President Trump’s campaign slogan last year was “Make America Great Again!”
To some, that phrase brings great pride. To others, it brings anguish.
I believe we can all learn a lesson from this past year’s election. That lesson is that with the right tools in place and a powerful and effective message to support these tools, then, theoretically, we could make just about anything great again.
We all have the potential to make a difference, but we have to be smart about how we are to make a difference. One thing that I have never understood about some civic groups is their obsession with using protesting as the only way to accomplish things. Protesting can be part of the solution, but it almost never is the only solution to a cause or a problem.
Unless there is a grave civil liberty being revoked or withheld, I do not believe protesting is the most appropriate option to further your cause. There are smarter, more effective ways to make a point.
The common sense alternative to protesting is establishing a civic coalition. If you feel strongly enough that Donald Trump is a terrible president or that the federal government should not approve pipeline construction or whatever your cause is, then put down the signs and pick up a sheet of paper and start walking and campaigning for a candidate and party that advocate those ideals.
The most effective leaders in the history of the United States, from Lyndon Johnson to Ronald Reagan, did not sit down and complain while social injustice or economic hardship occurred all around them. They worked hard to formulate and present logical solutions to issues plaguing our nation.
We must have the patience to sit down in our home alone or within a group of concerned citizens and effectively address the issues by providing solutions.
Then, depending on whether the issue is at a local, state or federal level, you can contact either the mayor’s office, your district’s state legislator or your United States congressmen.
In speaking with them, do not be vague or aggressive. Be clear, concise and understanding; with this in mind, you may be firm and remind them that you will call back later for follow up, but do not threaten.
It is time for our nation to grow up and realize that in order to “Make Protesting Great Again,” the battlefield is in the voting booth and the halls of power, not the streets.
Nestor Delgado is a sophomore public policy leadership major from Pascagoula.
