A large group of individuals recently staged a protest in front of my neighbor’s home. This neighbor is a public official, and they disagreed with his policies. They lined the street and sidewalk, holding signs and shouting as their cars drove up and down the street honking. They came and went, within an hour. No property was damaged and no violence occurred, but the aggressive nature of the event left our quiet community shaken.

While this might seem a small occurrence compared to the national scene, it caused a great deal of excitement in my neighborhood. Outsiders of any kind coming in a large group to incite unrest and make known their views hasn’t happened in my quiet neighborhood, perhaps ever. The protesters claimed, accurately, that they were exercising their First Amendment rights. They disagreed with this official’s policies, and were coming here to let him know.

They had already protested at the Capitol and Governor’s Mansion. They claimed they were being ignored at those places, and would only be heard by coming straight to a man in charge. Some of these points are valid; the justification for much unscrupulous behavior from protesters this year has been in the name of “being heard.” Simply peaceful protesting might fall through the cracks nowadays. The news cycle is wild and hard to break into.

Yet, this does not justify the protesters’ actions. While it is legal to demonstrate on the sidewalk, public property, that doesn’t change the fact that the protesters’ methodology was just plain mean, intended to terrorize this family. Going to a public official’s offices to protest policy is one thing. That is what protesting is all about. Going to a public official’s private residence to protest them, is another. This is not protesting policy. It’s intimidation. Legal? Yes. But good? No.

Not only this, but protesting at public officials’ homes accomplishes none of the objectives of a peaceful protest. A peaceful protest objects to actions taken by a government. It’s intended to raise awareness, to get passers-by to notice and give their support. It strives to get the government to change its ways.

Protesting at a public official’s home does not effectively protest government policy. At that point, you are protesting a particular individual rather than policy. It does raise awareness, but does not gain you popular sympathy. If anything, it reduces your support, especially among the local population.

Much of my neighborhood might normally lean toward these protesters politically. But as soon as these outsiders showed up to protest our dear neighbor, almost every neighbor was against them. I know him as a good man first, and a public official second. Any hostilities against him are taken personally. The protesters also brought unrest to our quiet neighborhood’s streets. The protesters in my neighborhood reduced local support for their movement. It was not about the ideas being espoused; it was about the methods being employed.

Protesting at a private residence does not gain support for your cause, no matter who, what, when and why. It alienates not just the official, but local residents as well. Nothing positive can be accomplished through this method of protest.

Take it back to the public square. Take it back to the State Capitol. But don’t protest at public officials’ private homes.

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