Will protesting help?

Question

So, I’m mad as hell like many of you are. There are a lot of protests going down near me since I live in Tallahassee (Florida state Capitol). I want to attend one out of pure rage but I’m a very pragmatic, realistic person. I can’t help but think… is this going to actually help or change anything? For the decision to be reversed, the Justices would have to literally die (or retire) and Biden would have to appoint Democratic Justices that would be able to work towards reinstating federal abortion rights. So… is there really a point to risking my safety in a protest? People are already getting beat up and run over at them.

Answer

Letting your voice and your demand for rights be heard is always a help. It may not result in immediate change, but it gets your point across. It lets people know that we’re a community of people who recognize the right to bodily autonomy and we aren’t going to just give up on it. We’ll keep at it and we will use our votes, our voices, and our determination.

Answer

I debated protesting myself for similar thoughts. I ended up going and protesting in Atlanta after work Saturday. I was just so incredibly angry. 
It truly helped me to go physically and verbally let my opinion and anger out. Being with a group of women who felt similar up lifted me and gave me a hope and a sense of community. I highly encourage everyone to try it.

Answer

Help me understand. The supreme court ruling means that individual states can make the decision on this legislation. So surely the next critical point is the next state election?
I'm not across how state elections and state based legislation works in the US, but if I wanted to change a piece of state based legislation I would think that protest in person would be a key piece of the puzzle. Considering the dangers this particular legislation introduces to women, some physical danger to my body would be worth the risk.

Answer

If you want to be heard and try and make a difference- actions are required. I am tired of the virtue signaling and memes going around already. I see posts now condemning people on staying silent on social media already 🙄 like reposting things is the answer. Volunteer, protest, donate, read up on who’s running in your state and what their platform is, VOTE when the time comes, etc. all these action based activities are going to make the difference.

Answer

Yes. Protesting, and other forms of nonviolent resistance always make a difference. We need to make sure it’s understood how few Americans actually want this. I recommend reading Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky for anyone interested in further community organizing. It’s a bit dated now, but still holds up in most ways. 
What’s more important now though, is to vote. Vote both next election, and constantly there after. It’s up to the states for the foreseeable future, and we choose who runs the states. Our election system is not without fault, but don’t let anyone steal your voice by saying it doesn’t matter.

Answer

Or we elect representatives (or change the minds of existing ones) that will pass laws legalizing abortion. We don’t actually need a new court ruling. Just a new law. The hope of protests is that they’re big enough and loud enough and frequent enough to convince law makers that it’s in their best interests to back laws legalizing abortion. The protests aren’t to change the minds of the Supreme Court. That shop dialed (they’d made up their minds before they were even nominated, let alone before hearing an actual case). It’s to get a law passed that makes the recent ruling irrelevant.

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Asking your oppressors to stop oppressing you has literally never worked once.

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Wait. Isn’t this a support group? A debate post being moved here makes me super uncomfortable. Anyone else?

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Um… your last sentence answers your question.

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Yes but it has to be more than that. Protesting is a visible and audible show to politicians and people who did/can do this that there are people that are pissed. At state levels especially it matters because many state elections for like govenor or senator come down to not that many votes between candidates. So if a candidate knows where the majority lies they should be and often times listen. If they won their last election by 6000 votes and there are 30000 very very possed off constituents They can't risk losing that. Plus your state officials ***should*** be representing the masses of their state not their own views. That fact is being more and more lost amd needs to be come more important with 'states rights' being the new idea. So yes protest and your your voice but also call your legislators, write letters, use social media to connect with them...hell make appts to go see them. Contact your local district reps and see if they are going to be your voice and let them know of not then they won't be your rep for long. Engage in local political events as much as national. The amount of people who don't know the name of thier mayor or when city council meets or what voting district they are in for their state is scary and needs to change. So yes do protest but don't expect to just go to a protest then stand back and say "I made a difference". It is part of a bigger chain of things needed. And yes large well organized national protests do help also because of exposure and hard for politicians to say they are just speaking forntheir constituents when hundreds of thousands are saying no your not. It looks bad nationally but also on a global scale. Look at all the moments in history you learn about that changed with protesting. And those who say it doesn't do anything...you are just giving up a constitutional right then. It is protected and allowed for a reason. There are ways to stay safer and things to be in alert for but inherently the fight for rights and change always carries risk...but anymore so does grocery shopping, church, and school.

Will protesting help?

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