Commentary: America’s at a Turning Point, So What Now?

I’ve heard this question asked so many times. So much so, I’ve gotten tired of responding to it.

So often people in our society say things like “protests just don't work” or “why can’t yall just be peaceful.” I find it amazing that those same people forget history… There’s a long record of proof that organized protests create results.

But, you don't have to take my word for it, check the receipts:

From The Protestant Reformation to The Boston Tea Party and The American Revolution. You have the Storming of the Bastille and The French Revolution to
Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt March. Oh, and how could we forget about the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Protesting works and it's been proven time and time again.

Even in our own backyard, we’re already seeing fruit from the labor of these protests. Take a minute and look over what’s been accomplished in the last 13 days:

More: Buffalo Could Get a ‘Black Lives Matter’ Street
More: Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown Announces Police Reforms
More: Police Reform: Here’s What’s Changing in Policing in New York State
More: The Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act Has Been Passed Into Law
More: Law Protecting NYS Officers’ Disciplinary Records Up For Vote
More: Buffalo to Ban Police from Using Chokeholds

But we can’t stop here, we have to keep going. The American system of government requires an educated citizenry. It is essential for our survival.

Too often, politicians count on the fact that you are not involved. That you don’t know what’s going on and that you’re too busy to participate. That’s how we end up with all these laws and rules that are not in our best interest.

In order to do something about that, you have to vote out those people who do not share your values and you vote in people who do share your values. But you can’t stop there, you have to keep the pressure on those elected officials. They need your consistent input, even if they don’t want it… They are in office to represent you, your needs, and your concerns.

Today is the first day of early voting in New York for the presidential primary, along with state senate and assembly, and a couple of judges. If you want to see justice happening in the courts and in the laws and in the administration of our cities and counties then you can’t just protest. You also have to vote.

So the next time someone says to you “so what now”, you tell them that We The People are just getting started…