This is a response to the one-word prompt “Protest” by “The Daily Post.”

To Live in the United States is to live with the protest; the ability to redress one’s grievances and stand for or against something. Since its founding, there has been a long tradition of protest movements such as the civil rights movement, the women rights movement and so on. At the same time, there has also been within these movements and others an ugly side to peaceful protest, that being rioting and responding with violence on the part of the protesters. When one protests, he/she should do so with love, not hate.

The goal of protesting is to peacefully advocate for some form of change in either society or government policy or both. This can work when others see you protesting and bringing an issue to light and may sympathize and even agree with you. But only if they can relate to you and your cause. They will not be able to relate or react positively at all if instead of peaceful protests, there is rioting in the streets, with looting and destruction of property, and even violence against fellow man.

Love of fellow man/human beings is what changes hearts and minds and improves this world that we live in. Hatred only hardens the heart and mind and makes things worse for everyone. Love unites, and hatred divides and destroys. So the next time you believe there may be an injustice in the world and are pulled to protest that injustice to bring attention to it, do so with love and not hate. Love those behind the injustice and only hate the injustice. As St. Augustine has said, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.”