“I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” -James Baldwin
Everyone should possess fundamental human rights. But who thought it would be so difficult to obtain them? The right to clean water is a human right. Women's rights are human rights. Civil rights are human rights. LGBTQ rights are human rights. Freedom of religion is a human right. And for those who disagree, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.
In Flint, Michigan, where 40 percent of the population live in poverty, contaminated water is creating a public health crisis. The people of Flint, where the majority of the population is Black, began to protest. Public officials continued to deny the issue of the water. An even larger surge of people began to protest and voice their opinions. Those of the guilty party were finally convicted and more initiatives are being taken to provide clean water. The right to clean water is a human right. Protesting played a powerful role in the lives of thousands Americans without a human right.
At UC Berkeley right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was to make an appearance but instead, he was met by ridicule. In the past, Yiannopoulos has called movements such as Black Lives Matter, Feminism, and Progressive social justice as “cancerous” and “toxic to free expression.” Students erupted into frenzied rallies to express their concerns for a “Hate Speech is Free Speech” lecture. These protests carried on, and some of them even became violent. Yiannopoulos’ appearance has now been canceled.
The Women’s March gathered hundreds of thousands of people in Washington D.C. and millions around the world to protest policies regarding human rights, including women’s rights, immigration reform, LGBTQ rights, civil rights, and environmental reform. This march on Washington became one the largest protests in the United States. The march sent a clear message that in the days following the inauguration that the U.S. will not be divided.
Across the United States, airports have become a hotspot for protests regarding the Executive Order banning people from seven Islamic countries. Many protesters chanted: “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.” The Executive Order, which in the eyes of many is essentially a Muslim ban, has brought out the most American action of many: the right to protest. The right to practice and defend the freedom of religion. These protests give light to a better tomorrow that does not discriminate against Muslim people.
The protests that were discussed are just a minute representation of the power of protest. Protesting has the power to bring together people from various backgrounds to raise their voices for compassion and truth against injustice.
