A reader writes, "Why do you care about protest? Protest doesn't do anything and protesters are lame." How wrong you are my friend. That is what your emotional social spiritual and economic overlords want you to think. Why do I care about protest? Where do I begin?

Because societies need dissent
Because protest is the voice of the people
Because protest is the powerless becoming powerful
Because protest is the engine of change
Because protest is the mother of revolution
Because revolution is necessary (sometimes)
Because tyranny is wrong
Because the powerful don’t like it one bit
Because protest is rock’n’roll and punk rock and hip hop
Because protest is what my heroes did
Because being a protester is being with the Jews on the way to Auschwitz and the Palestinians on the West Bank
Because protest is the only thing that deserves to be called cool
Because protesters make better lovers
And because without it, I probably wouldn't be here,
saying these things