Every year, the president of the United States gives the State of the Union Address. Why should the government tell the country how it is doing? Is it not the people who most directly experience the social problems that plague our country? This is why we have created the People’s State of the Union Address 2011, a protest scheduled for July 23 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
We are a small group of activists that live across the country. We aim to enact direct democracy through peaceful protest. So what are some of these social issues? They fall under positive social change. What is positive social change? It is progress towards a world in which others are free to live their lives the way they want to, provided it does not infringe upon others’ rights. We have chosen to campaign against such issues as internet censorship, police brutality, bullying, and corporate influence in government. We campaign for issues like cultural acceptance, environmentalism, and government transparency. Keep in mind that it’s quite alright if you don’t agree with all of our ideals; just protest the issues that you came to protest, and you will not have to be associated with something you disagree with.
One of our most important priorities is gay rights. Of course, we also strongly support transgender and bisexual rights as well. I’m going to get personal for a minute. This protest was actually started as a result of a hate crime committed when I was in high school. My transgender friend had his head bashed into a wall during school, and no one, not even administration, responded. That to me indicated a problem deeply rooted in government policy that does not address the social discrimination and ostracizing that homosexuals and transgendered people endure in a country that seemingly hates them.
This protest will, simply put, be played by ear. We will have speakers, and we wish to feature many many more, as much as we can. Contact us if you would like to give a speech on any issue. It is time we let our voices be heard. The world is changing, in many ways for the better, and in many ways for the worse. We can only be heard if we speak out. Don’t ever think that you can’t make a difference. As an individual, you can change the world if you stand up for what you believe in. We can do this.
You can contact us at: peoplesstateoftheunionaddress@gmail.com
We also strongly encourage you visit our Facebook page, our Facebook event page, and download our detailed State of the Union plan.
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“You and I are part of a pivotal generation, and it’s time we started directly fixing the world’s problems, instead of relying on our government to enact all change,” says guest author Frankie Alibro, who says he “comes from a bigoted town down south in Florida, where homophobia and racism are accepted and even perpetuated by officials.” As a rejection of that town’s mob mentality, he has become an activist against all injustices and for all positive social change.
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