The fight against discrimination.
During the 90’s Billings didn’t have a lot of diversity, but what little Billings had seemed to bond us together. Billings had about 50 Jewish families live here, and fewer than 500 blacks. Add Hispanics and Native Americans, all told, minorities in Billings make up a meager 7 percent or so of the population.
In 1995 a peaceful protest took place when a brick was thrown through a young boy’s window. Luckily, the boy was not in his room at the time. The brick was thrown through the boy’s window was because there was a menorah in his window. Many of the Billings residents got together and put paper menorahs in there windows. All different types of religious people joined in along with their entire churches. It's estimated that as many as 6,000 homes in Billings had menorahs on display. "All along, our coalition had been saying an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us," says Margaret MacDonald "And God bless them, the people of this town understood." Not every resident took the opportunity to help out a neighbor, but the ones who did made a huge difference. Billings took a stand without saying a word instead they told the person “You mess with our neighbor go ahead and try it to our family.”
In 1998 the Not In Our Town act was started when the billings residents continued to take a stand against these hate crimes.
Instead of it being Not In Our town it should be Not In Our Country. The country all in a away did this when Florida had that school shooting and had the nation wide walk out. Here everyone basically told the shooter that we are not going to watch this happen instead we are going to do something about it. The country did the same thing as what billings did in 1995. The Not In Our Town was called this because during the protest citizens chanted "Not in Our Town! No Hate, No Violence. Peace on Earth."A community can respond to hate, the half-hour documentary sparked a national and international movement of individuals, schools, and communities organizing grassroots events, educational outreach, and public dialogue.
In 1992, the hatred started to be noticed. In 1993, the hatred slowly turned violent. At this time is peaceful protests turn from passive to violent. With the attention of police its more problematic. Even the peaceful protests turned violent in the presence of the police.
In each state residence must pay a fee sometimes non refundable in order to even have a protest. There are many not to do’s in protests about or use like Obscenity, Fighting words, Defamation (including libel and slander), Child pornography, Perjury, Blackmail, Incitement to imminent lawless action, True threats, Solicitations to commit crimes, also some experts also would add treason, if committed verbally, to that list. If you don't pay the fee but start up a protest anyways then the police should be able to shut down the protests.
From Virginia to Washington state, legislators have introduced bills that would increase punishments for blocking highways, ban the use of masks during protests, indemnify drivers who strike protesters with their cars and, in at least once case, seize the assets of people involved in protests that later turn violent. This would allow the police to try and intervene in the protest. Instead of the police trying to shut down peaceful protests they should either be able to join in or to sit and watch from a distance. The only away the police can intervene in a protest is when they become violent. The first amendment covers free speech so why limit how the citizens of the United States of America, can use it? Instead of limiting it we should be encouraging it. Why shy way for using our voices. Our voices are made to be heard so let them be heard. As long as we do it in peace then let us be.
Today the country sees Not in Our as a group that is trying to get rid of the first amendment. Instead what this group does is try to protect the first amendment and their neighbors.
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