Join a Women’s March
Today in inauguration day, and tomorrow hundreds of thousands of citizens across the country will join in protest of the incoming administration. The Women’s March on Washington is one of the largest of these planned protests. The goes of the March is to signal to the administration that women’s rights are non-negotiable. Whether or not you identify as a woman, the March is a great opportunity to stand up for your community and exercise your rights. If you’re not in Washington, there are hundreds of affiliated marches you can join.
I’ve heard many arguments against public protests, mostly based on the belief that a protest is meant to change the outcome of a situation. That is certainly a very good reason to protest, and it has worked before. But there are other good reasons to join a public protest:
* To exercise your constitutional right to assemble. This is an essential right that is often under threat; the more it’s used, the harder it is to take away.
* To gather together with like-minded people and make connections with allies. Protests are a good place to meet people, or to bond with people you are already close to. In a more general way, they’re also an opportunity to not feel alone in your opinions, hopes, or fears.
* To illustrate your presence with elected officials. While they might not change hearts and minds immediately, protests of this magnitude do get attention. Elected officials will see that their constituents have strong feelings on this issue.
* To make your opposition known to the rest of the world. Protests may not change the outcome of a situation, but they do show other countries that not everyone here thinks or feels the same way.
If there aren’t immediate, noticeable changes made as a direct result of a protest it doesn’t mean that protest has failed. Go out tomorrow and exercise your rights.
