Protest - Stand up for Yourself

On my drive to and from work, I pass some sort of prison facility. I'd seen it, but I'd never thought about what it was, until recently.
Driving home from work I saw a few people with picket signs outside that parking lot. As I read them, I realized they were protesting the death penalty.
"Interesting" was my first thought.
My other thought was wondering why they had decided that day to protest, as opposed to other days . . . ? Was it because there was supposed to be an execution? Was it because they had someone they knew personally that was being tried for just such a judgement? Or was it simply because it was the day that worked for everyone's schedules?
My other thought was, "How do I feel about that?" And I realized that I should have an opinion on such matters. I should be taking political, moral and ethical issues more seriously. I don't watch the news. I don't know what the political candidates are all about. I don't know what their soapbox is about. I don't know what they're claiming to do when/if they take office. I pretty much stay out of such things.
I am registered to vote now, thanks to encouragement from a friend. Although I have much to learn and research to do before I can vote with a firm belief in what I feel is right.
I've heard about people going to protests and making a stand against what they feel is wrong. I've thought that's something that would be fun to experience, but what kind of protest would I be involved in? What do I feel so strongly about that I would join hundreds, possibly thousands of people to make a statement?
I don't even stand up for myself on little matters. I give in to what people want to make them happy. I don't know how to express how I feel or even know what I really want.
I wonder if it would be hard to stand up for something big like the death penalty if I can't even stand up for myself on little matters?
I think it might actually be easier. You aren't getting on a seriously personal level when you are talking about a bigger issue. It's when you start getting into little personal issues that it gets hard and too close for my own comfort.