Ignore the President and Protect Our Progress Instead
Your Guide to the Resistance — Day 2 of Seven Days of Action
Yesterday, I wrote about how we need to stop blaming every pig and his sister for the current state of affairs. We have to follow Pumba’s advice and put our behind in the past. It’s tomorrow already, and time is short. As my grandmother Marjorie would say, we’ve got to pull up our socks and get going.
Today, we find ourselves in a reality-TV universe. Our attention spans are seconds long, and we are constantly seeking the next distraction. (If you’re reading this post, distracting yourself from whatever you’re supposed to be doing right now, bonus points!) The (future) President of America is a consummate professional reality TV star. He will say and do anything for public attention with no forethought or consideration for what may happen as a result. His tweets and headline grabbing press events played a big role in getting us into this mess. It is incumbent on all of us to pay zero, yes ZERO, attention to anything he says. Our (future) President needs to learn what it feels like to be a toddler throwing his first temper tantrum, when no one is listening. Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can:
We must stop listening to our President.
He needs to feel in his bones that we give zero fucks about his stupid little reality TV show come to Washington.
This means resisting the urge to click, read, and share any headline that includes the (future) President’s name and the words “says,” “claims, “tweets,” “tells,” “press conference,” “advises,” “presents,” “speaks,” etc. This is all a charade meant to distract you from important things that are actually happening. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DISTRACTED BY NONSENSE! (Journalist friends, I am looking at all of you to figure out how to report on what’s happening in America right now without inadvertently helping Steve Bannon and Vlad re-elect this gang of goons to a second term.)
But this comes with two big caveats.
Number one: you should definitely still be watching Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, and Samantha Bee, because these rockstars will provide you with some much needed comedic relief, while also doing an ace job reporting what’s actually happening in the world, and putting propagandists through the ringer (big kudos to Seth).
Second, if we are going to put our fingers in our ears and refuse to listen to the driveling propaganda of an evil improv genius, it means we have to be extra attentive on every other front. The actions of the new administration and the newly emboldened Republican Congress deserve vigilant surveillance and response. Women, immigrants, minorities, and our LGBT friends are under siege. It’s up to us to use any privilege we have to protect them. If you are white, male, hetero, Christian, a U.S. citizen, or any of the above, you are endowed with power to provide protection to those at risk.
Use the power of your privilege to help those who need it.
And of course, get organized. The Indivisible Guide is a great resource and a good place to start. (If you’re looking for allies, this is a great way to find other groups of people near you who are already working on a progressive agenda).
We have to be physical and financial allies to those who are at risk. Give as generously as you can to the progressive causes you believe in. Show up to town halls and protests. But this alone is insufficient. We must find ways to understand the extent of our privilege in order to fully leverage it. Find ways to support your local mosque. Volunteer at a domestic violence shelter. Be an escort at an abortion clinic. Volunteer or tutor with an after school program in a low-income community. Become an orientation volunteer for refugees. If you are organized, and laser focused on the one issue that is most important to you, then you will know exactly what you need to do. (If you missed yesterday’s post on this topic, check it out here: http://bit.ly/2jXq29t).
Set aside three hours of every single week to do this one thing. All it takes is a regular commitment to always show up.
In today’s America, your time and your physical presence may be even more valuable than writing a check. When you make the time to be present, you will have your finger on the pulse of the people who are most likely to be harmed by the regressive policies of the next four years, and you will be standing by to take action and provide support when people in your community need you. Don’t just trust the internet to tell you what’s happening in the world. Get as close as you can to the problem and do everything you can to help. You can be an ally and a witness at the same time.
To review:
- Stop playing the blame game, get organized and pick your issue
- Stop listening to the President, and find a way to get involved
Do not put this off until tomorrow. There’s not enough time. We all have to do everything we can to protect our progress and to defend those most at risk. Decide now that 2017 will be better than 2016. Stop listening to the bullshit. Get focused, and get organized on what is most important to you. It’s up to you to protect our progress. Can we count on you to help?
You can sign up here to receive the next five days of action updates and my weekly political update.
If you haven’t already, check out Day 1, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5!
Onward!
