Peaceful Protest Argument Analysis

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One can gauge the freedom of a society through a simple test: peaceful protest. If protest is met with repercussions, consider the society a social prison. If protest is met with toleration, consider the society free.

Pivotal to democracy and freedom is peaceful protest -- the exercise of the fundamental freedom of expression without fear of repercussions. The great Martin Luther King Jr. once claimed that the heroes of the oppressed south were the "James Merediths" who faced "jeering and hostile mobs," the "Negro women" who, in the crossfires of racism, "rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses," and the "high school and college students" who "courageously and nonviolently [sat] in at lunch
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Following the Inauguration of Donald Trump, the 45th president who drew backlash from misogynistic comments and allegedly discriminatory policies, five million women marched throughout the United States (Source 4). From Los Angeles to the actual Inauguration in D.C., women and men rose in solidarity to peacefully protest Donald Trump's controversial policies. Equipped only with picket signs, these individuals fervently marched for justice and the right to individual security.These demonstrations attracted national attention, especially in the media. The peaceful protests against Donald Trumps presidency accentuated a need to come together, especially in trying times.

Peaceful protesters seek not an immediate change, but an immediate widening of perspective. They hope to immerse the American society into their point of view, and in doing so, make people more sympathetic to their views. Peacefully resisting the atrocities and unlawfulness of the government efficiently highlights the injustices in society. Peaceful protests not only catalyze change, it also brings American society closer together and bridges the societal gap created by religion, race, ethnicity, etc. Peaceful protests remind Americans that we are all Americans at heart and should therefore protect one