I want to make something clear. I am fully in support of voluntary protests. I may be skeptical about how well they work, but I support them.

I do not support coerced protests. I don't support forcing or shaming or threatening individuals or groups to join your protest...

... because people have the right to say no.

Harassing diners to give a power salute is coercion. Shaming athletes to postpone games (especially when there are no consequences and the gesture is shallow) is coercion. Demanding the applause of the public...

... because you believe your protest is the height of virtue is coercion.

We Americans already know this coercion only goes one way. Wear the rainbow ribbon at work or you will be fired (even if you are a devout Muslim person who doesn't support the agenda). Agree...

...that trans women are women even if you are a sex assault survivor who has real concerns about being forced to share private spaces with male people--or you will be cancelled. Attend the corporate struggle session that tells you all whites are evil racists and...

...that you, an Asian-American, are "white adjacent" and thus also privileged and racist, even if your family fled to America from Cambodia with nothing but the clothes on their backs. In other words, parrot back the woke corporate values you are told to repeat...

...and never think for yourself or ask who all this division and chaos benefits.

I oppose racism in all its forms. I do so as a Catholic. And as a Catholic I insist on the freedom of every person to take part in protests or not as he or she sees fit. Anything else is tyranny.