Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man

Often when we think of resistance, we think of military action, rebel group, large scale protests, and even terrorism. These are what the media concentrate on most, but they are not the only forms of resistance. There are many small scale acts of resistance that can go a long way when done consistently and for long periods of time.

For many, even if the will is there, aren’t able to attend large scale protests. Transportation, childcare, limited mobility, weather, health, job, and other issues keep us from showing up on a Saturday nationwide protest. When protests are held during the work week, it limits participation even more, especially when working a low-wage or hostile workplaces and losing one’s job is not a survival option.

That doesn’t mean people in different circumstances don’t care or don’t want to participate, it just means organizers must find ways to engage people who have obstacles that can be hard to overcome. Sadly, many organizers don’t provide options other than showing up, which seems a large blind spot when trying to save democracy.

If you, as I too sometimes do, are in the group where showing up in person is not an option, here are some things you can do from the safety of your home. Many are things you can do without anyone even knowing except you, since some of us may be living with people who believe what Republicans and Trump are doing to our great country works for them.

To help save democracy from the Republicans, Trump, and the billionaire class (the oligarchs), you might:

• Hang the American flag everyday, not letting MAGA co-opt it away from the rest of us
• Support the U.S. Postal Service by mailing a letter or pay a bill rather than doing so via e-mail or electronic payment
• Send an e-mail to one of your elected officials—local, state, or national—telling them one thing you want them to support or to vote against (it can be as simple as saying you want them to support women’s healthcare or the right to vote, or to say you don’t support giving Starlink a government contract or defunding Sesame Street
• Donate, even if only a couple of dollars, to a politician who is working to save democracy even if they aren’t in your state
• Donate, again even if only a couple of dollars, to Planned Parenthood, ACLU, Democracy Docket, or other organizations working to saving democracy
• Skip a purchase here and there from Amazon; there are alternatives that sometimes are cheaper—be okay it may take a couple of days longer to arrive
• Buy from a small business rather than a big box corporation (this one may mean you have to leave your home)
• Cancel or reduce your subscription to companies who have given in to Trump, such as Paramount, ABC, CBS, and Apple
• Don’t participate in jokes or demeaning comments towards immigrants, transgender people, the gay and lesbian community, Blacks, or other minority groups
• If you see ICE in your neighborhood, post it on all your socials
• Write a letter to local media calling out, in a respectful way, a local politician or policy that does harm to people or democracy
• Attend (again this means leaving home) a town hall meeting if your elected official is brave enough to hold one, then hold them accountable by the questions you ask
• Post on your socials, tagging politicians, organizations, and people, when you disagree (or agree) with a policy
• Repost comments, memes, or posts that oppose the White House, Trump, and Republicans, and organizations and people working to destroy democracy
• Repost comments, memes, or posts that support equality, Democrats or Independents, and organizations and people working to protect democracy
• Most importantly, register, then show up to vote in all elections

Saving our freedoms, our way of life, and our democracy will take all of us. There is no act of resistance that is too small to help save us from someone wanting to be a king/dictator and from the billionaires (oligarchs). We can all do our part. We just have to remember to do as much as we can each and every day.

We have reached the point where no hero is coming to save us. The heroes are going to be each and every one of us, through our acts of resistance, that will save us.

Remember, there are 902 billionaires in the United States, with only about 10 who have a net worth greater than $100 billion. Compare that to the over 342.3 million people who live in the United States. Yes, they have the money, but we have power in numbers.

If we add in the number of adult Americans who identify as MAGA, that is roughly 49.2 million people, which still leaves 196.8 million adults who remain firm believers in democracy, equality, and individual freedoms.

If each of us perform one small act of resistance a day, especially with our money, we can, and WILL, take our country back from the billionaire class, and the politicians who continue to bow down to the billionaire class and their money. We can do it one act, one dollar, one politician at a time.

Not to sound like a broken record, but none of us can do the work to save democracy alone. It will take all of us to save us and it will take time. MAGA didn’t arrive overnight, it has been building for a long time. We have to be persistent in our resistance, but we can do it, by doing it together.

I invite you to join me in doing a small act of resistance each and every day. 

I invite you to join me in saving democracy.

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I’ve often said we all need to be involved in saving democracy in the ways which fit our lives and our comfort levels. These can be blogging, reposting on social media, calling your elected officials, letters to the editor, donating to organizations, and/or marching in the streets. Nothing is too little or too much. Here are some ways to get involved whether from the comfort of your own homes, or on the streets, over the next few weeks:

• Call your U.S. Senator to demand they fight the Republican administration’s defiance of the court in following laws and the Constitution. The switchboard number is 202-224-3121. They will connect you with the correct senators. If you get their voicemail, which I do often, make sure to leave your name and address for your call to be registered as received.
• Sign up for General Strike and commit to participating.
• Download the app Five Calls to help let your elected officials know you are paying attention and don’t approve. Website: https://5calls.org/ 
• Join a local group of Indivisible.
• Participate in the action items of50501: 50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Movement.
• Continue to boycott companies who have bent the knee or no longer believe in equality. Don’t buy from national chains or companies, such as Target, Amazon, Tesla, Walmart and any others who are bending the knee and capitulating to authoritarianism and the billionaire class.
• Write letters to your local papers expressing your disappointment and tell your stories of how the Republican administration is harming our families.
• Please say thank you in some way to the universities, law firms, companies, and organizations not bending the knee and capitulating to the fascist-acting Republican Administration.
• Watch for and attend the next big nationwide protest when announced.
• Do something, anything, peaceful to fight back!