First of all, a “protest” is defined as an expression or declaration of objection, disapproval, or dissent in opposition to something or someone. Often times, the word is commonly confused with “riot,” which is very dissimilar. Protesting is an alienable right and done in a peaceful manner, whereas rioting is regarded as unconstitutional, violent, and illegal. The primary reason that protests occur is that people often begin to experience resentment against inequalities that seem to hinder or hamper themselves from success. When this feeling disapproval has become too much to bear, someone may incite a demand for change. These ideas and sense of dissatisfaction can begin to spread from person to person like a wildfire as more may start to join in this uprising. We must ask ourselves, how do these protests even come into existence? Or better yet, how does the aftermath of these protests affect our communities? For a protest to even be near compelling, productive, or successful, it must be about a vital topic that a majority of the public finds upsetting or disconcerting. For instance, The Boston Tea Party was about abusive and unnecessary British tea taxes that were hampering a significant portion of America. After the English had refused to lower or get rid of these taxes, Americans took matters into their hands and dumped out hundreds of pounds of tea into the Boston harbor. They successfully revolted while also becoming recognized for their desire to change; the British were forced to make critical changes to their political policies to satisfy the majority of American lives. The main reason of why people protest is because they want to sympathize their emotions and feelings of grief and anger; they want their issue to be known and understood by many others. If it’s impactful enough, a protest can affect policies, bring hope to oppressed people, and give activists a sense of power and influence. LeBron James. …show more content…
Ask anyone who’s even the slightest bit interested in basketball, and he/she will know who LeBron is. Already being acknowledged as a future hall of famer, he has earned respect from coaches, managers, players, and fans from across the world. This past July, he had the privilege of being one of the many valuable speakers for the ESPYS, an awards show for hundreds of famous athletes in a variety of sports ranging from football to water polo. In his speech, he thoroughly and carefully spoke against social activism and racial discrimination. Immediately following his message, the audience of thousands in front of him had risen and applauded as if the president had just spoken.
In contrast, there’s Colin Kaepernick. Before his acts of protest, you may have never heard of him before - not even some faithful football fans were aware that he even existed. He is not deemed as a “superstar quarterback”. In fact, he doesn’t even start for his team, the San Francisco 49ers. Disturbed by events such as the death of Michael Brown or Trayvon Martin, he has decided to take leadership in a unique way to capture the focus of millions. Everyone stands, right hand placed on their chests - except for one man. Colin Kaepernick gently places one knee on the ground and his eyes are glued to his feet like he is inspecting the adequacy of the grass. Someone is singing the National Anthem in the distance, but all attention is concentrated on this one man. “What in the world is he doing?” asks a disturbed fan in the stands. “He’s doing America a favor,” responds another person from behind. “No he’s not. Kaepernick is disrespecting our country and only humiliating himself,” says another body nearby. LeBron is a king; Kaepernick is a peasant. By taking initiative and bringing attention