Protest is a civic duty

On Memorial Day I read two articles on The Gazette Insight page urging citizens to protest when leaders lack compassion and make unwise decisions. Please find them online and read them.

Throughout our history, elected officials on both sides of the aisle have made horrible decisions resulting in the wasteful spending of billions if not trillions of dollars and causing the deaths of thousands of soldiers and injuries to countless others. When leaders make poor policy decisions or fail to tell the truth, concerned citizens must speak out to their elected representatives. This is the way a democracy is supposed to work.

Israel has a right to destroy Hamas. They slaughtered 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. What many Americans, including students, are protesting is the complete destruction of Gaza, killing close to 54,000 Palestinians and wounding another 123,000. Many of the victims are women and children, and now all of Gaza is suffering from famine, and Israel is not allowing adequate supplies in.

To label protesters as antisemites or anti-jew is inaccurate. They are against the policy and actions of Israel, not threatening Israel’s right to exist. When our present administration is threatening to deport all foreign students for protesting, that blanket policy is wrong. Deport those who are violent or threaten violence. To take away academic freedom from Harvard and other universities is also questionable policy.

From the Memorial Day editorial, Lincoln stated, ”To sin by silence, when it’s a duty to protest, makes cowards of all men.”

Darryl Syverson

Strawberry Point