Taking Action

My first political job was stuffing and licking envelopes for mass mailings supporting our candidate. I hated it. The glue tasted bad and I wasn't allowed to use a sponge for some obscure reason; the room was too hot and the chair too hard and the music too loud.

But it felt good. I was working to affect the electoral process, to make a difference in society, to help elect a candidate we believed would put America on a sensible course away from war.

When I went to the storefront headquarters to volunteer, I was actually hoping for something more active and interesting. I saw myself carrying a sign in a demonstration, or standing with a like-minded crowd shouting slogans.

When I finally did get to the streetfighting part I discovered I would much rather be back in that stuffy office licking envelopes.

That said, if I were reasonably close to any of the cities the Occupier-in-Chief has mentioned as targets* I would throw caution and sanity to the winds, grab my hardhat and gas mask and head once more unto the breach.

Or not. I detest tear gas, to say nothing of being manhandled by thugs in body armor.

The point is, we can all take some kind of action against the unpresident, his administration, and his campaign.

If you have the wherewithal to join a protest, by all means, go. Such actions are the most visible and compelling means we have to draw attention to the public's disgust with the Great Pretender and his actions. Just be careful.

Alternatively, be a documenter. Stay out of the fray but get into the area of the protest carrying your best weapon: your phone, or camera if you have one, and be sure to take a charger. If you have a clip or a holster find a way to tether it to your body. Stay close to the action but try not to get sucked in, and watch for any activity that looks even vaguely sinister. Make photos, videos, audio recordings, whatever you can manage, but never let go of your device. If you see thugs coming for you, turn slowly and walk away. Do not run.

There is absolutely no shame in not taking direct action. Believe me when I tell you it's not for everybody. Do what you can; no action is wasted.

If you're able to be out, volunteer at your local Democratic headquarters. If you're staying at home, write frequently to your Congressional representatives and your state legislators, regardless of party. Focus on one issue and be very clear about your concerns. Be sure to include Speaker Nancy Pelosi in your correspondence--she's a potent force.

If you feel comfortable with it, go public. Contribute to an anti-Trump Facebook site or start one of your own. Develop a blog. You never know who you might reach if you spread it widely enough. You might change one mind; you might change one vote; that is a victory.

Above all, never think that one person makes no difference. A nuclear chain reaction starts with the fission of a single atom.


--- Diogenes, 7/24/2020


* Albuquerque, Baltimore, Detroit, Milwaukee, New York, Oakland, and Philadelphia have been mentioned as targets. Chicago, Kansas City, and Portland are already under siege. All these cities are "run by liberal Democrats," according to Trump, which makes all this a political issue.