Democracy depends on us

And we have every right — and every responsibility — to answer them.
We must protest the Republican Convention in Dallas because democracy depends upon citizens being willing to stand up, speak out and make their voices heard.

Voting is essential. But between elections, democracy requires citizens to organize, petition, demonstrate, write, march, speak and demand accountability. When a major political party comes to our city to showcase its power, the absence of opposition can create the illusion of unanimous support.

We must not allow that illusion to take hold.

A peaceful demonstration sends a simple message: We are here. We are watching. We are engaged. And we intend to vote.

Peaceful protest is democracy in action. The First Amendment protection belongs to every Texan who believes the government should be accountable to the people. We should exercise that right proudly and peacefully.

Texas is often portrayed as monolithic — a state where conservative politics are inevitable and dissent is somehow an intrusion. That is not true. Texas is enormous, complicated and changing!

Millions of Texans hold political beliefs different from those of the Republican establishment. Millions of Texans are LGBTQ+. Millions are immigrants or members of immigrant families.

Millions are women concerned about reproductive freedom. Millions are young people worried about their future.

Millions simply believe that government should protect individual liberty rather than dictate how people live their lives.

Dallas has a proud history of communities organizing when they have been ignored. The LGBTQ+ community understands this particularly well.

There was a time when LGBTQ+ people in Dallas were expected to remain invisible. There was a time when coming out could cost someone their job, their home, their family or even their life. Our visibility changed that.

People stood together, marched, protested, told their stories, demanded recognition and, eventually, the impossible began to look inevitable.

The Stonewall Uprisings taught us: Progress begins when enough people refuse to remain silent.

Let the television cameras see us. Let the delegates see us. Let the politicians see us. Let our neighbors see us. Let young LGBTQ+ people see us. Let every Texan who has ever wondered whether anyone else shares their concerns see us.

Thousands of ordinary people standing peacefully together can send a message that no press release can match. We are citizens. We are voters. We are neighbors. We are Texans.

We are Americans.

The Dallas Against the Trump Agenda Coalition is sponsoring a march Thursday, Sept. 10, beginning at 1 p.m. at Pike Park, 2807 Harry Hines Blvd. Our protest will be disciplined and joyful. We will march with peace. We will speak with love. We will carry signs that communicate ideas and solutions. We will bring our friends, our families, our pets and our communities.

We will sing. We will laugh. We will tell our stories. We will register voters. We will remind one another that political participation is not something to be embarrassed about. It is something to be proud of! Democracy thrives when ordinary people decide that their participation matters.

So come to Pike Park. Let’s make sure the world hears another message alongside the speeches, the banners and the applause inside the convention hall.

Democracy belongs to the people. And if we want to keep it, we have to show up for it. See you in Pike Park.

Robert Emery is a longtime community activist and organizer.