Protest Dbq

Over 4,124,543 people in America have participated in protests. Since so many people across the country participate in these rallies, one may ask why they protest. They do it for many different reasons. People protest to end injustices, to support a cause, to make their views be heard, to be patriotic, and to help humanity. Protests are effective when many people come together and strike, forcing the government to take action.

Citizens of America protest to help humanity. This is supported by the number of people that care about the death rates of the Vietnam war. At the beginning of the war, 24% of people opposed it. Six years later, 60% of people opposed the war in Vietnam (Source A: Data Bank: Vietnam War status). This drastic change

in percentage was caused by the death rates of American troops. More Americans were being exposed to these death rates that the government had been so severely lying to them about and it lead them to protest. Another reason people protest to help humanity is the movement, Black Lives Matter. Citizens across the country are protesting to help end racial injustices. They are helping people from being wrongfully killed by police. A supporter of this cause states black Americans should “no longer be systematically targeted for demise”(Black Lives Matter). These supporters help humanity greatly. Overall, people protest to help mankind for the greater good.
People also protest to make their views heard.

They can not reach the government easily unless they have a huge group of people marching and protesting with them. Citizens gather, posters and songs are made, even draft cards are burnt in protest (Fred Lonidier). To take a more dangerous and impactful route people went as far as bombing the Pentagon (Source C: Image Bank: Weather Underground). The American people solely want to be heard, and they can perfectly do this through protests. Protests are effective when people come together to be heard, they strike to force the government to listen. Many experts agree on this, "What we both realize is we're stronger when we operate together” (Kendall Fells). In conclusion, rallies help citizens of the United States to express their opinions and persuade people to join

them.
Individuals take place in protests to be more patriotic as well. These people believe that taking part in government actions is patriotic. They like making a change and participating. Martin Luther King Jr. states, “I speak as one who loves America, to the leaders of our own nation: The great initiative is ours”. He specifically states how loving of America he is and that everyone needs to take charge of our nation. One can connect these two to mean that patriotism lies within protesting. Being able to create change in America is powerful. People feel better when they know they are making an impact, so they do not only protest but create movements in protest. These movements are creating an even larger impact because they take action. If people were to “commit themselves to a movement wherever they are in whatever way they effectively can, would be, I’m convinced, enough”(Paul Potter). Paul states how if everyone takes action in a certain movement, a lot would be changed and could help to end the Vietnam War. As expressed, people participate in protests to be patriotic.
Inhabitants of the United States also protest to support certain views. Many people marched in support of President Richard Nixon as well, “On May 20, 1970, between 60,000 to 150,000 construction workers paraded through downtown New York to show support of President Nixon’s war policies”(New York Times). These citizens wanted people to know that if they were in support of Nixon, they were not alone. They also believe they were being patriotic by supporting their nation, they said many things in support of the president. A lady marching with her kids states, “Were part of the silent majority that is finally speaking-and in answer to all the creeps and the bums that have been hollering and marching against the President. I think he’s doing the best he can to bring out an honorable peace”(New York Times). By saying this, the woman believes in the president’s views and feels very strongly against Anti-war protestors. She protested to support her views, just like many other Americans did.
The movement Black Lives Matter protests to end injustices.

They make America a better place for black citizens. They march against police brutality and the general mistreatment of black Americans. Their movement has become extremely popular and through this power, they are able to spread their message. According to their website, BLM is working to create an “inclusive and spacious movement”(Black Lives Matter). They protest by creating posters, marches, etc. just like the Anti-war protesters. After the killing of her son by police, Andrea Irwin reflects on how her life was impacted. She states, “The life I had – everything is just gone,” she said. “Today, I’m a better person. But it was not like that for a long time. I went through a very dark place. I feel like I went to my definition of what a hell would be”. Irwin was highly affected by her son’s death and wants to help other people so the same thing doesn’t happen to them. She wants to end injustices, and that is why she

protests.
In conclusion, protests are an immense part of our current government. They help us to create a better America for all. Protests are effective when many people come together for the greater good to solve a problem. This creates not only unity but a stronger country. Overall, people protest to end injustices, have their views heard, support a cause, be patriotic, and help humanity.