It’s easy to feel helpless, voiceless, powerless. What can I do? What can you do? It’s easy to think that your proverbial drop in the bucket meant something during the Obama administration, but what does it mean now? What difference can you make? Seriously?
Maybe nothing. Maybe we dissolve into an authoritarian state. Maybe it’s pointless.
And let’s pretend for just one moment that is true. That twelve months from now, our Republic resembles Putin’s Russia rather than Merkel’s Germany.
Now ask yourself this: What did you try to do to stop it?
It’s melodrama (probably), but only to make the point that to there is a lot you can do right now. Some of what you do today will matter today, and, as history has proven, some of what you do today will matter 10, 20, 30 plus years from now. If you are reading this post, you likely want to be on the side of history that acted for the greater, long-term good. And if that is you, read on.
The least effort answer is to give money to either national or local organizations to support their work. I focus primarily on climate change, but under the current administration so much more is under threat: women’s reproductive rights, immigrant rights, separation of church and state, science (just in general, because, well, alternative facts), the media, education, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and the list goes on.
You can also simply engage in “click-tivism,” by signing petitions, sharing concerns via social media and adding your name to emails to legislators. If you have a little more time on your hands, write emails in your own words and call legislators. Often you end up speaking to an aide–be polite (i.e. don’t shoot the messenger)–or leaving a voicemail, but it still helps to write out a short script for yourself:
My name is [__]. I am a constituent living in [town or zip code]. I am calling to ask, request, share my feelings on … And I don’t need a response. Thank you for your time.
When lines are jammed, send a fax (remember what a fax is?!).
If you have an extra 15 to 20 minutes, write an op-ed or a Letter to the Editor. Maybe you have an hour to spend outside by being a body at a rally or a protest. (This when you can release your barbaric YAWP a la Walt Whitman.)
If you have more than an hour and love an audience, testify! Our legislators need to hear from us in person. They need to see, especially, that this younger generation of voters is passionate and can’t be ignored. We vote, we testify, and, hey, we just might compete with you for your seat.
You can also connect with local chapters of organizations like The Sierra Club, 350.org, or The Nature Conservancy, to name just a few, to find out what projects or initiatives are going on around you. The Sierra Club chapter in Maine, for example, launched Climate Action Teams, which take on community projects (e.g. solar, pollution-reduction, tar sands). 350.org has local nodes around the world.
Go to a meeting, engage with your neighbors and find out what you can do. The level of commitment is up to you. The bonus of engaging with a local project is you often see your efforts come to fruition on a shorter time scale.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed right now with the global fights that stretch before us. And the administration is counting on us burning out. Stay focused on the two to three (tops) issues that are your top priority. (Think about the lessons of Econ 101 and the advantages of specialization. If you spread your resources to thin, you will be less effective.)
We are all busy–working, raising families and just trying to survive–so I’ll wrap with some suggestions to help you best channel your energies:
- Whether it is reproductive rights or the environment or anything in between, sign up with one or two of your favorite non-profits. They’ll do the work for you, and nudge you to act when it is most important.
- Stay apprised of upcoming legislation: https://www.congress.gov/help/alerts
- Sign up for change.org. You may not care about every petition that pops up in your inbox, but you’ll stay informed. Note: Think of it as a starting point. I challenge you to go beyond click-tivism.
- Talk to your neighbors, especially those who voted differently than you. We need to better understand each other, not be dismissive, if we are going to bridge gaps and move toward a progressive future.
- Support and laud the media when they shine. We need the fourth estate now more than ever.
Eco-Maineia 