The sacred duty of protest
Merriam-Webster defines protest: “the act of objecting or a gesture of disapproval.”
Protest is good. It is a vital tool in relationships.
For example:
“Did you throw out my splash stick?” asked my wife.
“Yes,” I said.
“Why? I was going to use it to keep my coffee hot!”
“I’m sorry. I thought you were done with it.”
Here’s the protest: “I wish you wouldn’t just go around the house throwing away my stuff. Could you at least ask before you throw something in the trash? You’d think after eight years of marriage you would know better!”
As you can see from this real example (it just happened yesterday), my wife made her displeasure know, set a new boundary for me, and told me how to change my behavior. My compliance, of course, is still voluntary. If I love and value my wife and our relationship, however, I’ll take heed.
Protest has a place in organizations, too. Last year, our church leaders announced a plan to ease parking overflow by adding a second worship service. Our church used to have two services several years ago and very few people liked it at the time. When the announcement came that we would likely go back to two services, the protest was immediate and loud. One woman actually shouted out “No!” when our pastor made the announcement from the pulpit. After two or three months hearing strong objections from the congregation, the church leadership pulled back. We didn’t add a second service.
Finally, protest is vital to a healthful democracy.
Twentieth century historian, playwright, and social activist Howard Zinn said: “Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy; it is absolutely essential to it.”
We the People of the United States of America have a duty to protest for the sake of our democracy’s health and strength.
Protest is a mighty “check” on the balance of power in our country. The framers of our Constitution designed the three branches of our government to “check” and “balance” one another so no single branch of government could dominate. The First Amendment makes the free press, organization (assembly), and public protest “checks” on government power.
In the United States, citizens have more than just their votes to direct government. When votes aren’t enough, they have voices.
Who determines when protest is appropriate and when it is just noise?
The beauty of the answer is the beauty of our democracy: The people decide. When the people assemble in protest, they make their collective will known and use their collective voice to say to their government: “We the People disapprove of the laws you are making in our name. We assert our right to express our displeasure with you and demand a change in behavior and course. Dismiss us at your own peril. This country is ours. Don’t forget.”
The people of the United States rarely rise up in protest when laws are good. The protests that changed our history are the ones that opposed laws that the people believed were unjust, useless, or just wrong.
And again, who gets to decide if a law is right or wrong?
We the People decide.
This weekend, I got into a debate about the legality of President Trump’s executive order banning people from seven countries. We got into the particulars about whether or not the order is really all that bad.
I woke up today with the recognition that those discussions are all wrong.
It doesn’t matter whether the executive order is legal or not.
It doesn’t matter much about the particulars of the executive order–what it actually does as opposed to what social media says it does.
The only thing that matters is this: Do the American people believe it is the right thing to do? Do the American people believe it should be legal? Do the American people want it to represent them in the world?
The answer, I think, is evident: No, no, and no.
When We the People have no other recourse to express our objection to a law made in our name, then protest is the tool we must use to change the law.
Don’t be ashamed to protest. It is the most American thing you can do.
Onward and upward.