What Courage Looks Like — Protest, Visibility, and the Power of Showing Up
A lesson in moral clarity from the Russell Rotunda
Today (June 25, 2025), a group of disabled Americans rolled into the Russell Senate Office Building and delivered a very powerful protest.
They came to speak truth to power. Not with violence or slogans, but with their presence. They asked Congress not to cut the Medicaid that keeps them alive. For that, they were zip-tied and arrested.
This is what real resistance looks like. These activists knew the risk. They showed up anyway.
Here is why this was great protest:
1. It made the invisible visible
Disabled people are often ignored in political conversations. This protest demanded visibility and refused to be erased.
2. It was peaceful and direct
No chaos. No destruction. Just people showing up in the halls of government to say no to a bill that would hurt them.
3. It forced the issue into public view
The image of wheelchair users being zip-tied and removed from a Senate office is impossible to ignore. It tells the story without needing a single word.
4. It exposed the cruelty of the system
Peaceful disabled Americans asked to be heard. The government responded by arresting them. That reveals where power stands.
5. It built solidarity
Their courage reminds others they are not alone. It inspires people to act, to speak out, and to push back against injustice.
What You Can Do:
Share the images and video. Make sure people see what is happening.
Contact your representatives. Demand they vote against Medicaid cuts.
Join a local protest or organize one in your community.
Support and uplift disability-led organizations and activists.
These protesters showed more strength in a moment than most politicians show in a career. They reminded us that resistance is not always loud. Sometimes, it is quiet, steady, and unshakable.
Follow their lead. Be present. Refuse to disappear.