> Isn't the US supposed to be the birthplace of modern democracy?

I would not dare not mention the revolutions in England and in France. And before that some Greece city states, and definitely Rome. The US declaration of independence is just another point.

It's just not practical to organize a rally to save a niche cybersecurity program. People are busy protesting to protect Medicaid and keep themselves out of foreign gulags, they can't divert the attention to CVE.

That's fine, protests aren't surgical tools anyway. As long as people are protesting, it's OK.