So, the murder of yet another Black man by the police, combined with the reaction to the ensuing protests by some of our “political leaders,” combined with the socio-economic realities of the CoVid crisis (as in, what we could have done/still need to do better, which neighborhoods are hardest-hit, etc), combined with the blatant attempts to limit voter participation in the upcoming elections, are adding up to quite a lot to deal with all at once. I’m sure I’m not alone in being just about done…fed up, with where our society is heading, or rather, being led. The question is, what can I (as in, each of us, individually) do about it?
I think the answer is “OBVIOUS” (yes, my latest mnemonic invention):
Organize—get together with like-minded individuals to form local &/or virtual grassroots coalitions around tangible issues, like: voting rights, education issues, campaign finance laws, sensible gun-control, food co-ops, political campaigns, community solar, reproductive rights, affordable health care, etc, etc.
Boycott—find out which entities support the things we oppose…and stop giving them our money! They’re really not all that hard to find, if you take a minute to look.
Vote—duh.
Invest—in things/people/entities that do support your beliefs. Do the research, and support their efforts…or stop complaining.
Ostracize—those who aren’t on board with this; you’re either part of the solution or part of the problem. Maybe not right away, but if/when this builds momentum, you’re probably gonna have to make some tough choices.
Urge—others you are close to/related to/friends with, to do these things…or cut ‘em loose!
Secede—a last resort, of course, but if we don’t leave it on the table, we aren’t using all of our cards. I’m talking about playing to win…by any non-violent means necessary! Yes, I’m talking about splitting the country into two (maybe three) separate nations. I’m not sure that hasn’t kinda happened already, but without the benefits of having our own voices heard all the time. “Two Flags” would do that for most of us, and honestly, would you really “miss” being co-citizens” with the other side? I know I wouldn’t. And I doubt they would, either.
There it is, my newest/latest idea about how to leave the world better than I found it. Looks good on paper, if I do say so myself. But how do I/we put it into action? How does it become more than a catch-phrase? Well, that’s up to you guys. I literally, can’t do this alone. If you think anything I just wrote makes sense, hits home, and is worth doing something about, reach out to me. Take on a role. Accept the challenge.
Tell me which area(s) you are willing to contribute your time, energy and ideas to. Maybe this stay-at-home crisis can turn into a plus, if we use some of this unexpected downtime wisely. Pick a topic, tell me what your plan is, and I will get behind it with you. I’ll spread the word, I’ll join the Zoom meetings, I’ll help with the organizing. But I can’t do it without you. So, let me know what drives you, what rattles your cage, what you are willing to put your muscle behind…or not.
You can always leave it up to someone else to “fix.” But then you don’t get to complain…and personally, I LIKE to complain! 🙂
So I’m ready to roll up my sleeves. Are you?