A couple of quotes that capture my thoughts on those who think the “unruly mob,” to use the Lieutenant Governor’s words, was somehow worse than the shenanigans leading up to 11:50 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 in the Texas Capitol building, not to mention the shenanigans of SB5 itself:

Todd Palino (via Jen):

Some have raised a concern about the “mob tactics” used last night by the citizens in the Texas Senate. Normally, I would agree that the shouting, effectively making sure that in the last 15 minutes after the filibuster was ended no vote could be recorded, is troublesome at the least. However, we have to remember that the senators, specifically the Republican senators, and the lieutenant governor, twisted the chamber’s rules to end that filibuster. Ignoring the back brace, they ruled Senator Davis out of order because she spoke on the topic of Planned Parenthood’s budget, and then again because she discussed a state law requiring a sonogram before an abortion. Given that the bill in question deals with the regulation of abortion procedures, providers, and facilities, no reasonable person would say that those two topics are not germane.

I say that when your legally elected representatives so clearly break the law in order to further their own agenda, it is not only the right of the people to protest, but their DUTY to stomp and shout as loud as possible until someone pays attention. And let us not forget that if it was not for this same group of citizens, along with others watching online, those same senators would have silently altered the record to show the vote occurred before midnight. The only reason they did not is because that crowd of citizens were witness to their unlawful actions and called them on it.

Make no mistake about it, what happened last night in the Texas Senate was an example of democracy in action. It is not always clean and neat, and it can’t always follow Robert’s Rules of Order, as much as we may try. Sometimes it takes an act of disobedience.

Via Jen Wojcik:

For those bellowing about “the rule of law” and that civil disobedience isn’t a valid way to be heard, I say this:

Democracy is messy. It isn’t “well-behaved”. The enemy is complacency. Please go ahead and remain in your seats, but don’t be surprised when there is no one to stand up when they come for you.

(Emphasis added.)