Protests are necessary, essence of free speech

Editor,

I am writing in response to two items that appeared on your opinion page Oct. 7. Congratulations to Arun Anand Ahuja for the satirical column on China. I laughed out loud.

We really do blame so many things on China that could be laid at the feet of American business leaders who put money first and foremost. In regard to Olivia Gatwood’s letter, “Liberal protest creates traffic jam, not change,” I am glad that she supports the overall goals of the Occupy Albuquerque protest.

However, I disagree with her opinion that such a demonstration is useless and hypocritical because it involves, as she says, “Lying around in the grass wishing for a better democracy.”

She may not be old enough to remember Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement, but protests, marches and demonstrations worked to stop the war and segregation. It’s simply a fact of history, whether one favors such methods here on the UNM campus or not.

Her heart is in the right place, and I am not criticizing her for questioning campus goings-on.

Perhaps the protests could move to Walmart, Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank or to any local headquarters of businesses that contributed to the Wall Street mess and/or the flow of jobs to China.

We need more and bigger demonstrations because protests are the essence of free speech — and they get outstanding results through media coverage.

Vivian Gilbert
UNM community member