going to go deep into The Constitution, but it doesn't say "freedom of assembly for people who work for the Sulzbergers." 

I'm really not sure what the point of this was or who it was addressed to, but I think if there is a point to be made here, it's the other way around. The cops have been beating and gassing protesters for months. What makes you think they'd be thwarted by your press cards?