What I don’t like about now is not the sounds of protest, but the tactics employed to protest. When my issue becomes more important than the greater good than being a caring, compassionate human, then I’m driven by self-centeredness, and there is nothing noble in that. And yes, you will cite some examples of protests that raised holy heck and achieved great things. Still, the philosophy remains the same. We must, in the United States of America, care about everyone, even as we instruct others in a better way. When you attack me, I can no longer hear you.

There is always plenty to squawk about. There is always unfairness and injustice. Thankfully, we live in a country where the right to say, “No way!” is protected by the constitution. We must remember we are modeling ‘life,’ what it means to be human, to the generations behind us.

The idea behind peaceful protest can’t become novel in today’s world where social media often becomes a duck blind—something you hide behind while you shoot safely at the ducks.

Now, you’d be a fool not to take advantage of the potential of this great platform called the world-wide-web, but using it as a duck blind is often the path of bullies and cowards. Perhaps we have become drunk with power! When has the common man had such an opportunity? Finding a voice is a fundamental human need, and having a shot at being heard is headier than a dose of a powerful drug. And so, this opportunity can become a drug and must be used responsibly even as we’ve all become addicted to it.

We are clamoring to be significant. Our parents might have gotten it wrong, and some of us have deep wounds. Along comes a cause and we flume onto it to right all the wrongs—in ourselves! And too often we do that by leveling a howitzer of words at one another, forgetting we are human!

Use your voice for good. Use your voice to build humanity. Whatever you believe about human origins, human beings are sacred. If you don’t remember that, then I can’t entrust my children to your world.

I give humans the holy dimension of sacredness because a life is a tremendously important, multi-faceted being connected to and valued by many others. When you hurt someone, you are operating out of your hurt. You are spreading hurt. Your goal is no longer the cause you hide behind. Your pain has taken over.

We’re here to give life to one another. We’re here to challenge one another to value life. We’re here to listen and learn and direct one another to a better way.

Protest. People died to give us the right. The right to protest. Not to piss on one another, to cheapen and devalue humanity in the process of stating a belief or opinion. Not to become a new type of oppressor.