That’s not the way to Protest!

THAT’S Not the Way to Protest!

There were plenty of invidious feelings toward black lives matter much of 2015 and 2016, as they marched and blocked traffic intersections in major cities across the country.

Even critics that were less visceral, didn’t appreciate traffic being impeded. “I’m against inconveniencing people and blocking roads.”, they would say.

Yet many of those same people told us the media was making an unnecessary, big deal of Chris Christie’s ‘Bridgegate’ scandal that sent two of his staffers to jail for (wait for it….) intentionally blocking traffic.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed more and more people acknowledging injustices, but criticizing the demonstrators attempting to change the system that cause them.

Effective protests are supposed to inconvenience you. Change doesn’t come from making you feel comfortable. Laws may be broken at times. Many of the Civil Rights heroes we universally praise today, broke the law before forcing necessary change.

But instead of praise, we’ve seen demonstrators of peaceful civil disobedience cast with hate normally reserved for women beaters and rapists.

Colin Kaepernick triggered tendentious comments from fans and general managers last season. Mike Huckabee declared him “an arrogant fool!” Keep in mind, he swooped in to defend Kim Davis, for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

Like Colin, Ms. Davis’ refusal of issuing the licenses was a form of protest for her beliefs. Somehow, this irony eluded Governor Huckabee.

There’d be no in-depth Department of Justice investigation into the Ferguson, Baltimore, and Chicago police departments without black lives matter forcing us to scrutinize the practices of law enforcement.

Missouri University would still be ran by the same president that routinely ignored racist incidents on campus, if the young men on that football team didn’t threaten to boycott.

Far too many criticize the efforts of those risking arrest to bring change, but would gleefully accept any positive outcome from their efforts. So if you’re not offering solutions, please limit what you say about those that are fighting and trying.

If that’s not the way to protest, show us the right way. The fight can be fought on all fronts.