Awkwardly_Frank

I hear you. There’s a serious lack of grand scale organizing, and with all three branches of government captured there’s not even the consolation prize of legislative or judicial obstructionism.

That said, there is resistance at the local level, and it needs people badly. Those hands off protests aren’t being organized at the national level. The national org is calling for protests on a specific day and unaffiliated local groups are organizing the individual events. Those local groups could really use your support in whatever form you can give it. They’re almost always handing out flyers and info on their projects at protests. Most don’t require membership to help out and you almost never have to rsvp to just attend. Odds are there’s an organization or two near you that you can support, and if not most of the national orgs have organizing instructional materials on their websites for free.

It’s easy to be so worried by what’s happening nationally that we forget the difference that local orgs make. I was a part of a canvassing effort for an abortion rights amendment last year that knocked on over three thousand doors with no more than ten people every Saturday. We didn’t get the amendment passed, but it did get majority support and we saw a huge surge in new members. We’re now using our newfound numbers to help push for a city council recall and explore candidates for school board. Ours isn’t even the most well established organization in our city either. We regularly collaborate with four, more established, orgs and we’re working to build relationships with three more.

This knitting together of smaller orgs is the process of resistance building. It is unfortunately slow, but it is happening, and I promise it isn’t just happening here. Even in the middle of nowhere I have a friend in a town of two hundred who’s been auditing the town budget to show the incompetence of the “maga moms” on their town council in an attempt to get them removed. You’re right to be frustrated, but for all our sakes I hope you find something to do with that frustration.

As long as we don’t forget that many human rights issues have been mislabeled “culture wars” to detract from their importance. The first battle in the class war will ever be the battle for solidarity, for we cannot stand together unless we all stand equal.

They spelled “out of racism” wrong. “In error” isn’t even close.

My brother in Christ, that is just a club! You pay dues to belong and everyone elects the few most organized and functional people to plan events that everyone can enjoy. You can even kick it up a notch and make it a civil organization so that you’re accomplishing good works while hanging out with likeminded people. Society used to be full of such organizations, and it’s time we brought them back.

Xitter* (pronounced shitter)