There has been so much going on in our national government that it has been hard to process. Honestly, I can’t even tell you if I have actually been following along with the events of the last couple weeks. But I will say – I do feel the gravity of it. This past week taught me that getting involved in protests can be both dangerous and fulfilling.

First of all, I want to direct anyone and everyone who thinks Donald Trump is the worst president we have ever had to NoKings.org to find the closest protest to you this Saturday. At the core of this movement is staunch opposition to the message the Supreme Court sent to Trump on July 1st, 2024 that he cannot be held accountable for “official acts” in criminal court. The Supreme Court ruled that the President, whoever they may be, is now placed firmly above the law, destroying the balance of powers. I don’t care who is in the White House, what color they are, which side of the aisle they defend, they should not be held above our Legislators or the Courts. I am going to lend my voice and my time to that message.

I am afraid. I haven’t gone to a protest yet because I am afraid. I am incredibly concerned about what has been happening to the people in Los Angeles. Never mind the President breaking the chain of command for the National Guard and sending in Marines. Never mind the President calling for a sitting governor to be arrested. Never mind the Speaker of the House calling for anyone, let alone a governor, to be tar and feathered? I can’t stop thinking about the way I have been seeing the “protests” discussed in conservative media. They don’t mention the reporter who was shot by a “non-lethal round” while standing there, doing her job, talking about what she was seeing. They don’t talk about why anyone is protesting. They don’t talk about local leaders not asking for help. They refuse to discuss things that other news sources are reporting on. People are getting hurt and property destroyed, both are bad, but we are talking about people, here.

It feels ironic to be more determined to protest in the wake of how peaceful protesters are treated, based on the actions of a few bad participants. There are bad people in practically every sample. If there weren’t bad people in our cities, we wouldn’t need police or courts to protect us and hold them accountable. If there wasn’t bad people in our government, we wouldn’t see fraud and embezzlement of public funds. If there weren’t bad people in your church, you wouldn’t need confession or forgiveness. If there weren’t bad people in the world, we wouldn’t need the strongest military in the world. But there are bad people in the world, in our cities, in our government, and in your churches.

And so we protest to hold those bad people accountable. We the People protested our way into becoming our own country, and our founders protested to create the Bill of Rights. We the People protested to get women into the voting booth. We the People protested to get Black men and women into the voting booth. We the People protested for workplace rights and protections. We the People protest when lives and livelihoods depend on action, and we have found ourselves in this position again. Across the nation, people have been protesting since January, each movement growing in size and strength.

Personally, I cannot stand by anymore. I may live in a small town in South Dakota, but I believe we need to be more active, everywhere. I made this blog because I want to speak to the people I love about the things that matter to me, even if they couldn’t have this conversation face-to-face. We are to quick to stuff down our thoughts and feelings, living entirely unaware of the connections that can be made to people in their own communities and across the world. Share the topics you care about. Talk to your family about the hard things. Don’t turn a blind eye to your friends who make bad choices. Stand up for what you believe in. We need to hold each other accountable.

So many of the things my generation were taught are a right are being taken away. Women have less rights than their grandmothers, and in my opinion, that fact is made so much worse when considering that can change depending on where you live. Churches are coming for same-sex marriage and our right to choose how we build our families, if we want a family at all. People are being taken from their homes and jobs to be sent to a prison in another country without due process, and they are admitting to messing up in the process. There are so many reasons to protest. I hope if you can find a reason, I will see you out there. Put the pictures and videos out there so other people who are scared can see that there are other people hold the same views.

And frankly, I think this one is really important, if for no other reason than the timing. June 14th, Flag Day, the President’s birthday, smack dab in the middle of Pride Month. Mass deportation is tearing families and communities apart. Come-and-go tariffs are threatening the stability of small businesses, with many closing, as big businesses drive up prices to cover their profits. A big, ugly bill is working its way through the Senate, standing to cut benefits for many people, raise taxes for low-income people, strangling the courts, and giving more money to people who don’t need it. Our president is on a power-trip after his public break up with his biggest political donor. Peaceful protestors are getting shot with rubber bullets on video and bad actors are reacting with violence. I could keep going, but these are just some of the reasons I have decided I am drawn to this. Despite the terror, despite fearing for my own safety and every single person who may read this, I want to bring this opportunity to you.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. – First Amendment of the U.S Constitution

There is a reason to be afraid to speak up, but there is also reason (and right) to protest. Exercise your freedom of speech. Support freedom of the press. Gather to celebrate our right to peacefully assemble. This is how we demonstrate our grievances to our government.

Whatever you do, look out for yourself in the foreseeable future. Please be peaceful. Distance yourself from people who make bad choices. Drink water. Be safe. Know your rights.

I’m going to put in the NoKings.org link one more time. Find a protest near you and let your voice be heard this weekend.