Better Ways of Protesting the Alt-Right
Alternative Ways to Counter Fascism
I can’t go to protests since I get very stressed around violence, then you can figure out a way to protest with writing, song, poetry, fiction, journalism, and more. I want to give rise to my fiction again for starters, fiction about how fascism is overcome. Staying home, rather than counter protesting, is easier to deal with for some people because we do not have to face the negativity on the street. We don’t come home with injuries, fear, or anxiety from having to stare down the violence. I protest in my own way.
You can protest in many ways that do not involve walking on concrete to get into fights with people who aren’t going to change their minds anyway. I’ve often thought about what kind of mental health treatment would counter fascism. Getting the racists to talk to people not of their race, for example. Street protesting is useless to me. I can’t go since I have vulnerabilities they would attack, such as my insulin pump. If I get into any kind of fight, sure, I have some idea how to protect myself but really, it is best I spare myself a criminal record.
Here are 6 alternative ways to protest. I have PTSD, in addition to many things, and this is C-PTSD, which is a chronic condition that sometimes exhausts me when I get flashbacks. I can’t donate money, because I’m low-income. Sometimes organizing locally, may be an option, for me but once again, I’m shy, and I do not go to protests because of my spoons although I went to the January 21st protest a year ago by now since it was a safe protest with families and children. Yes, buying objects like a Planned Parenthood tote bag can help but once again, the pen is mightier than the sword.
In my case, I can get a lot more mileage from writing about the current situations, rather than finding myself in a protest. I’d rather volunteer at an organization I believe in than get stuck in violent protest situations. Calling my local officials is something that appeals to me since I can get a lot done by influencing them. I feel that when my knee gets all the way better, I can volunteer my time at organizations that are trying to help the homeless, mentally ill people, and people who do not know how to read.
Other non-violent methods of protest include this list of 198 methods, public speeches, letters of opposition, and support, group petitions, leaflets, pamphlets, prayer or worship. I plan on engaging in writing as much as I can. Group vigils to counter the alt-right’s ritual in Charlottesville can go a long way to helping the situation, although I wouldn’t be at this sort of ritual. Other categories of protest actions besides going to loud, noisy protests, includes a social boycott of certain lines of clothing, for example.
Peaceful conflict resolution is simply not often taught anymore. Experts say we need alternatives. Violent protests do not get anybody anywhere. Tolerating and listening to other people’s points of view does get somewhere. The left is trying to tell the right to quit hating people but the right is racist, intolerant, and really dislikes people of color, as well as immigrants. They are simply frustrated. So is the left. I don’t mean to say that both sides have a problem because being a Nazi is not okay. Alternative strategies for protesting include silence, non-violent occupation, and walk-outs. Sometimes people can sabotage walk-outs at school by saying that staying in class is worth your grade as that happened to me while in college.
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About the Creator
Iria Vasquez-Paez
I have a B.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State. Can people please donate? I'm very low-income. I need to start an escape the Ferengi plan.
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