Every week, it seems another protest or rally pops up — people shouting, holding signs and venting their outrage into the wind. No matter what side you are on, there is always an underlying feeling of anger. The latest is the No Kings protest. Hundreds will show up, chanting, posting selfies and going home feeling like they’ve “done something.”

Have they?

I understand the anger. I really do. The world feels unfair, leadership often feels broken and sometimes it feels like our only option is to shout. But the truth is, shouting doesn’t feed a family. It doesn’t mentor a teenager who’s struggling. It doesn’t give someone in recovery a second chance or provide warmth to someone sleeping in their car.

Anger can be a powerful fuel — but only if we use it to build something, not just burn.

What if the energy poured into shouting at the sky was redirected into serving our communities? What if the people spending their Saturday holding signs spent that same time helping stock a food pantry, coaching a youth team, mentoring someone in recovery or volunteering at a local shelter?

That’s where real change happens — in the quiet, consistent actions that lift others, not in the noise, but in the work.

Words can start a movement, but actions sustain it, so if you’re angry, that’s good. You should be. But take that fire and do something that actually changes lives. Because screaming into the void may feel powerful in the moment — but serving others is what truly echoes.

Alexis Crawford
Buxton