The First Amendment is a miracle. The fact that the founding fathers saw the importance of giving the people a right to criticize the government is an understated fact, and given that the First Amendment is the most commonly recognized amendment in the US, that’s saying something. But acknowledging that the First Amendment rocks isn’t enough. When something happens in this nation that an American doesn’t agree with, they need to be able to know how to do something about it, and how to do it effectively. This is especially true when it comes to young populations who are often the most vocal and active. So what can be done?
Protesting may seem like the most obvious answer, but it is still important! Protesting can get the government’s attention, because when people voice discontent with policies, it brings more attention to issues. Protesting also shows others that they aren’t alone in their struggles or beliefs. It shows solidarity to others in the community. And it really can cause change.
When people across the country started protesting against ICE, Democrats finally stopped funding the Department of Homeland Security. Politicians may seem above everyone else, but in the end, they answer to the community. They still need to get elected. Protests can be the most important tool to push for change on many occasions.
Often, one doesn’t need to be the one doing the legwork to organize and spread news about protests. There are often people and groups who may already be doing this in your community, you just need to seek them out. This actually plays into the next point of being active. To be aware of these protests, it’s important to stay aware of what’s happening and that is a fundamental part of Political activism.
Stay Aware of what’s happening
Another important part of being politically active is to know exactly what’s happening. Try to know what’s happening with issues and especially be aware of who your legislators are. Keep an ear out about walkouts being planned and listen to local news. This not only supports local news stations, but local events are a lot easier to influence than national ones, so it is important to keep tabs on them.
This does NOT look like sitting online and doomscrolling. That really doesn’t do anything. Read the news but DON’T just fall into stress. Do something. Just sitting is the exact opposite of being politically active. Being aware of the news, knowing who represents the community, and keeping an ear out about protests or walkouts is how one can stay informed.
Another option is to join a voter’s league. They provide information often to allow people to make more informed decisions about who to support. There are probably groups in the Iowa City community dedicated to keeping people up to date, and if there aren’t, work can be done to organize some.
Don’t Stop at protesting
Vote
Voting is a simple yet fundamental way to stay politically active. Don’t just vote in national elections; vote for the school board and whatever is happening at the local level. Voting is the single most important way to express your beliefs and your duties as a citizen.
Reach out to your legislators
Reaching out to local legislators is a classic form of resistance. Their number and email are available. This has much the same effect as protesting but the time required is drastically less. All it takes is a couple people with some time to start sending emails. The bar to entry isn’t a hundred people, it’s one person with a bit of time. This pushes legislators to take actions and listen to their constituents. Speaking to someone isn’t even required; sending an email is enough. It really is pretty easy.
Organize
Organizing allows voices to be heard. It allows for collaboration between people who agree on a subject at lets them to collectively be louder. The more people speak out the harder it is for them to be ignored. A larger group will almost always be preferable for political activism. Organizing can take the form of volunteering for a political campaign, joining a club at school, creating new organizations, or joining a political organization or voter’s league. If there aren’t any existing ones in the area, they can be made. Someone has to take the first step, and there are no age requirements to do so.
Donate
If money allows, donating to groups who share the desired beliefs is another great way to get involved. Many good groups exist to donate to. There are groups for republicans, democrats, free speech supporters, civil rights supporters, communists, monarchists, or countless other groups. Even volunteering can help. Donating is just another way to get involved and to use the power of free speech. Most importantly, all these examples are simple and can be done by people who are used to being politically active or just starting to use their voice. So long as this is done, the people continue to have a voice, and change can happen.
