Editorial of June 12, 2025

No Defense for Violence

Since March, a number of Otsego County citizens have been rallying in protest of how President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, until recently Trump’s head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, are conducting affairs in the nation.

On March 4, in Oneonta’s Muller Plaza, approximately 200 people from across Otsego County carried protest signs, waved flags, and chanted pro-democracy slogans, such as “We want our country back,” and “This is what democracy looks like.” Cars driving by frequently honked their horns in support. The event was organized by the Cooperstown/Oneonta chapter of Indivisible in conjunction with the newly-formed organization 50501, a grassroots political organization also opposed to the current administration.

Members of Indivisible groups from Cooperstown/Oneonta, Butternut Valley, and Cherry Valley, and of Otsego Residents for Democracy, protested peacefully in Oneonta and Albany on April 5 as part of the “Hands Off!” initiative, in what has been called the largest one-day, nationwide display of public resistance. The national chapter of Indivisible estimates 5.5 million protesters participated.

And on May 1, an estimated 350-400 people showed up in Oneonta, both to protest policies and actions of the Trump administration and to mark International Workers Day. The rally was organized and sponsored by four Indivisible groups: Cooperstown/Oneonta, Butternut Valley, Schoharie County and Cherry Valley, as well as by the Otsego County Democratic Committee and Residents of Otsego County for Democracy. It began on a green field between the former Stella Luna restaurant and Foothills Performing Arts and Civics Center, with community leaders addressing the gathering.

The ralliers then lined up in pairs to march north up Market Street and then east down Main Street, going down South Main to return to the starting point. During the course of the march, many vehicles honked and waved in support. Speakers that day were Virginia Kennedy of Cooperstown/Oneonta Indivisible, Donna Latella of Cherry Valley Indivisible, Charlie Miller of the SUNY Oneonta Young Democrats and Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek.

Whatever your politics, whichever side of the aisle you are on, and whether or not you agree with these protests, the important thing is that they were peaceful. This is in stark contrast to the riots and violence that began on Friday, June 6 in Los Angeles, when a protest in opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of people without formal immigration documentation turned into street riots later in the day. Self-driving vehicles were set on fire and a major highway was shut down by protesters over the weekend, prompting the deployment by President Trump of 2,000 National Guard troops to the city.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution ensures that we have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. It does not, however, give us the right to assault law enforcement, throw rocks and other projectiles at those with whom we disagree, burn cars, destroy property, or loot stores and businesses.

In the issue of October 31, 2024, right before the election, we printed a guest editorial titled “Win or Lose, Are We Ready To Reconcile?” by Thomas Pullyblank. In it, Pullyblank wrote, “In these deeply polarized times, choosing how to respond to the results of the election can have just as significant an impact as choosing who to vote for on Election Day.”

He asked readers, if their candidate were to win, would they: accept the reality that tens of millions of Americans disagree with their choice; understand that a good portion of the losing side feels that the victor is a threat to their personal, familial and civic well-being; show grace in victory; make space in society for the losing side.

And, if their candidate were to lose, would they: be prepared for the anguish the defeat might cause and process emotions in a healthy way; recognize the victor as their legitimate leader; maintain relationships with family and friends who support the winning side.

“Our nation is frayed at the seams,” Pullyblank wrote. “Whoever wins, millions of Americans will be ecstatic, while millions of others will be disappointed, angry, grieving. Whether the fabric of American society is ripped apart or patched up depends upon how both winners and losers respond to the election’s results.”

On Monday, June 9, another 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 marines were deployed to Los Angeles after, according to CNN, protestors and police faced off for the fourth straight day, with officers using flash bangs and rubber bullets to disperse protesters in downtown LA after objects were thrown at them. Anti-ICE demonstrations, most of them peaceful, have also been reported in New York City, Houston, San Francisco and San Antonio. On Monday night, protestors in Dallas attempted to block the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, but were turned back by law enforcement.

We commend our Otsego County friends and neighbors, who are standing up peacefully for what they believe is right. But we condemn those who turn peaceful protest into violent uprising.

Pullyblank ended his October editorial with, “To preserve our nation, one of the most important actions we can take before the election is to make ourselves ready and willing to reconcile after it.” When that reconciliation will come, and what form it will take, is unclear at this time. What is clear, however, is that violence only begets further violence, and for that there is simply no excuse.