Make your voice heard

With the current political climate, you may justify avoiding activism because you believe the issue may not directly affect you, or because you fear persecution from your peers, family or community.

But now is not the time to feel powerless and pessimistic waiting for the storm to pass. Now is the time to embrace your right to freedom of speech, your right to peaceful protest and your ability to make change in the world.

Regardless of your opinions, there are ways to express your patriotism and hope for a better country.

People who are proud that they don’t care about politics should realize that those who did care are the reason many people have a better life today. Those people did not sit by and accept the injustices in their country.

The men and women who took an interest in bettering their country were not politicians, they were ordinary people who unified for justice and made a point to use their voices. It is possible to be part of this group and to make political change, even though it may seem out of your hands.

A great starting point for getting involved in politics is by calling your local representative to Congress, and two senators, with your concerns.

Emily Ellsworth, who has worked for numerous representatives in Utah, told the New York Times that calling your lawmakers is much more efficient than emailing them. Emails and letters too often get lost in the shuffle, but calling is an immediate time to voice your opinion. “It brings a legislative issue right to the top of the mind of a member,” she said. “It makes it impossible to ignore for the whole staff. You don’t get a whole lot else done.”

By voicing your opinion to the people who you and your neighbors voted in, they are influenced to act in a way that would continue to garner your support.

Receptionists and secretaries even take notes from their callers and pass on the messages or write them in a spreadsheet, according to Ellsworth. What may seem like a call falling on deaf ears could actually influence political change.

Marches and protests let your government know that you will not sit by and let their policies walk all over the people you love and respect.

Hundreds of thousands of people participated in the Women’s March held Jan. 21, showing lawmakers what they are up against when making policies that discriminate. When people band together they cannot be ignored. The more, and more often, the better.

So don’t sit behind your computer screen, because real change happens through unification, protest and calling your local representatives.
There are ways to make your voice heard, use them.

Sure, share that post to get the word out about the protest you’re attending, but then go to the protest. Add to the size of the crowd. Demand that your representatives represent you the way they promised. Make them hear you.

To find out who your representatives are and how to contact them, visit usa.gov/elected-officials.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

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