Protesters Hold More Than Donald Trump Accountable

One week after the election, anti-Donald Trump protests have broken out in nearly every major city in America and completely disrupted the "politics-as-usual" attitude in this country. Although it may be too soon to tell conclusively, the reignited spirit of activism seems bound to stick around, at least until Trump is out of office. If you're dedicated to spending the next four years fighting to overhaul the ailing American political system, this anti-Trump protest move could take your civil disobedience to the next level, because it encourages people not to think about Trump, but the whole system that made him electable.

According to ABC News, 40 protesters staged a sit-in at Senator Chuck Schumer's office in Washington, D.C. on Monday, 17 of whom were arrested by capitol police for the misdemeanor charge of crowding and obstructing. Although Schumer is arguably best-known to millennials for his gun control initiative last summer with his famous cousin, the protesters wanted to call attention to a less progressive area of his political history. According to Waleed Shahid, a spokesperson for the organization #AllofUs, Schumer's ties to Wall Street and his potential Senate Minority leadership position were reasons the group targeted their protest at the newly reelected four-term senator.

This strategy of pressuring lawmakers is so powerful because there's more than enough blame to go around for the mess the United States is in now. Focusing solely on Trump for the next four years simply isn't the most effective strategy. Congressional representatives on both sides of the aisle need to be held accountable for what they allow in the legislature. As powerful as the presidency is, Congress is the stopgap that can prevent a lot of his policy proposals from affecting the American people. Everyone has to demand the accountability from their legislators — who finances their campaigns and how they conduct their politics are completely under the purview of things voters can demand to change. Finding the best strategies to make that happen is what will take work now, but it seems like this could be one.

Trump's election has made the country wonder where to go next, and that's an answer everyone has to work together on. One thing that seems to unite all points on the political spectrum is ethical behavior, and there doesn't seem to be nearly enough of it in the president or Congress. Demanding ethical politics from all governmental representatives is how the United States will make real progress, so it's not enough just to focus on Trump. Lawmakers need to know that the people are watching and that the country won't put up with substandard ethics anymore.