RESIST!! … how?
Here is something I posted to facebook that I’ve been thinking quite a bit about lately.. figured what I wrote would be good to post here on my wordpress blog too.
I see a lot of anti-Trump posts that say “Resist!” The question is.. how? Posting a lot of anti-Trump stuff might make you feel better, but does it do any good other than that? I don’t post that stuff because I want to keep my page positive, and post good things that will improve people’s moods or expose them to unique music.. that sort of thing.
But, I am extremely concerned by what I see in the news, what I read in the paper, and by what my dad tells me.. he follows the news much more than I do.
Are marches effective, or just another way of blowing off steam? Something fun to do? I don’t know. I guess if it helps people to vent their frustration, then marching and protesting does some good, but I don’t know if it helps other than that.
Shouting down politicians at town halls.. not helpful. Speaking instead of shouting at town hall meetings is better.. like the nurse who stood up to Raul Labrador recently.. to which that horrible moron of a congressman replied, “Nobody dies because they don’t have access to healthcare.”
That’s like saying, “Nobody dies because they don’t have access to air.”
What actually works? Writing our congress-persons? That probably won’t help here in Idaho. All of our people in Congress are Republicans. I doubt they’d take letters from concerned citizens seriously.. but writing them might just do some good anyway, if enough of us write. Maybe?
One good thing to do, if you have the time, is volunteer. I help out with an adult ESL class once a week, sometimes twice a week, if they need a substitute. Not all the students are refugees, but many are.
The teacher I assist told me yesterday that, since the election, more and more people are signing up to help. There aren’t enough spots in classes for all the people who want to be tutors to get involved. However, There are other agencies here in town that help refugees. Helping people in general is good!
If the astonishingly drastic and immensely cruel healthcare cuts go into effect, there will be a LOT more people needing help.. pretty much anyone who is not rich or upper middle class might need help. And that includes me.. and probably you as well.
Hopefully, more free or very low cost medical clinics will open up. Maybe people with healthcare experience will be able to volunteer a bit of their time to set up and staff these clinics.
I’m not sure what the rest of us can do to help. I can find some other volunteer opportunity, I guess. I can send emails to our senators and representatives too. But what else?
Even improving one’s attitude can make a difference. If I spend all my attention and emotional energy hating Trump, that doesn’t make me very effective. Better to make sure to take good care of health so I can help, and also put the focus on helping others somehow.
Even posting positive things here on facebook is a way of resisting evil. Sharing something funny or beautiful can really lift the spirits of your facebook friends.
I do want to resist Trump in other ways, but I’m not sure what effective ways there are for doing that.
If you’d like to find ways to volunteer, check out the website I’m including in this post. Wherever you are in America, I think Volunteer.org is a good site to check. I’m posting a link the the page for those of us living in Idaho. If you live in another state, just type in Volunteer.org, and once you get there, choose your state. Then use the search and sort features to find ways to help.
If you are a religious person, ask around to see if your church has any volunteer opportunities. Some churches do, (and all should) but many do not. If your church doesn’t, maybe talk to your pastor, priest, etc., and get something started. Or, ask your friends and family members if they know of any ways to get involved.
If you have even a bit of money you can spare, consider donating to Feeding America, or other reliable charities. Contributing locally is good too.. Boise Rescue Mission, Interfaith Sanctuary, or some other agency that helps poor people here in Boise. Even $5 a month helps.
Religious or not, you CAN make a difference.. if you want to.
Anyone who has great ideas on other ways to resist that you think are actually effective, please let me know.
Thank you.
Wandering Spirit 