How Do Protests Work?

This is a serious question, for serious times. How is a protest planned from 4-6 pm today at Hartsfield-Jackson going to change Trump’s executive order?

I get that the EO has offended many people. It’s not, though, unconstitutional, and it’s not without precedent -President Obama blocked all refugees from Iraq in 2011, never let nearly the numbers of Syrians in that we should have, and just switched up America’s Cuban refugee policy so that 90-some Cubans who had fled their country and were headed here have been deported from Mexico City and will be returned to Cuba. As President, Jimmy Carter had Iranian students deported and refused to issue visas to Iranians. (Carter’s actions were challenged in court, but eventually upheld.)

Some free advice to those of you who want to oppose Donald Trump, or want to #resist or whatever. Stop turning it up to 11 on every single issue. Your audience is not each other, your audience should be the most reluctant Trump supporters -the last 20% to get on the Trump train. Identify his softest supporters, and make a rational case to them. Raise some money and file a suit.

Nobody wants to be in the Atlanta Airport on a Sunday evening. They’ll be tired and eager to get to wherever they’re going. Disrupting their travel will not win them to your side, and might just have the opposite effect.

 

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