As protests and rallies continue, and as those who reject and reprimand such activity continue to scathe the petitioners… consider the first amendment. The First Amendment of the Constitution protects the individual rights of free speech, freedom of petition, freedom of assembly, and religion. With this nifty amendment at hand, passionate protestors are exercising their privileges. So before you go and lash at these protestors, consider being in a country where such a privilege does not exist. Without this amendment, the youth of America would not be able to publish works freely such as this right now. As you write your Facebook status or Tweet, rejecting those who are actively speaking for what they believe in, you are taking advantage of our Constitutional liberties, just as they are.
I mean, how can you blame these protestors, their candidate won the popular vote, but lost in the Electoral College, they feel as if their voice and vote doesn’t matter. How can all walks of life, all parties of people, be represented in a Republican Majority three branched government? Democrats have the right to be upset, they have the right to yell, they have the right to matter.
A wise friend once said, “An intelligent person can back down from an argument, accepting they were in the wrong, where a lesser intelligent person will continue the argument, wishing for the last word.” Scrollin through any form of social media, there have been many forms of support or criticism of this election, we’ve all seen it. You also are probably thinking this is just another link to an Anti- Trump article. But this is much more than that. This is proclamation of the first amendment, something all of you use every day of your lives.
May I remind you of the protests your party members led after the election of President Obama? Photos are clear evidence of hatred towards this historical figure; protesters holding signs advertising propaganda such as “A village in Kenya is missing it’s idiot” Just eight years ago or four years ago, you wanted change just as much as others did.
Face it, you may have gotten upset with friends, or even ended friendships throughout this election. As the nation calls for unification, an aspire for such an idea, we are more divided than ever, LGBTQ+ folks are continuing to be insulted to even greater extents, Muslims are fearful of what may come next for them, as well as other minorities.
And so what if signed petitions don't work? So what if the rally you attended doesn't change things? Your effort matters, and gave you a place in history.
Tensions will decrease with time, but the spark will always remain. And to those who think their voice doesn’t matter, even if you aren’t eligible to vote, your voice does matter, your voice is the future.
Get annoyed, I dare you, be upset, post about it, whine about it. But nothing, and I mean nothing, will stop the revolutionary Americans from expressing their passion and love for American Democracy and their desire to be apart of it.
*author does not condone extreme forms of protest but wishes to express importance of rights made possible with the Constitution of the United States of America
