THE WAY I SEE IT by Don Polson     Red Bluff Daily News 6/17/2025

    Clearing the refuse, here and SoCal

News reports and photos do not comport with most folks’ idea of civilized society; and that doesn’t even touch the protests and riots down south. I’ll get to that; what has unfolded in my old “stomping ground,” Los Angeles, is more like “civilization lost” than “shining city on a hill.”

I was shocked that Forward Park was turned into a local version of “Mad Max” with attendant lawlessness, chaos, open drug use, and human refuse and debris. We held a local Tea Party gathering and picnic in Forward Park years ago, just one of several groups peacefully enjoying the open air, trees and camaraderie of friends.

To think of that lovely pocket of a park, with children’s playground equipment and space for families to escape confining apartments, homes and schools, being taken over by homelessness—well, it’s a stark reminder that, like any open space in most of California, abandoning rules and allowing open camping and living is not consequence-free.

The people, who pay taxes for a certain minimum of public services and spaces, end up deprived of what they’ve paid for. It casts a dark shadow over the ability of municipalities to maintain such spaces; with much culpability by courts that swallow the supposedly refined and humane arguments of homeless advocates and lawyers. Now, at the expense of personnel, time and equipment, we can perhaps see our way to once again provide safe, open parks for citizens, not the refuse of society, who need help and “tough love,” not indulgence.

***

There are a lot of misconceptions and downright fallacies about the “Freedom to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances,” or “the right to protest.” What has been lost in these vociferous, passionate controversies is the concept of “responsibilities” that must accompany those rights, lest the “representative democracy” that our Republic stands for, descends into the “mob-ocracy” from which our Founders, and Framers of the Constitution, sought to protect America.

This should not be difficult or complicated beyond the calm reasoning of educated people: America’s laws are formulated and passed by elected representatives in a (theoretically) studied and informed manner. They’re not made by protesters and protests, which descend into shouting, sign-waving, unruly mobs with sometimes legitimate, often frivolous and unfounded, causes—even riots. We “know it (riots) when we see it”; anyone denying that is deluded, blind, ideologically sick, or all three.

That doesn’t negate the constitutional right to “assemble”—as long as it remains “peaceful.” When violent, destructive riots happen, it usurps others’ rights to peaceably live their lives. Rules formulated by courts and laws provide “time and place” restrictions, lest sidewalks, streets and public spaces become overrun, depriving others of their use. It’s “lawful” vs. “unlawful” assembly. Haven’t we been endlessly told that “no one is above the law”?

So, what is plagueing American cities right now is lawlessness. No matter what your stand or beliefs about the deportation of illegal immigrants, you betray your political partisanship if you think violent, unlawful mobs and rioting are acceptable as a means to change public policy.

Just because 10 to 15 million foreigners were allowed to illegally cross our sovereign border by the last president—with no “due process” to authorize their entry—that doesn’t negate the laws that require their removal by this president. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers set out to arrest and remove those who’ve committed (often heinous) crimes after illegally entering (reentries after deportation are felonies)—normal Americans should cheer the removal of criminals, not take to the streets in “protest.”

It might change your mind to find out that no “mass roundups of immigrants” has occurred. What has happened, like the sewing shop incident, is that ICE targets a criminal who, for instance, owns the shop. The law (Don’t like it? Change it.) requires verifying the identity and status of those working there.

Even if, as has been suggested, otherwise solid (but illegal) workers are exempted from being deported, they should still be subject to removal for anything beyond a traffic citation. Sorry but that is, to me, a minimal red line: Do not break America’s laws (identity theft, benefit fraud included) if you want to remain here.

***

Briefly, that California Senator gets no sympathy here. You didn’t know his name because he was appointed, not elected; he barged into a press briefing and attempted to commandeer the space to yell at and lecture DHS Secretary, Kristi Noem. He was not deprived of any rights, as he was not recognizable in casual clothes, no identification/security pin was visible, and he appeared ready to do (at least verbal) violence to Noem. He was treated exactly as he, or any such aggressive person, should have been treated. Spare us hyperventilating over “performance theater,” which his stunt plainly was.