Consistent fight against violence
In “Group has wobbly stance on violence” (Our Views, June 27), The Oklahoman editorial board treated readers to a master class in false equivalency. At issue is the use of violent force by an elected county sheriff against a member of the public, but the editorial dodges that issue in a column that is as erroneous as it is incoherent. The agenda is clear: divert attention from its failed attempt to defeat State Question 788 by making disjointed attacks on the ACLU and, to no small extent, me personally.
For those familiar with our work, it may seem obvious, but for the record neither I nor the ACLU of Oklahoma condone violence in any regard. We do not believe it is protected by the First Amendment and never have.
We do believe, however, that protected speech deserves a robust defense.
Our record is clear on that point. For decades, we have defended the speech rights of individuals whose messages I personally find wrong, abhorrent and repulsive.
The Oklahoman points to an op-ed I penned last year after the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia. I took the newspaper to task for falsely equating the alleged violent acts of anti-racist counter-protesters with the violent and deadly acts of the white nationalists who laid siege upon a peaceful community, while law enforcement failed to intervene.
My criticism of the opinion was in its promotion of the idea that both sides were acting violently on a similar scope and scale. They were not, and it was important to set the record straight.
What Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton did to an attendee at an anti SQ 788 rally raises a different issue altogether. Walton is an elected public official and a representative of the government.
Whether it’s the brutal practice of strapping people to a gurney to pump them full of poison until they are dead, or the killing of unarmed black men at the hands of law enforcement officers, the ACLU of Oklahoma has been a leading voice in pursuing justice and accountability.
When he lost his temper and attacked the man without any lawful authority, it raised serious issues about the ability of the government to use force against its citizens without any consequence. It demands us to ask whether we as a society should kneel blindly in deference to a badge or have the courage and integrity to seek accountability.
The ACLU of Oklahoma has consistently fought against the government’s unlawful and unwarranted use of violence against its people. Whether it’s the brutal practice of strapping people to a gurney to pump them full of poison until they are dead, or the killing of unarmed black men at the hands of law enforcement officers, the ACLU of Oklahoma has been a leading voice in pursuing justice and accountability. One would think that defending meaningful limits on the government’s use of violence would be a point upon which reasonable minds might agree.
The ACLU of Oklahoma will continue in our efforts to hold the government accountable. We will also continue, unfazed, in our mission to defend the First Amendment rights of everyone, no matter how despicable or wrongheaded they may be.
Kiesel is executive director of the ACLU of Oklahoma.