Kacee Baker | Contributing Writer
Not My President protests have spanned the country in the months since Donald Trump’s election. I believe the protestors involved are demonstrating a resiliency, bravery, and passion that has been sadly absent in politics in recent years, particularly among young voters. However, many people have dismissed the protestors as whiny, naïve, and lazy. They have called the protests anti-democracy because they challenge the president. It saddens me to see so many people disparaging the system that our country was built on and has made so much progress simply because they don’t agree with the purpose of a protest.
The people who criticize the protests seem to be forgetting that American independence, women’s suffrage, and civil rights are the results of protests that challenged the status quo. Following in the footsteps of some of our nation’s most well respected historical figures—George Washington, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Martin Luther King Jr.—the people involved in the Not My President protests are exemplifying and defending democracy and freedom. They are exercising their right to protest, and I don’t understand the outcry against that. If we take away people’s right to march, or to kneel in front of a flag, or to voice their disagreement with political decisions, then we’ve taken away some of the fundamental rights guaranteed to American citizens. Surely, that is more anti-American than challenging the president.
The protests are also attempting to challenge a president who has threatened the rights of many people. During his campaign, Trump demonstrated racism, sexism, Islamophobia, and many other forms of prejudice. While his election confirmed the prevalence of prejudice in the U.S., the anti-Trump protests show that there are people who want to challenge these attitudes and advocate for equality and freedom of religion. As I see people who care about their country and fellow citizens fighting for what they believe is right, I am optimistic for the future of our nation.
Graphic by Olivia Wieseler
