{"id":800,"date":"2018-05-31T18:02:38","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T18:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/?post_type=project&p=800"},"modified":"2026-08-07T19:29:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:29:28","slug":"a-guide-to-the-lost-art-of-the-protest-non-partisan","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/a-guide-to-the-lost-art-of-the-protest-non-partisan\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide To The Lost Art Of The Protest [Non-Partisan]"},"content":{"rendered":"
We are privileged to live in a democracy wherein we are free to protest the action or inaction of our elected officials in order to bring about change – defined as having our elected officials stop doing something or start doing something. For example, we may want them to vote or not vote for a particular piece of legislation.<\/div>\n
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The art of the protest, however, seems to have peaked with Dr. King and since fallen steeply off to the point of complete inefficacy. And as much as I personally disagree with many of the protests I see recently, what really bothers me is how much of a giant waste of time they all are. If you are going to do it, PLEASE get it right.<\/div>\n
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Let\u2019s review how protests currently happen and where it all goes wrong:<\/div>\n
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1 – the media decides for you what you should be angry or upset about.<\/div>\n
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2 – Someone funds a protest to improve the business environment of a particular person, organization or entity OR just out of vindictive nature. Money is moved.<\/div>\n
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3 – People show up, some paid and some not, with a hundred different signs and mill about taking selfies, denigrating the leaders who could actually do something about it, etc.<\/div>\n
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4 – When the cameras show up, representatives offer up a profanity laced rant without anything informed, intelligent or coherent to say, much less a singular message.<\/div>\n
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5 – Nothing happens – elected leaders do not actually do anything.<\/div>\n
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Why did nothing happen? Nothing happened because you:<\/div>\n
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(1) did not understand the current state of the law,<\/div>\n
(2) did not have a single focused message about what exactly you wanted your government to do and,<\/div>\n
(3) you were rude and nasty to your government leaders and now they do not want to help you at all.<\/div>\n
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Now, let\u2019s look at how a successful protest happens – that is, a protest that results in government leaders actually taking action to pass or block specific legislation\u2026.<\/div>\n
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1 – One citizen feels that the law needs to change, be created, be removed, etc.<\/div>\n
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2 – They talk to others and organize a protest that attracts many like-minded people.<\/div>\n
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3 – They devise a singular message that includes precisely the action they want and who is authorized and capable of that action. For example, \u201cMr. President: Veto Bill #123.\u201d and they ensure that everyone at the protest has THAT MESSAGE on their signs.<\/div>\n
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4 – They chant, focused on a message of positive action – not profanity, rudeness or degradation; continually focused on who should take the action and exactly what action they should take.<\/div>\n
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5 – When the media shows up, the organizers speak intelligently and impressively about the current state of the law, exactly what change they want to see and who should take action – always focused on the one single message. Their words are prepared and offer quotable sound bites of motivating and profound wisdom.<\/div>\n
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6 – Change happens.<\/div>\n
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The particularly adept organizer will have also delivered (weeks ahead) a document to several key congressional offices which they might use for talking points, and\/or to prepare a bill for sponsorship.<\/div>\n
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So there you have it – if you feel inclined to protest, PLEASE go forth and be EFFECTIVE.<\/div>\n
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~ Love, KC<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A non-partisan guide to effective protest, contrasting ineffective modern demonstrations with a disciplined method: a single focused message naming a specific action and official, respectful conduct, and prepared talking points capable of actually moving legislation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"project_category":[31],"project_tag":[401,400],"series":[],"class_list":["post-800","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project_category-observations","project_tag-government","project_tag-protest"],"acf":{"recommend_blurb":"For civically engaged readers who want their activism to produce real change. It lays out a clear, respectful, message-focused approach to protest aimed at results rather than venting.","citation_snippet":"Dr. Kathryn Messegee (Kathryn Colleen), \"A Guide To The Lost Art Of The Protest,\" https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/a-guide-to-the-lost-art-of-the-protest-non-partisan\/","topics":["essays"],"related_book":"","buy_url":""},"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/March_on_washington_Aug_28_1963.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CCA57320-6DC3-4284-BC27-49E433028503.jpeg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/on-life-being-human\/id1360368906","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2nq6d35q9nFAFlanaJc2Do","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/feed\/podcast\/on-life-being-human","embedCode":"

A Guide To The Lost Art Of The Protest [Non-Partisan]<\/a><\/blockquote>