Thoughts on the 4th

I write this the morning of July 4^th, and like many Americans, I’m not feeling particularly patriotic today. While the passage of Trump’s “Big B.S. Bill” has left many of us feeling demoralized and exhausted, one thing I like to focus on is the old adage that there is strength in numbers, and we are many. The No Kings rallies proved this, and it is with this movement that we must continue to express our outrage, peacefully, of course.

What to do next? First, let’s give ourselves a rest. Personally, I’m celebrating today by supporting a new Mexican restaurant that just opened in my small town. No sparklers, no Yankee Doodling, just taking a short break from the madness by eating great food and supporting a family owned business.

There are ways to continue this fight to take back our democracy, and we must keep going even when it feels like the odds are stacked against us. I had a family member ask me before the No Kings rally if protesting really made a difference. I had to remind him of the Civils Rights marches, and the Women’s Liberation protests, among others. What made these effective was consistency. In the face of opposition, very often brutal, they kept going, as we must now do.

While not everyone is comfortable with or able to protest, there are so many other things that can be done. Contact your local representatives, especially in red states, and let them know how you feel. Get in touch with your local chapter of Indivisible, which offers grassroots organization in your community. Educate yourself on current issues and have conversations with family and friends who might be complacent or not fully understand the gravity of the situation. Keep in mind that calm discussions are always better received and don’t be too attached to the outcome. Although they may or may not come around, it’s important to calmly educate others, if possible, as you never know what might stick.

Lastly, in this tumultuous culture that we currently reside in it’s vital to keep yourself safe and not instigate further volatility. You may feel anger and want to lash out (believe me, I definitely do!), but peaceful opposition is our super power and won’t give Trump and his hateful agenda the fuel he desires to paint us as radical extremists. It’s going to be a long and often disheartening journey, but we got this. Wishing you all a peaceful, restorative day.