Your Indifference is Dangerous

Saturday marked one year since Donald Trump announced Executive Order 13769, commonly known as the Muslim ban. Saturday was also World Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today marks 365 days since we sent out the initial Tech for Campaigns Google doc. The convergence of the three isn’t a coincidence. As the granddaughter of someone who survived the Nazis only by hiding her true identity, it was imagining her reaction to the aforementioned Muslim ban that partially galvanized me into action one year ago. As I reflect on the last year, there have been things that surprised, saddened, excited and angered me. But what has bothered me and truly stuck with me is the indifference I’ve witnessed.

We’ve heard a few different varieties of this indifference.

“I’m staying out of politics.”

“I’m not doing anything because I don’t like either party, so I don’t want to pick sides.”

“I’m still deciding if I should wade into politics.”

“I’m just tired of politics.”

Just because you’re not experiencing the direct effects doesn’t mean you should ignore what’s going on. We’re in a time when the gap between the haves and the have nots is larger than ever and growing. The term “coastal elites” gets paired with adjectives like “disconnected” and “privileged.” The far right may have coined these terms but we are living up to them. Being indifferent is the embodiment of privilege. Feeling no urgency to be part of the solution because you’re not experiencing the immediate impact. Not weighing in because you are so busy and can’t be bothered. These behaviors might seem neutral but they are far from it.

This is no longer about traditional party politics or even policy issues. This is about basic humanity. After Charlottesville, the questionable firing of the FBI Director, the gutting of the EPA, the erosion of women’s rights, 800,000 Dreamers waiting to find out what their fate is in what can only be called a bait and switch, demonizing the Fourth Estate, talk of spending $20B to build a totally unnecessary wall and more importantly to seriously curtail legal immigration, the idea that you are sitting out because you’re not super pumped about a two-party system or excited by a Party’s agenda is a lame excuse. Trust me, I get it. I am not enamored by the Democratic Party platform or lack there of. But we live in a two-party system in the U.S. so you can join that system or sit out and allow bad things to happen. Those are the two options for today. Sitting out means you are picking a side. You are saying something by doing nothing and it is deafeningly loud. Your indifference IS having a major impact.

I’m not using this post to tell people how they should be involved or pass judgement on any particular brand of involvement. I’m not saying everyone should do what I’ve done or get involved in the organization I started. Getting involved should happen in ways that work for you, your life and your abilities. That might mean giving money, giving time, both or running for office. I’m not the boss of activism, nor do I want to be.

In 2016, we were not just out maneuvered. We were out angered, out inspired and out acted. Let the silver lining of 2016 (and 2017) be the lesson that we can not let that happen again. The only way to ensure that is to get involved — in whatever way works for you.

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.” — Elie Weisel, Author, Professor, Nobel Laureate and Holocaust Survivor

Because I never want to be all problems and no solutions, here are just a few options for getting involved — these are in order of time commitment involved. These are not endorsements of certain organizations.

1. Donate money — you can find a candidate to support or an organization that you think is making real impact. Be thoughtful about where your donation can have the most impact.
2. Donate your time (one-off )— if you just have a chunk of time one weekend consider canvassing and calling — Sister District or doing a hackathon — Debug Politics runs hackathons across the country. Try attending a City Council meeting — it’s a few hrs, one night and in your neighborhood!
3. Donate time (ongoing) — if you have digital or tech skills you can join Tech for Campaigns and get alerted when a campaign project comes up that fits your skills. If you have a legal background there are similar organization that help you put your skills to work. If your skills are more general, pick an issue you care about and find an organization to help.
4. Run for office — there are plenty of offices that are not full-time jobs. Contact Run for Something to get started.

Special thanks to Adora, Sunil and Joe for their feedback on this post.