Why Protesting Is Not The Best Option To Stand Against Injustice

Throughout history, many people have protested against injustice in the hope of freedom or equality that finally lasts, but protests were often not the best way to introduce change, and they might even be ineffective. Rosa Parks once said, It is better to protest than to accept injustice,” and many have agreed with this, but they were not able to achieve any viable solutions. We can see this in examples like the American Revolution, the women’s suffrage movement, and the more recent black lives matter movement. By these, we can see that protesting has been used as a way to inspire change. Each of these examples starts with hope and determination to overcome a problem that comes from unfair systems, but their outcomes go to show that progress by protest can often expose injustice, but they can also risk more division, violence, or counter results. These examples of protests in the fight for justice have yet to show immediate or perfect change, making protests not as beneficial or not the best option for a controversial cause.

Protesting injustice is important since it can help uncover problems many choose to ignore, but they often escalate conflict and don’t provide effective or immediate solutions. This can be seen in the American Revolution, when colonists protested against unjust laws and taxes set in place by the British. The colonists wanted independence and the right to rule on behalf of their citizens. When they organized protests like the Boston Tea Party, British authorities became upset, making peaceful compromise impossible. These protests eventually led up to the Revolutionary War, which brought terror and suffering among citizens, thousands of colonists soldiers died, houses and farms were destroyed, and communities were left divided between loyalty to Britain or independence. Although the colonies won and gained freedom, they had an extremely weak start due to their unstable government, which wasn’t able to tax or regulate commerce, creating economic struggles until the Constitution was written. Even after America had sailed to live up to the promises of the revolution, as wn, people of color, and Native Americans were still denied liberty and equality. The revolution left a lasting impact of individualism, violence, and racial inequality that persists today, along with leaders who don’t rely on citizens’ opinions. This shows that while protests can start to change, it is hard them to be a complete solution to injustice.

Another example of protests not being fully effective or achieving their goal is the women’s suffrage movement, which took 75 years of effort for women to still be unequal today. While today women are more involved and most will agree they have plenty of opportunities now, the struggles of present discrimination still affect them. In the 19th century, discrimination was common, not just against race and class but also gender. Women lived with limited rights and opportunities, they wished to lead more successful lives and to have a voice in America. The first protests for women’s right to vote the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, but the public’s criticism was harsh, and there was little to nsupportor for the cause as a result. Some members had even left out of shame and fear for themselves and their families. Many more protests followed, and they were very risky, activists faced violence, imprisonment, public humiliation, and even experienced torture in jail, all for simply wanting the right to vote. Their sacrifices helped bring the ratification of the 199th Amendment, allowing some women to vote after almost 8 decades of effort. But, today, women still face inequality, they earn almost 20% less than men and in many places hold fewer legal rights. They also unfortunately experience the highest rates of assault and discrimination, especially in male-dominated societies, and in the United States, they have little to no female representation in political and leadership roles. So even though these protests got their point across and brought progress, it shows that protests, while powerful, are not always effective or immediate fixes to inequality.

When looking back on the black lives matter movement, we tend to notice its failure to create lasting change, and despite its impact the issues they fought against still occur today. The movement was set off by the shooting of Trayvon Martin, whose shooter, a white man, was acquitted. The movement was created as a response to the unjust verdict of Martin’s murder. Another victim of racial injustice, even after these protests started, was Breanna Taylor, a black woman who was shot and killed by an officer during a raid of her apartment. While later in 2020 the movement escalated after the murder of George Floyd, committed by a police officer, increasing national attention and support for BLM, highlighting police brutality caused by racism. More protests erupted around America, filled with frustration and emotion from years of violence against black people. Authorities often responded aggressively, using tear gas and rubber bullets against the crowds. Some of these protests, though mainly peaceful, were said to have turned into riots, with some people even using these protests as a cover-up for looting and vandalism, shifting the peace to chaos. The media usually only focus on the violent aspects of the movement, creating a negative public perception and delegitimizing its message. Although they did help raise awareness and create some policy changes, they also caused strong counter-arguments like Blue Lives Matter, causing an even deeper division. They even caused cop proactivity to decrease in some areas, out of fear of backlash or being framed. While these protests may have changed or influenced other opinions, racial injustice and police brutality continued, showing that protests can’t always be an effective solution, especially when considering the public’s opinion.

In conclusion, the American Revolution, the women’s suffrage movement, and the BLM movement all reveal that protests can be a source of progress and conflict. While each brought awareness to injustice, beginning the path to change, they also, unfortunately, created more division, violence, and slower results. They show that protests alone cannot guarantee ultimate change, but they can ignite controversial conversations and actions crucial to moving forward. But even when results are slow to come, the power that comes from standing against injustice shapes the ongoing struggle for equality.