[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 17, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Protests

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, for more than 200 years, the American 
people have exercised their right to petition the government for a 
redress of grievances. We understand how very vitally important it is 
for each of us to have that right to petition our government, to have 
our say.
  But just as we learned from our moms and dads when we were kids, 
there is a right way and there is a wrong way to get things done when 
we feel that, in our opinion, the government has fallen short. I would 
understand if this differentiation between right and wrong sometimes 
causes confusion because, although the American people are united in 
their desire for justice and equality, that sense of unity, they feel, 
is under attack.
  Over the past few weeks, we watched thousands of protesters 
peacefully march in the memory of George Floyd and countless other 
Black Americans who have been killed--who have lost their lives at the 
hands of law enforcement. Sometimes these protests are vigils, and they 
are very quiet. There are other times they fill the streets and they 
are a bit disruptive and they demand accountability from their 
government in a way that has really captured the attention of the 
entire world.
  On the other side, however, we have watched professional agitators 
who have come into some of these protests, and then they have turned 
them into riots. The self-prescribed culture warriors silence anyone 
and anything that deviates from their own chosen narrative, and that is 
very unfortunate.
  The paths we take to achieve our desired outcomes are informed by the 
goals we have, not the other way around. This is why we must question 
the goals of those whose activism has taken a repressive turn because 
peaceful protest is an essential element of addressing government. That 
is how you achieve change. That is how you get people with you and 
working with you. It is a part of who we are.
  This absolute protection against suppression in any form makes the 
recent dismantling of meaningful public discourse all the more 
disturbing because as you look back through our Nation's history, you 
realize freedom and freedom's cause has been well served by robust, 
respectful, bipartisan debate--hearing all voices.
  Do you remember how sometimes we would joke about the cancel culture 
because it was the product of social media influencers and 
overenthusiastic fan clubs? What we see now is that has taken hold of 
the entertainment industry, corporations, and editorial boards. Outrage 
manufactured along partisan lines dominates every news cycle, all in an 
intentional and targeted effort to divide the American people and, 
thereby, what would that do? It destroys our cultural identity. If this 
isn't what chilling speech looks like, then I don't know what does.
  I would like to be able to say this body stands united against this 
wave of malice or that I am confident we have demonstrated a commitment 
to real reform, but I fear that we have not yet arrived at that place. 
In spite of everything, in spite of it being clear that those who seek 
to divide and destroy this country are working just as hard as those 
who seek to unite it, other priorities remain in play. This has become 
especially evident today.