An Unrepentant Liberal’s Post-Election Action Plan
Like many of us, I woke up on November 9th in shock and numb regarding what just happened — the election of a man as president whose racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant, anti-disability, and anti-lots of other group rhetoric and actions, are diametrically opposed to not only every value I hold dear, but also in direct opposition to the core values of our country. So what do I do now? What do we who are equally horrified do now?
I want to be clear up front — I wish Donald Trump and his administration well — and we should all do the same. I want every president this country elects, whether I supported him or not, to be a great president for all the people. I hope all of our fears are misplaced and that his rhetoric on the campaign trail was just rhetoric — and that he will be a very different kind of president than he was a candidate. However, given his long history of racism and misogyny, and the public policies he is already touting as president-elect I’m not counting on it. And no matter what, his campaign opened serious wounds and did serious damage to this country, which now need to be repaired.
We All Need an Action Plan
Given that, let’s start with a basic premise — we all need an action plan. Wallowing around in despair is not an option — as David Remnick said in his terrific article in the New Yorker, “Despair is no answer. To combat authoritarianism, to call out lies, to struggle honorably and fiercely in the name of American ideals — that is what is left to do. That is all there is to do.” If like me, you are a person who is incredibly concerned and frightened about the potential consequences of a Donald Trump presidency — whether you are left-wing bleeding heart liberal like myself, a conservative, socialist, radical, libertarian, Democrat, Republican — whatever your ideology or lack thereof — I urge you to put together an action plan to deal with the very changed America we now live in. Simply put, this is not just your typical election loss, where we lick our wounds, grumble a bit, and then move on. We all need to up our game (including yours truly), to ensure that our country continues to be the great beacon of hope that not only opens its arms to all, but epitomizes and truly realizes the aspirational ideas of freedom and democracy embedded in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
My Action Plan and Advice to Others
Given that, here’s my personal plan of action, with suggestions for others:
1. Have a Pity Party: First off, we are all allowed to have a pity party. I was done with mine by the end of November 9th, but I’ll give the rest of you another week if you need it. Done with your pity party? Great. Now it’s time to get to work.
2. Engage with Advocacy Groups who Oppose the Trump Agenda: For years I have been a member of the ACLU and Common Cause. My sole action has been paying my annual dues. That’s not good enough anymore. I am going to get involved with these groups at the local level, and be much more responsive to their national calls for action. My suggestion to others is to pick their own group that they feel aligns with their areas of interest and values that stands in opposition to the Trump agenda (civil rights, refugee assistance, environmental, immigration reform, voting rights, anti-war — take your pick). If you haven’t been a member, join up and give them whatever cash you can spare. These groups are going to need more money than ever to hire staff and advocate. If you’ve been a member but like me have otherwise sat on the sidelines, get active.
3. Expand Relationships: Like many of my left-leaning ilk (white, middle-class, privileged upbringing), I have incredibly strong values in terms of welcoming and embracing diversity, but I frankly have limited sustained relationships and ongoing interactions with individuals who don’t look and live like me. That is no longer acceptable to me. There is a wonderful organization in Boston, Bikes Not Bombs, which works with young kids in the inner city while also assisting individuals in developing countries to build bike repair businesses. For me this organization combines multiple interests of mine (biking, pacifism, assisting those in need). I am going to start volunteering for them, in the hope that maybe they can benefit a bit from my sweat equity, but more importantly for me personally, it will open my eyes and teach me a few things, shake up my beliefs a bit, and possibly result in some sustained relationships and friendships with people who aren’t like me. I urge others to do the same — get outside your comfort zone, and be an increased example of welcoming, helping, and embracing individuals who aren’t like you — whether they be immigrants, refugees, homeless, people with disabilities, or just people who don’t look like you or are from different backgrounds. Don’t have time to commit to ongoing volunteering? Then at least try to attend community events put on by groups outside your usual network and comfort zone (e.g., a local mosque). Nothing could serve as a better example and counterweight to the anti-immigrant, racist, anti-everyone not like me rhetoric we have been subjected to.
4. Don’t Sit Out the Midterms: We just finished one election, but guess what? Another one is fast approaching. We have midterm elections in 2018, where every member of the House of Representatives will up for election, as well as a third of the U.S. Senate. There will of course be many state and local races as well. While I have been an active campaigner in every presidential election since 2004, and via that process have seen more parts of New Hampshire than I knew existed (and met some wonderful people along the way), I have essentially sat out the mid-terms, and just voted. That’s not going to cut it anymore. I can assure you, I will be rolling up my sleeves and doing everything I can to get individuals elected in 2018 who represent my values: knocking on doors, making phone calls, whatever it takes. I urge you to do the same. And a note to my brethren: simply attending your local Democratic Party Committee meetings, to talk to like-minded people or holding signs for your preferred candidate, and throwing a bumper sticker on your car, isn’t good enough. Get out there and connect with potential voters.
5. Engage and Listen to Those I Don’t Agree With: Okay, here’s the tough one — it’s time we (including me) start doing a better job of listening to those we don’t agree with (and vice versa). If you voted for Donald Trump, because you support his racist, anti-immigrant, misogynistic rhetoric and language — my apologies, but we are so diametrically opposed that I don’t think there’s much use in us having a conversation. However, if you were able to rationalize or ignore all of that as just talk, and supported Donald Trump in spite of both his rhetoric and life history, because you didn’t like Hillary Clinton, thought we needed a change from the policies of the Obama administration, felt economic insecurity that you thought Trump could address, or whatever, as unfathomable as it is to me that you would make such a rationalization, I welcome the opportunity to engage in a civil, thoughtful, open discussion. We may not necessarily agree, but we can at least start to understand each other — and these types of conversations are desperately needed across this country. (However, if your idea of a civil discussion is name-calling, insults, diversionary arguments, screaming and yelling, please go elsewhere. I don’t have the time or energy.)
6. Read Thoughtful Opposing Viewpoints: Related to the above, we all need to get outside our bubble of reading only those things that we agree with, which social media is highly guilty of reinforcing. While I will not even glance at Breitbart and its ilk, if you are a lefty like me, I recommend an occasional read of thoughtful publications like the National Review, and reading newspaper columnists with opposing viewpoints, in both trying to understand opposing viewpoints and recognizing that we all have more in common than we might think. If you’re a conservative, try The Nation or American Prospect.
7. No Hating: I am really angry and pissed off about this election. I am very disappointed in my fellow Americans who supported Donald Trump. However, I will not hate, and I will not engage in hateful actions and speech. (One of my favorite commentators, John Fugelsang, had a very thoughtful discussion on his radio show the day after the election on this very subject — well worth a listen.) I will however be protesting, listening to speeches that attack the policies and actions of Donald Trump and his administration that I don’t agree with, and enjoy comedy and satire that exposes him and his ilk for what they really are. But no hate and no hate speech. This includes posting and endorsing things on the Internet, like a photo-shopped picture I saw of President Obama giving Donald Trump the finger. Not productive, not useful, and disrespectful — let’s focus on positive change.
8. Be Nicer to Everyone: I think I’m generally a nice person (although I’ll let others be the judge of that, and some who have been subject to my occasional lightening temper that is imbedded in my DNA, and complete impatience with any sort of line, may think differently). However I’m going to work harder on that front — saying hello to a stranger, smiling and maybe even chatting with that homeless person rather than blindly going past them, being more aware of people needing my seat on the subway more than me, avoiding screaming at crazy drivers, and in general just doing more to practice the basic courtesies of life. If we all can be just a little bit nicer to each other, that will go a long way.
9. Take Time to Reflect and Enjoy Yourself: There is much to do — but I will need my down time for reflection and recharge more so than ever. This includes indulging in some personal pleasures that I’ve been meaning to get to, but never seem to have the time: re-teaching myself how to play the piano, something I’ve been meaning to do for ages (hopefully remnants of those 5 years of lessons from 40+ years ago will come back to me), starting to do stand-up comedy again (this time with a political bent), and also reaching out to family and friends that I’ve been meaning to get in touch with but never seem to get around to. At age 57, I’ve gotten complacent in all parts of my life. It’s time to shake it up a bit — walk away from things I’ve gotten tired of and are a waste of time and do some new things. My advice is to do the same — find that thing that you will give you a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment that you’ve been meaning to get to, and go for it.
10. Stay Healthy: While there is the temptation to just stay inebriated on your substance of choice for the next four years, that’s probably not a good move if you’re going to really make a difference. For me personally, as someone who has been known to enjoy a pint or two (and maybe three), this past week has been a bit of a challenge on that front, as I’ve been on antibiotics since early October, and haven’t had a drink since — and boy could I have used a drink on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, we need to stay sober (most of the time) and take good care of ourselves. As they say, get your rest, eat right, exercise, and stay healthy. We need as many foot soldiers as possible in the fight ahead.
11. Finding the Time: So where am I — husband, father of 3, full-time plus job, already often over-committed — going to find the time for all this? Simply put, I’m going to have to give up some of the “leisure” activities I enjoy. Less T.V. (a trend I was already moving towards), less couch potato time, less time wandering around the Internet. But guess what? By implementing my action plan, I know I will actually be a happier person, feeling like I’m making a difference, rather than diverting myself through entertainment. So, next time you find yourself binge watching the latest must-see series from HBO or Showtime, watching the umpteenth rerun of “Law and Order” that you’ve seen 10 times previously, watching “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”, or some meaningless sporting event, think about how that time could be better spent (yes this is the guilt trip portion).
12. Maintaining Momentum: The last part of my action plan is maintaining momentum. This is probably the hardest thing: right now I’m all fired up, full of spit and vinegar, and ready to take on the world. However, as this evolves there is the danger of complacency, cynicism, and falling back into old patterns of non-engagement. We collectively can’t allow that to happen. This is going to be a long fight and why it’s so critical that we all get actively involved in groups that oppose the Trump agenda — that will help keep us motivated and engaged.
So this is my action plan — and I urge you to create your own, even it’s just one or two things. And by the way — going on social media to express your views, posting your favorite articles, signing on-line petitions, and sitting in your home reading articles you agree with is not an action plan. With due respect for those things, they have limited impact, and make little difference. (I’m not saying don’t do them, just that it’s not enough.) We need to take real action, which engages others on the ground, and vice versa.
Will It Make a Difference?
Will any of these things I plan to do make a difference? Will your own action plan make a difference? I can’t promise that, but it’s essential that we all do something. Sitting back and wallowing in our despair or complacency is not an option. It also isn’t healthy. When I’ve felt despair, I’ve found that taking action may not necessarily result in the impact I wanted, but I at least felt energized by the fact that I tried to make a difference. In 2004, I was so frustrated by the possible re-election of George W. Bush, that I felt that I needed to do more than contribute money and vote. I started knocking on doors in New Hampshire and making calls for John Kerry. Did it make a difference in the ultimate outcome? No. But I’ve always taken solace in the fact that the one state that Bush carried in 2000 that he didn’t carry in 2004 was New Hampshire. And this year, after spending 5 days knocking on doors in New Hampshire in October and November (and wishing I could have done more) I will take a bit of credit for the fact that Hillary Clinton barely won NH — a somewhat empty victory I admit — but more importantly, Maggie Hassan won by a whisker the Senate seat that was held by a Republican. So all of us who headed up to New Hampshire when we all probably had lots of other things we would have preferred to be doing, did make a difference. And you can too, each in your own small way.
The Election is Not Reflective of Who We Really Are
As I wrap up, I want to end on a positive note. Based on current numbers (which are likely to grow with the counting of absentee votes), over 53% of people who voted in the United States did not support Donald Trump. In addition, if you add in the 47% of eligible voters who didn’t bother voting (a screed for another time), Donald Trump only received support from 26% of eligible voters (yes, I admit if Hillary Clinton was elected, you could make a similar argument). Reality is, this man has very limited popular support from the American people. The majority of voters didn’t support this man, and the vast majority of eligible voters certainly didn’t support him. The idea that this election is reflective of where America is at in the year 2016, in my view, is completely false. The challenge is, how do we address the apathy and disengagement out there to ensure that we elect candidates that truly reflect today’s American values and best address our common interests? That’s a discussion for another time.
A Beast Has Been Awakened
I am absolutely convinced that this election has awakened two sleeping beasts. One is obvious: racist anti-immigrant bigots, who now feel they have open permission to engage in hateful speech and actions. But there is another beast that has been awakened: those of us like myself that have gotten pretty complacent and lazy, thinking our country was past all that. It’s clear we are not. We are energized, we are ready to fight back, and I plan to have one helluva lot of fun doing so — and you should do the same.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
