Since early 2017, I’ve been organizing, calling my congressional representatives, and protesting publicly, all to bring attention to our fragile democracy and to encourage my fellow Utahns to speak up against increasing tyranny. For years, the vast majority of my compatriots were older white women like me.
But now, something is changing. New voices are emerging. At the recent Salt Lake City rally protesting the appallingly violent actions of ICE and the entirely senseless murder of Alex Petti, young people swarmed the streets. People under 30 were everywhere.
And the signs! As always, many of them were clever, acerbic, even funny. But new signs appeared at this rally that I’d never seen before. Some were religious (“Radicalized by the Gospel,” “Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”). Some focused on family values (“Our homes, our schools, our neighbors, our families). Some simply focused on love (“Where ICE melts, flowers grow,” “Love your neighbor”). All indicated that the demographic opposed to ICE and its barbarian tactics is growing.
If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, now’s the time to activate. The times, they are a-changing. This is reason for hope.
Joanne Slotnik, Salt Lake City