The Need to Protest is an American Way of Life Protesting is a common strategy used by Americans to present various grievances

The Need to Protest is an American Way of Life
Protesting is a common strategy used by Americans to present various grievances. The protests range from peaceful marches to chaotic protests characterized by civil disobedience. Over the decades, protests have remained an important part of American life, often utilized to draw attention to important issues, events, and injustices such as human rights abuse. Over the past century, some form of protest has characterized almost all political and social movements in America. In this essay, I will argue that the need to protest is an important component of the American way of life, which should thus be protected and defended.
In the contemporary America, protests provide an important way through which the people’s voice on political issues and injustices is heard. America is a land of debate and controversy. This implies that major public decision often requires involvement of public (Winlow, Hall and Treadwell 16). If this is ignored, protest become an important platform through which the American citizens can challenge decision and policies affecting them. This has been significantly evident over the last decade, when America has been characterized by numerous protests such as Black Lives Matter, Opposition Dakota Access Pipeline and numerous other protests. In most of these protests, the protesters raised various grievances. Therefore, the need to protest is not just an important element of Americans, but a way of life (Janowiecki Web).
According to Winlow, Hall and Treadwell (9), the right to protest is embedded in the American constitution. It is protected through various rights and freedoms such as the freedom to speak out, the right to peaceful public assembly, and the right to free speech. These rights allow and protect a wide range of protest activities including picketing, marching, and even flag burning. Moreover, there are numerous public spaces in America, where people can peacefully conduct protests. Through protests, Americans come together and are able to challenge popular opinions (Nickas and Christi Web). Through this, they are able to shape American policies and overall political life. This highlights the significant role that protests have played in the American history, which led to the need to protect them. Moreover, American institutions such as the courts acknowledge that freedom of speech is important and may at times be practiced in a provocative and challenging ways such as protests. This highlights the importance of protest in America (Janowiecki Web).
Conclusively, protests have played a significant role in the American history. The roles range from fighting for basic rights to demanding for inclusivity. The protests take different forms ranging from peaceful marches to civic disobedience. The right to protest is very important, such that it is even protected in the American constitution.
Works Cited
Janowiecki, Michelle. “Speaking and Protesting in America.” American Archive of Public Broadcasting 2018: http://americanarchive.org/exhibits/first-amendment.
Nickas, George and Corpus Christi. Public protest is The American Way. 24 Oct 2017. 12 Feb 2018 .
Winlow, Simon, SteveBriggs Daniel Hall, and James Treadwell. Riots and Political Protest. Routledge, 2015.