Almost daily we hear about protests someplace. People are shutting down freeways, starting riots. The media, giving this handful of people attention, fuels their efforts.
But the protest that was heard around the world — much to the displeasure of the media — was the election of President Donald Trump. In the quiet of the voting booth, a large crowd of people first stopped the advancement of Republican political insiders.
This was followed last November by another protest, the election of Trump in the face of unbelievable odds.
These protesters are scared and are seldom seen in the open public. They fear the political machinery in this country and are able to express their frustrations only in the quiet of the voting booth. I saw this same kind of frustration with the election of Gov. Jesse Ventura by the voters of Minnesota.
Without rioting or destroying our cities, what better way do these people have to express their frustration? In the voting booth, no one is watching, or knowing, and the media isn't criticizing them.
During the campaign, Trump told us just what he was going to do. There is now resistance on the part of both Republicans and Democrats to allowing the president to carry out his political promises.
But the protesters who elected him are still out there — and are ready and willing to protest again, in their own way, with or without the support of the media and politicians.
I am one of those protesters. And I would suggest that Minnesota's Republican congressmen — Tom Emmer, Eric Paulsen and Jason Lewis — start supporting the Republican president we elected. Or the next protest will be in November 2018.
I may not be able to protest to the point of marking my ballot in front of a Democrat's name, but I do have the right to not vote for an office at all. The same can be true for Democratic candidates. In the quiet of the voting booth, there were a lot of frustrated Minnesota Democrats who voted for Trump, who almost won Minnesota. Other frustrated Democrats may not have voted for Trump, but their protest was recorded when they did not mark their ballots by Hillary Clinton's name.
These protesters expect Minnesota Democrats to respect their decision and support who the country elected president. If they do not, frustrated Minnesota Democrats may not mark ballots in front of their names next November.
What a great system. What a great country. Politicians, beware the elections.
Harlan Anderson lives in Cokato, Minn.
