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Perspective: Cool ways to raise your voice about hot issues

Christin Hume
/
Unsplash

It seems we have a lot of reasons to be upset this summer and it’s so much more than just the weather.

Did you vote this past Tuesday? Did you march last weekend in solidarity for gay pride or in protest of recent Supreme Court decisions? These are just two of the ways we can show up and share our viewpoints on issues that matter.

Not all of us, though, are made for parades or protest marches. It’s imperative to stand up for what you believe in, but your actions should be congruent with who you are. The “action” part, though, is crucial. While empathy for the suffering of others shows you’re human and is good for the heart, adding action to the caring is compassion – and that’s good for the soul.

So if standing outside the courthouse holding up a sign in the blazing sun or pouring rain isn’t your jam, there are other ways you can share your message that may have even greater influence.

Read the local newspaper, attend town halls and city council meetings. If you don’t know what’s going on, you’re not in the best place to share your opinion. Attend candidate debates and forums. Ask candidates tough questions. Vote -– in every primary or major election that comes along.

Sign petitions. Email, text, or better yet, call your state and national representatives. Donate money if you can afford to. Support businesses that are in alignment with your beliefs. Be a digital warrior and share accurate, verified information with others. Support the folks who are able to march and find your personal activist jam by marching to the beat of your own inner drum.

I’m Suzanne Degges-White and that’s my protest perspective.

Chair and Professor - NIU counseling and higher education