In the past few months I honestly believe the spirit of activism has increased ten-fold in this country. It's no surprise with everything that's been going on in the media from the Black Lives Matter movement to the LGBT community's concerns and now immigration reform, there's a lot more to this than just a differing of opinion. Whatever the outcome of these issues will affect the entire country and its constitutional framework. Who knows? Precedents might very well be set and will possibly change history.
But this will not happen by watching protesters on your local news channels. Anyone who cares about these issues and their community will need to take action but protesting alone should not be your first choice. It starts by contacting your local senators or government officials and getting them to listen to your side of the story. Everyone has a story to tell and its their job to listen and act accordingly. I'm sure you're thinking they will ignore you. That may very well be the response however not everyone in politics turns a blind eye to hot button issues.
Some lawmakers will make things happen even if its on a small scale. It starts small and then grows into something that cannot be ignored. Let's look at how initially small movements turned into historic landmark cases.
1. Montgomery Bus Boycott
This was well before most of us were born but became one of the most memorable activist movements in history. On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks, an African-American woman refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus. Subsequently she was arrested and fined. In response to this many blacks boycotted the public bus system. This boycott lasted over a year. The Supreme court ultimately ordered Montgomery to integrate their bus system and this movement started the rise to the Civil Rights movement headed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Just a caveat though, Parks was not the only one that decided to challenge this system but she ended up changing it.)
2. Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy
American society seems to have a "macho" image and the military is no exception. The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy basically meant that the military would not question your sexuality and would assume that you were heterosexual unless you tell them otherwise. If you were found to be homosexual then you would not be allowed to serve or were discharged from service. Of course this drew the ire of the LGBT community and other communities alike. However in 2010 this policy was repealed and now gays and lesbians could serve openly without fear of being discharged.
3. Black Lives Matter
This movement is one of the most racially and politically charged movements in this era. Some pundits have even gone so far as to consider the activists in this movement "terrorists" because they believe this movement promotes violence against police officers. Retribution is the last stance anyone should take to get justice for victims of police brutality. Take a stand and work on reform, that is the only way things can change for the better.
There are a number of other hot button issues out there concerning the environment, immigration and education that also need to be reformed before they too evolve into another crisis. But I bet you're asking what can I do? The answer is get involved with any local movements that matter to you. Go to town hall meetings and make your voice heard. Write letters to your local government or state senators to get them on board. Network with people that have influence in your community. You can even write articles about your concern and submit it to your local newspaper, or why not Odyssey!
