Moral Metafilter: What have you done this week? December 22, 2016 8:06 AM Subscribe
Politics have gotten scary. The US election has terrified many of us about the foundations of democracy, but the US isn't the only country facing down aggressive and organized right-wing threats. What have you done this week to resist, in large ways or small ones? What are you planning to do, and what have you found success with?
The original MeTa is closed, but I liked it. I want to do it again. Here are my goals:
a) I want to normalize and encourage people to do things, even small things, to protect their homes and countries from fascist governments and extremists who are targeting many MeFites' homes. I don't just mean the US; I mean worldwide. We all like the warm fuzzy feeling we get when we think we've just managed a small victory or done something tangible; let's look for things about our actions to celebrate. The left is prone to infighting and tearing ourselves down; let's get in the habit of building ourselves up.
b) I want to make a space for people to talk about things they would like to do, share resources that help people get involved, and make action plans. If this seems intimidating to some folks here, let's figure out what exactly is intimidating and what would be in your wheelhouse. Big and flashy looks great, but sustainable change in the next two years is going to be made by as many of us as possible doing many small things. Let's figure out how to make doing those small things easy.
c) I want to have a space for people to discuss what they're finding effective and what isn't effective. The most recent election thread on the Blue is seeing some of this, but it's getting large and unwieldy. Besides, it's primarily devoted to discussing the things that other people are doing. I want to talk about what we, the people of Metafilter, are doing and what results we're finding.
I want to think about what we can do to effect change around us in a sustainable way. I want to provide space to support small things we do to both push the national Overton window away from fascism and to refuel the energy tank we need to do those things. I might not identify as Christian, but I do think that that the Christian saying "to whom much has been given, much will be demanded" (or if you prefer, Spidey's "with great power comes great responsibility") is something which has been resonating with me lately. We need all of you, and that means being careful to set a pace that will not leave you gasping and broken in the dust over the next two years. If you don't have much to give in time or money or labor or love, be careful that you keep enough to yourself to keep moving. If you have more... well, we need you more. But to each according to their own talents, skills, and abilities; if you think you can't do much to help but want to, I want there to be space for figuring out what does sound doable and following through.
With the recent news of the Pantsuit Nation book deal, though, I want to be careful about the focus of the conversation I want to have. I don't want to wind up with a space focusing on feel-good stories about personal interactions at the expense of activism, changing hearts and minds, and tangible effects. I am also mindful of the tendency for focus on self-care and filling one's own energy tank to take over the focus on achievement and goals.
So... let's talk about ways in which we're taking care of ourselves here too, with an eye towards topping up the extra gas we're spending on political change. If all you can do right now is support someone else to make waves or keep speaking out, that is an accomplishment. That matters. If all you can do is keep yourself alive right now so that you can claw together enough mental health to do something later, that matters. You matter, because we need you. We need all of you.
So.
What have you been doing, Metafilter?
The original MeTa is closed, but I liked it. I want to do it again. Here are my goals:
a) I want to normalize and encourage people to do things, even small things, to protect their homes and countries from fascist governments and extremists who are targeting many MeFites' homes. I don't just mean the US; I mean worldwide. We all like the warm fuzzy feeling we get when we think we've just managed a small victory or done something tangible; let's look for things about our actions to celebrate. The left is prone to infighting and tearing ourselves down; let's get in the habit of building ourselves up.
b) I want to make a space for people to talk about things they would like to do, share resources that help people get involved, and make action plans. If this seems intimidating to some folks here, let's figure out what exactly is intimidating and what would be in your wheelhouse. Big and flashy looks great, but sustainable change in the next two years is going to be made by as many of us as possible doing many small things. Let's figure out how to make doing those small things easy.
c) I want to have a space for people to discuss what they're finding effective and what isn't effective. The most recent election thread on the Blue is seeing some of this, but it's getting large and unwieldy. Besides, it's primarily devoted to discussing the things that other people are doing. I want to talk about what we, the people of Metafilter, are doing and what results we're finding.
I want to think about what we can do to effect change around us in a sustainable way. I want to provide space to support small things we do to both push the national Overton window away from fascism and to refuel the energy tank we need to do those things. I might not identify as Christian, but I do think that that the Christian saying "to whom much has been given, much will be demanded" (or if you prefer, Spidey's "with great power comes great responsibility") is something which has been resonating with me lately. We need all of you, and that means being careful to set a pace that will not leave you gasping and broken in the dust over the next two years. If you don't have much to give in time or money or labor or love, be careful that you keep enough to yourself to keep moving. If you have more... well, we need you more. But to each according to their own talents, skills, and abilities; if you think you can't do much to help but want to, I want there to be space for figuring out what does sound doable and following through.
With the recent news of the Pantsuit Nation book deal, though, I want to be careful about the focus of the conversation I want to have. I don't want to wind up with a space focusing on feel-good stories about personal interactions at the expense of activism, changing hearts and minds, and tangible effects. I am also mindful of the tendency for focus on self-care and filling one's own energy tank to take over the focus on achievement and goals.
So... let's talk about ways in which we're taking care of ourselves here too, with an eye towards topping up the extra gas we're spending on political change. If all you can do right now is support someone else to make waves or keep speaking out, that is an accomplishment. That matters. If all you can do is keep yourself alive right now so that you can claw together enough mental health to do something later, that matters. You matter, because we need you. We need all of you.
So.
What have you been doing, Metafilter?
what have you found success with
I read an article, almost certainly linked to through Metafilter, making the point that basically people want to be normal so, for example, if you say "Please don't steal, we lose X amount to theft" that makes people more likely to take things because it shows them that other people steal too whereas if you say "Please don't steal, thousands of people have been here without stealing" or something like that it really minimizes the amount of theft (the context was stealing bits of petrified wood from Petrified Forest National Park).
Anyway, what this means for me in practice is that I'm working very hard to make tolerance seem normal and bigotry and hatred and corruption seem out of the ordinary. I'm trying to say things like "Wow, most people would find that statement horrifying!" to make people feel like they're weird for being racist/homophobic/misogynistic/whatever bad thing.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:16 AM on December 22, 2016 [123 favorites]
I read an article, almost certainly linked to through Metafilter, making the point that basically people want to be normal so, for example, if you say "Please don't steal, we lose X amount to theft" that makes people more likely to take things because it shows them that other people steal too whereas if you say "Please don't steal, thousands of people have been here without stealing" or something like that it really minimizes the amount of theft (the context was stealing bits of petrified wood from Petrified Forest National Park).
Anyway, what this means for me in practice is that I'm working very hard to make tolerance seem normal and bigotry and hatred and corruption seem out of the ordinary. I'm trying to say things like "Wow, most people would find that statement horrifying!" to make people feel like they're weird for being racist/homophobic/misogynistic/whatever bad thing.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:16 AM on December 22, 2016 [123 favorites]
I've been dealing with an extended family emergency since the week after election day. Life is more stressful right now, but having to focus on something other than the post-election news has been helpful. All of the political craziness becomes less important when reacting to it doesn't seem as urgent.
When I can, I'll be doing what I can to help the Brand New Congress initiative.
posted by zarq at 8:18 AM on December 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
When I can, I'll be doing what I can to help the Brand New Congress initiative.
posted by zarq at 8:18 AM on December 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
My power-washing of hate speech, mostly swastikas, has gone well. The rate of reoccurrence is higher than I hoped for, and it's getting cold here in NE.
But it's probably in the dozens at this point. (would be more, but full time job, two kids etc)
posted by French Fry at 8:23 AM on December 22, 2016 [31 favorites]
But it's probably in the dozens at this point. (would be more, but full time job, two kids etc)
posted by French Fry at 8:23 AM on December 22, 2016 [31 favorites]
I signed up for Daily Action Alert texts, and have been getting the texts and making their suggested phone calls every day this week. It feels like one solid, concrete thing to do each day.
Last week I met up with a group of people from my city's Democrats committee to brainstorm a platform for our committee and think of some actionable things we can pursue next year (from the small, re-starting the city's free curbside compost program, to the big, supporting a current effort to make our city a Sanctuary City). Something we'd like to figure out soon is a way to reach out to lend our time and person-power to areas of the country that need help fighting gerrymandering, voter suppression, and GOTV efforts. We are a solidly Democratic city, and while I think we have a lot of work to do on our own GOTV, people would feel more positive and effective if they were helping somewhere that "really needs it." To that end, if any MeFites have any experience/suggestions about how to harness local power in one city to help another city in another state, please drop me a MeMail!
I've also been having some conversations with friends who want to be more active but don't know what to do, encouraging people to make phone calls and get involved with their local Democrats. There's a lot of inertia here in Massachusetts because people feel like "we're a blue state, it doesn't matter," and I've been trying to impress on them the idea that we're not always a completely safe blue state (helloooo Scott Brown and Charlie Baker), and it matters that our legislators hear our thoughts even when it's just to say keep up the good work.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 8:29 AM on December 22, 2016 [12 favorites]
Last week I met up with a group of people from my city's Democrats committee to brainstorm a platform for our committee and think of some actionable things we can pursue next year (from the small, re-starting the city's free curbside compost program, to the big, supporting a current effort to make our city a Sanctuary City). Something we'd like to figure out soon is a way to reach out to lend our time and person-power to areas of the country that need help fighting gerrymandering, voter suppression, and GOTV efforts. We are a solidly Democratic city, and while I think we have a lot of work to do on our own GOTV, people would feel more positive and effective if they were helping somewhere that "really needs it." To that end, if any MeFites have any experience/suggestions about how to harness local power in one city to help another city in another state, please drop me a MeMail!
I've also been having some conversations with friends who want to be more active but don't know what to do, encouraging people to make phone calls and get involved with their local Democrats. There's a lot of inertia here in Massachusetts because people feel like "we're a blue state, it doesn't matter," and I've been trying to impress on them the idea that we're not always a completely safe blue state (helloooo Scott Brown and Charlie Baker), and it matters that our legislators hear our thoughts even when it's just to say keep up the good work.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 8:29 AM on December 22, 2016 [12 favorites]
I've been getting involved with the local Democratic leaders in my very red part of the country. We've been to some meetings at the state level, and I've organized at least one "we're just getting started" meet-up to keep people ready for the long haul. The rest of my time I've spent trying to learn how to better organize these community members into a core of volunteers that can 1) help get local democrats elected 2) provide a small measure of accountability to our crazy bonkers GOP state congress. There's ... a lot of work to do. But we have good people, and I'm excited to work with them.
posted by Tevin at 8:36 AM on December 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Tevin at 8:36 AM on December 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
I have committed to volunteering and campaigning for those Republicans I can personally vouch for having gone through #NeverTrump fire with me, to primary the fuck in 2018 out of the Vichy Republicans who are kissing the damn ring. I have also been having a lot of conversations with various Republicans about how now that he is elected, it's important to, from a conservative perspective, hold his feet to the fire on moral values
I have signed up for Signal and also Wickr, and have started having encrypted conversations with activists and people who are trying to prepare for the next few years, relatively safely.
I have volunteered time, training, and protection of various sorts to members of minority groups that are potentially going to be under the most danger.
I am also - this is a thing I just decided to do yesterday and I am looking for volunteers, so if anyone wants in, memail me - trying to create a 'Buzzword/Dogwhistle Translation Guide', with both Democrats and Republicans, so that people fighting Trump can understand what words they may be saying that are unintentionally getting negative responses and how to avoid them/which words they can use instead.
posted by corb at 8:58 AM on December 22, 2016 [24 favorites]
I have signed up for Signal and also Wickr, and have started having encrypted conversations with activists and people who are trying to prepare for the next few years, relatively safely.
I have volunteered time, training, and protection of various sorts to members of minority groups that are potentially going to be under the most danger.
I am also - this is a thing I just decided to do yesterday and I am looking for volunteers, so if anyone wants in, memail me - trying to create a 'Buzzword/Dogwhistle Translation Guide', with both Democrats and Republicans, so that people fighting Trump can understand what words they may be saying that are unintentionally getting negative responses and how to avoid them/which words they can use instead.
posted by corb at 8:58 AM on December 22, 2016 [24 favorites]
Oh, and I've been using the fuck out of the phrase, "That doesn't sound very Christian of you" in the appropriate environment when people say hateful shit.
posted by corb at 8:59 AM on December 22, 2016 [79 favorites]
posted by corb at 8:59 AM on December 22, 2016 [79 favorites]
Thanks for starting this thread, Sciatrix - very welcome to see the positives.
A view from the UK (this rolls up a few recent things):
- contributed to crowdfunding for Supreme Court Brexit challenge (fingers crossed)
- joined the Lib Dems (I've supported them informally for a long time but it seemed important to make a stronger statement in support of a pro-European party)
- I reported a large far-right poster to the police (I thought about just tearing it down but I thought it might be better to get it noted officially first in case there were more of them). So far no more have appeared. I deliberately didn't mention it on social media because it would just be more publicity.
- I'm going to a local Open Rights Group (think UK EFF moreorless) meeting in the new year.
posted by crocomancer at 9:07 AM on December 22, 2016 [12 favorites]
A view from the UK (this rolls up a few recent things):
- contributed to crowdfunding for Supreme Court Brexit challenge (fingers crossed)
- joined the Lib Dems (I've supported them informally for a long time but it seemed important to make a stronger statement in support of a pro-European party)
- I reported a large far-right poster to the police (I thought about just tearing it down but I thought it might be better to get it noted officially first in case there were more of them). So far no more have appeared. I deliberately didn't mention it on social media because it would just be more publicity.
- I'm going to a local Open Rights Group (think UK EFF moreorless) meeting in the new year.
posted by crocomancer at 9:07 AM on December 22, 2016 [12 favorites]
I went to a bystander intervention and de-escalation training yesterday and I already feel more confident about my ability and will to intervene if I come across a situation where someone's engaging in hateful behavior. I encourage you all to see if there are any trainings in your area.
posted by ferret branca at 9:10 AM on December 22, 2016 [22 favorites]
posted by ferret branca at 9:10 AM on December 22, 2016 [22 favorites]
Thanks for making this thread, sciatrix.
This week I worked on the neveragain.tech pledge, verifying signatures. Over 2500 tech employees have signed, and I'm hoping that this is the beginning of some in depth discussion of what tech industry resistance actually looks like.
I've also been working on my own site, ActionRising. It's a platform for helping people share and take actions. On the to do list for today is adding an 'accountability buddy' feature where you can ask a friend to remind you to take an action, and the site will remind *them* to remind *you*.
I've made a bunch of phone calls, and a few donations.
posted by galaxy rise at 9:18 AM on December 22, 2016 [16 favorites]
This week I worked on the neveragain.tech pledge, verifying signatures. Over 2500 tech employees have signed, and I'm hoping that this is the beginning of some in depth discussion of what tech industry resistance actually looks like.
I've also been working on my own site, ActionRising. It's a platform for helping people share and take actions. On the to do list for today is adding an 'accountability buddy' feature where you can ask a friend to remind you to take an action, and the site will remind *them* to remind *you*.
I've made a bunch of phone calls, and a few donations.
posted by galaxy rise at 9:18 AM on December 22, 2016 [16 favorites]
I posted this in IRL for Los Angeles based folks (I'm the organizer).
Directed about half a dozen NY mefites to an activist group in NYC.
I'm encouraging folks to have at least a month of extra meds in their stash if they can and have emergency supplies ready.
I'm starting to work on a response to the potential dismantling of PACHA.
posted by Sophie1 at 9:20 AM on December 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
Directed about half a dozen NY mefites to an activist group in NYC.
I'm encouraging folks to have at least a month of extra meds in their stash if they can and have emergency supplies ready.
I'm starting to work on a response to the potential dismantling of PACHA.
posted by Sophie1 at 9:20 AM on December 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
I've been circulating the Indivisible Guide: A Practical Guide For Resisting the Trump Agenda among my friends and peers as a call to action now instead of waiting until Obama's out of office.
posted by Doktor Zed at 9:31 AM on December 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Doktor Zed at 9:31 AM on December 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
I've gone to a couple of citizen lobbying workshops in my area. (I live in the DC suburbs, so thankfully there are a good number of opportunities for this kind of thing). I'm trying to put some of my knowledge to work; I live in a county whose leaders have pledged the county police will not assist federal immigration authorities, but I also live in a city that operates its own police force independent of the county, so I wrote to the police chief asking about the city police department's policies on collaborating with immigration authorities. His response sounded reasonable enough, but I've reached out to some local immigrant rights orgs to see if his assurances pass the smell test. Either way, I plan on pushing for my city council to declare sanctuary status.
Speaking of sanctuary, my church, whose board I joined this year, is on the verge of joining the sanctuary movement. This basically means we'd offer shelter (along with, probably, legal counsel and other services) to people who are living in fear of immigration raids. The sanctuary church movement isn't based in law so much as a bet that politicians don't want the bad PR of immigration police busting down a church's doors.
I've made small recurring donations to a few orgs that are doing important work in the country and my community, and subscribed to a couple of local newspapers who are doing good work. My money is limited, so I've also dedicated myself to doing a bit of fundraising each month, making ice cream for friends in exchange for a donation toward a different organization each month. This month it was the Standing Rock Sioux; in January it'll probably be the Black Youth Project 100.
Finally, even if it's only symbolic, I've printed out several of these Hate Has No Home Here posters (design is free for use as long as you don't alter or sell it). We have one on our door and I've been approaching local businesses one by one to ask if they'll post them. I've got about a dozen up in my neighborhood, so now I'm trying the same thing with the neighborhood where I work. I know nobody's going to be convinced by a poster to stop being a bigot or supporting racist policies, but this is more about establishing and reinforcing societal norms.
posted by duffell at 9:47 AM on December 22, 2016 [16 favorites]
Speaking of sanctuary, my church, whose board I joined this year, is on the verge of joining the sanctuary movement. This basically means we'd offer shelter (along with, probably, legal counsel and other services) to people who are living in fear of immigration raids. The sanctuary church movement isn't based in law so much as a bet that politicians don't want the bad PR of immigration police busting down a church's doors.
I've made small recurring donations to a few orgs that are doing important work in the country and my community, and subscribed to a couple of local newspapers who are doing good work. My money is limited, so I've also dedicated myself to doing a bit of fundraising each month, making ice cream for friends in exchange for a donation toward a different organization each month. This month it was the Standing Rock Sioux; in January it'll probably be the Black Youth Project 100.
Finally, even if it's only symbolic, I've printed out several of these Hate Has No Home Here posters (design is free for use as long as you don't alter or sell it). We have one on our door and I've been approaching local businesses one by one to ask if they'll post them. I've got about a dozen up in my neighborhood, so now I'm trying the same thing with the neighborhood where I work. I know nobody's going to be convinced by a poster to stop being a bigot or supporting racist policies, but this is more about establishing and reinforcing societal norms.
posted by duffell at 9:47 AM on December 22, 2016 [16 favorites]
That's a great idea, duffell! It might be worth me nudging my friends who go to churches with a history of sanctuary to get the priests on record on how they feel about it.
posted by corb at 9:58 AM on December 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by corb at 9:58 AM on December 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
I am doing a couple of things:
posted by Sheydem-tants at 10:16 AM on December 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
- Self-care, first and foremost: eating, mild exercise and stretching, meditation, getting enough rest, staying home from work when I'm sick
- Attending and supporting local branches of national activist groups like ActionTogether and SURJ
- Lending my rather loud voice at protests and rallies: most recently yelled at MA Atty General Dan Conley to reverse the 24,000 MA state drug crime convictions that were based on bogus evidence
- Walking in the Women's March on DC on January
- Putting money toward Sierra Club and other established orgs that are going to fight the wholesale dismantling of helpful government agencies and programs
- Listening to friends who need space to talk about holidays with racist families, misogynist abuse, etc.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 10:16 AM on December 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
I posted on Twitter a series of suggestions for intervening when somebody is the subject of racist abuse. Mostly I just wanted to encourage people to speak up when they see that sort of behavior, instead of feel like their are just bystanders, if only so that the people who are the victims of the abuse do not feel like they are alone in dealing with it and nobody else is concerned by it.
I've also been taking steps to be more visibly Jewish, such as putting a mezuzah on my door, the first one I have had in two decades. I am a secular Jew and an atheist, so these gestures used to feel unneeded. Now they feel like resistance.
posted by maxsparber at 10:37 AM on December 22, 2016 [28 favorites]
I've also been taking steps to be more visibly Jewish, such as putting a mezuzah on my door, the first one I have had in two decades. I am a secular Jew and an atheist, so these gestures used to feel unneeded. Now they feel like resistance.
posted by maxsparber at 10:37 AM on December 22, 2016 [28 favorites]
To me, metafilter is a great place for discussing things. Politics is one of those things. One.
If people want to have a platform to arrange calls for action, organise activism, share testimonials about their personal efforts to evangalize/conversion rate, perhaps that might be worth setting up its own place for that?
Speaking only for myself, one of the primary ways I'm dealing with the state of the world these days is trying to find places and people to read and think about and talk to that aren't politics centric. Because there's a pretty hard limit on how much of the coming terribleness I can actually control or prevent, and the more I marinate in it the worse my mental health. I really don't want to see metafilter become more politics focused. It would destroy all I cared for in it, and the world would still be terrible anyway.
posted by Diablevert at 11:01 AM on December 22, 2016 [10 favorites]
If people want to have a platform to arrange calls for action, organise activism, share testimonials about their personal efforts to evangalize/conversion rate, perhaps that might be worth setting up its own place for that?
Speaking only for myself, one of the primary ways I'm dealing with the state of the world these days is trying to find places and people to read and think about and talk to that aren't politics centric. Because there's a pretty hard limit on how much of the coming terribleness I can actually control or prevent, and the more I marinate in it the worse my mental health. I really don't want to see metafilter become more politics focused. It would destroy all I cared for in it, and the world would still be terrible anyway.
posted by Diablevert at 11:01 AM on December 22, 2016 [10 favorites]
Or you can just skip a metatalk thread.
I've been working on a few things (and I owe some of you guys an email and I swear I'm working on it), but I've been reaching out to people who I know are probably going to be having a shitty holiday season for one reason or another.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:08 AM on December 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
I've been working on a few things (and I owe some of you guys an email and I swear I'm working on it), but I've been reaching out to people who I know are probably going to be having a shitty holiday season for one reason or another.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:08 AM on December 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'm working to organize a women's march in Savannah on January 21 for those of us who can't go to DC.
posted by mareli at 11:09 AM on December 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by mareli at 11:09 AM on December 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
And just to chime in for myself:
-I've been coordinating several potential people who are interested in going to the DC Women's March with me. I've also secured a place to stay with my grandmother (er, see below).
-I've reached out to family members I haven't talked politics with in a long time, and had several hour+ long conversations about how this is not normal, whether or not you're conservative or not, and what tactics are acceptable.
-I protested the Electoral College, took the microphone, and spoke at one point.
-I have helped contact and publicly criticize a local newspaper that published a piece framing "accusing someone of being racist" equivalently to "threatening to set a Muslim woman's hijab on fire."
-I have taken a break to eat a full meal at least once a day. Not yet today, but I just guilted myself into doing that, so hey.
-I have gone to the grocery store to purchase ingredients for a Christmas dinner which is open to anyone in Austin who needs a place to go for the holidays. There's a goose. Hopefully someone will help us eat it.
-Since our finances are stretched razor thin, I will be dedicating the rest of today to clearing out the unused bedroom in our house that is currently serving as a temporary kitchen/junk room, so that we can post it for rent and have a little more wiggle room in our budget and "buying food that we don't have to cook ourselves" isn't quite as fiscally terrifying.
-I have reminded my roommate about this activism D&D party members metaphor and pointed out that support roles are desperately necessary in times like this
posted by sciatrix at 11:36 AM on December 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
-I've been coordinating several potential people who are interested in going to the DC Women's March with me. I've also secured a place to stay with my grandmother (er, see below).
-I've reached out to family members I haven't talked politics with in a long time, and had several hour+ long conversations about how this is not normal, whether or not you're conservative or not, and what tactics are acceptable.
-I protested the Electoral College, took the microphone, and spoke at one point.
-I have helped contact and publicly criticize a local newspaper that published a piece framing "accusing someone of being racist" equivalently to "threatening to set a Muslim woman's hijab on fire."
-I have taken a break to eat a full meal at least once a day. Not yet today, but I just guilted myself into doing that, so hey.
-I have gone to the grocery store to purchase ingredients for a Christmas dinner which is open to anyone in Austin who needs a place to go for the holidays. There's a goose. Hopefully someone will help us eat it.
-Since our finances are stretched razor thin, I will be dedicating the rest of today to clearing out the unused bedroom in our house that is currently serving as a temporary kitchen/junk room, so that we can post it for rent and have a little more wiggle room in our budget and "buying food that we don't have to cook ourselves" isn't quite as fiscally terrifying.
-I have reminded my roommate about this activism D&D party members metaphor and pointed out that support roles are desperately necessary in times like this
posted by sciatrix at 11:36 AM on December 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
I signed up to be a literacy and ESL tutor though my library, thinking that would help make immigrants feel more welcome in my community. I did the training last week and have my first lesson with my student tonight! I'm quite nervous but she sounds very nice and keen to learn so I think it will be good.
posted by carolr at 11:41 AM on December 22, 2016 [18 favorites]
posted by carolr at 11:41 AM on December 22, 2016 [18 favorites]
Running, one way and another, is both my work and my hobby. Myself and a running friend have, in the past few months, persuaded a team of about 10 awesome women and girls we know (and a couple of awesome men!) to run a trail 10k/half/marathon in February to raise money for Free to Run, which helps women and girls affected by conflict to access running and outdoor adventure. We’re all in training (with a little help from AskMe in my case) and have a great facebook group going where everyone chats about their runs, posts inspiring links etc.
We’ve also talked about using Free to Run's model to set up a jogging group for refugees/asylum seekers in our city, so in recent weeks, I've been reaching out through the City of Sanctuary movement and making connections with people who are welcoming Syrian refugees and other migrants to our city. I talked to them about starting a walk-to-jog group to give them an activity, a social life, a way to explore our beautiful city, meet new people, etc. At first, the people I spoke to were luke-warm about the idea, and I'd accepted that there might not be any demand for it.
But then, this week, out of the blue, one of them emailed me. She had been talking to colleagues at the refugee/migrant welfare and befriending centre she works at, and they were so excited by the idea, were sure there would be demand and asked if we could help them get it off the ground. We had an email conversation where each of us bounced in turn off one another's excitement. They think it will make a difference. I think I can do it. I've never done anything like this before, so it'll be a learning curve, but I think it could be amazing. We're going to start planning in the New Year.
I've also been keeping up the Twitter feed I set up and run for a local, entirely volunteer-run charity that ships donated aid to a Syrian refugee camp on the Lebanese border (and elsewhere, dependent on need). It's been a few weeks now since I made it to the warehouse to help with packing (turns out marathon training is time-consuming...) but we just shipped our 12th container of winter clothes to Arsal.
This is all part of my recent deal with myself - if I get active and make real contributions to changing the world around me, I’m allowed to stop watching the horror-chamber of the TV news. It’s working OK for me so far, and hopefully for others in due course.
Wishing hope and courage to all of you making your stands in myriad ways.
posted by penguin pie at 12:12 PM on December 22, 2016 [11 favorites]
We’ve also talked about using Free to Run's model to set up a jogging group for refugees/asylum seekers in our city, so in recent weeks, I've been reaching out through the City of Sanctuary movement and making connections with people who are welcoming Syrian refugees and other migrants to our city. I talked to them about starting a walk-to-jog group to give them an activity, a social life, a way to explore our beautiful city, meet new people, etc. At first, the people I spoke to were luke-warm about the idea, and I'd accepted that there might not be any demand for it.
But then, this week, out of the blue, one of them emailed me. She had been talking to colleagues at the refugee/migrant welfare and befriending centre she works at, and they were so excited by the idea, were sure there would be demand and asked if we could help them get it off the ground. We had an email conversation where each of us bounced in turn off one another's excitement. They think it will make a difference. I think I can do it. I've never done anything like this before, so it'll be a learning curve, but I think it could be amazing. We're going to start planning in the New Year.
I've also been keeping up the Twitter feed I set up and run for a local, entirely volunteer-run charity that ships donated aid to a Syrian refugee camp on the Lebanese border (and elsewhere, dependent on need). It's been a few weeks now since I made it to the warehouse to help with packing (turns out marathon training is time-consuming...) but we just shipped our 12th container of winter clothes to Arsal.
This is all part of my recent deal with myself - if I get active and make real contributions to changing the world around me, I’m allowed to stop watching the horror-chamber of the TV news. It’s working OK for me so far, and hopefully for others in due course.
Wishing hope and courage to all of you making your stands in myriad ways.
posted by penguin pie at 12:12 PM on December 22, 2016 [11 favorites]
The podcast This Week in Blackness! Prime did their 900th episode and final episode for 2016 a couple of weeks ago with a nice discussion of finding one's place within activism, as well as talking about being an ally, when you're not a member of the disadvantaged group. (Though they don't like the term "ally".)
Elon James White, the founder and CEO of TWiB, was evidently intending to retire from the organization after the election, but seems to have decided to stay in the fight indefinitely. There's tons of other content that's normally on the web site, such as the excellent podcast Historical Blackness which has been mentioned on MeFi and AskMe repeatedly, but they seem to be in the midst of reorganizing the site at the moment and it's a bit trimmed down.
posted by XMLicious at 1:03 PM on December 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
Elon James White, the founder and CEO of TWiB, was evidently intending to retire from the organization after the election, but seems to have decided to stay in the fight indefinitely. There's tons of other content that's normally on the web site, such as the excellent podcast Historical Blackness which has been mentioned on MeFi and AskMe repeatedly, but they seem to be in the midst of reorganizing the site at the moment and it's a bit trimmed down.
posted by XMLicious at 1:03 PM on December 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
In lieu of Christmas gifts, I donated in the name of older/financially well off family members, to organizations that would matter to them and are making a difference (children and struggling young adults still got gifts).
I'm putting my professional skills to work by collaborating with my peers at Open Seattle, helping to determine a new direction for the organization in light of Trump.
I wear my Black Lives Matter button every day, and keep a bowl of them as party favors for anyone who comes to my apartment.
I provide emotional and physical support to my activist leader girlfriend.
I'm spending as little time as possible on the internet.
posted by Kwine at 1:11 PM on December 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
I'm putting my professional skills to work by collaborating with my peers at Open Seattle, helping to determine a new direction for the organization in light of Trump.
I wear my Black Lives Matter button every day, and keep a bowl of them as party favors for anyone who comes to my apartment.
I provide emotional and physical support to my activist leader girlfriend.
I'm spending as little time as possible on the internet.
posted by Kwine at 1:11 PM on December 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
I'm trying to figure out how to live my life as a person who is angry all the time.
I'm trying to show my friends and family as much love as possible because we need to get that out there too.
At 42 years old, I'm starting to plan my finances like an adult so I have more money to donate to organizations who can make change.
I'm carrying around extra Black Lives Matter buttons (given to me by a generous MeFite) and giving them to everybody who comments on mine.
I'm making at least 4 calls a week. I still fucking hate it but at least I'm getting better at it.
We continue to meet monthly in Chicago with a group that started over MetaFilter to discuss plans of attack and debrief with like minded folks. I highly recommend this course of action to anyone who can join/start the same thing in their community.
I'm going to be involved (went to the first meeting) with setting up a local chapter of the Pink Panthers Movement for Chicago. PPM is a LGBTQ organization dedicated to having LGBTQ folks protecting members of their own community. The main focus of our chapter, at the beginning at least, will be training and setting up patrols (like Queer Nation's Pink Panthers Patrol of old) for the now-multiple gay social areas in the city to protect each other from bigots, the police or even bad actors within the community. Folks are scared as fuck and we need to take care of each others, even the drunks (maybe especially the drunks).
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:20 PM on December 22, 2016 [15 favorites]
I'm trying to show my friends and family as much love as possible because we need to get that out there too.
At 42 years old, I'm starting to plan my finances like an adult so I have more money to donate to organizations who can make change.
I'm carrying around extra Black Lives Matter buttons (given to me by a generous MeFite) and giving them to everybody who comments on mine.
I'm making at least 4 calls a week. I still fucking hate it but at least I'm getting better at it.
We continue to meet monthly in Chicago with a group that started over MetaFilter to discuss plans of attack and debrief with like minded folks. I highly recommend this course of action to anyone who can join/start the same thing in their community.
I'm going to be involved (went to the first meeting) with setting up a local chapter of the Pink Panthers Movement for Chicago. PPM is a LGBTQ organization dedicated to having LGBTQ folks protecting members of their own community. The main focus of our chapter, at the beginning at least, will be training and setting up patrols (like Queer Nation's Pink Panthers Patrol of old) for the now-multiple gay social areas in the city to protect each other from bigots, the police or even bad actors within the community. Folks are scared as fuck and we need to take care of each others, even the drunks (maybe especially the drunks).
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:20 PM on December 22, 2016 [15 favorites]
We have decided to up our charitable donations to at least the maximum allowed for tax-deduction purposes (basically 50% of Adjusted Gross Income) as a twofer: worthy outfits get more money and the Trump administration gets less.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:12 PM on December 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:12 PM on December 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
Well so first off I help run a secret FB group (with a good number of Mefi members) that is hopefully laser focused on actions and not chat, debate, or feel-good stories. So I spend some of every day on that and looking to share things there. Memail me or just friend me on FB and drop me a message that you want in.
But since it's Christmas week things have been slow. One thing that happened this week is that my Republican Congressman was quoted as wanting to limit Trump's worst policies and came under attack from Trumpians for it. So I called his local office to thank him and offer support. Notably he met with a group of activists from a local Pantsuit group the week before and they presented him with a letter signed by many of his constituents, including myself, that asked him to do his best to protect all his constituents. So maybe that had an effect on his taking a mild stand. Here is a copy of that letter, in case anyone wants to try something similar with their rep.
posted by threeturtles at 2:17 PM on December 22, 2016 [22 favorites]
But since it's Christmas week things have been slow. One thing that happened this week is that my Republican Congressman was quoted as wanting to limit Trump's worst policies and came under attack from Trumpians for it. So I called his local office to thank him and offer support. Notably he met with a group of activists from a local Pantsuit group the week before and they presented him with a letter signed by many of his constituents, including myself, that asked him to do his best to protect all his constituents. So maybe that had an effect on his taking a mild stand. Here is a copy of that letter, in case anyone wants to try something similar with their rep.
posted by threeturtles at 2:17 PM on December 22, 2016 [22 favorites]
I called both of my senators to thank them for actions they have taken this week that are positive - Jeff Merkley for speaking out against Trump appointees and Ron Wyden for calling for release of info around the Russian interference in the elections.
When I made these calls, both staffers that I spoke to sounded so ... relieved? ... to be getting a thank you call. So Thank You calls are officially on my list.
I used Daily Action Alerts for other calls / reminders.
I have a Republican congressperson - Greg Walden, OR-2. He will be the next chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee - so I am assuming will be responsible for any number of atrocious decisions. Thus, I have finished reading Indivisible (as mentioned by Doktor Zed above) and am in the process of trying to find or create a group of like-minded OR-2 constituents to apply pressure to Rep. Walden to make decisions that are good for all Oregonians and Americans - not just those in his party.
I have no idea how to do that - but I've got a brand new Twitter account, a brand new gmail account and a draft for a Craigslist posting (cause I'm FaceBook Free thus far in my life and would like to continue to be) - so we'll see what I can figure out .(NOTE - are you an OR-2 voter? MeMail Me!!)
Walden claims to have "telephone town halls" that I am finding nearly impossible to register for, but hey, I'll keep calling his staff about that. :)
posted by hilaryjade at 4:48 PM on December 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
When I made these calls, both staffers that I spoke to sounded so ... relieved? ... to be getting a thank you call. So Thank You calls are officially on my list.
I used Daily Action Alerts for other calls / reminders.
I have a Republican congressperson - Greg Walden, OR-2. He will be the next chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee - so I am assuming will be responsible for any number of atrocious decisions. Thus, I have finished reading Indivisible (as mentioned by Doktor Zed above) and am in the process of trying to find or create a group of like-minded OR-2 constituents to apply pressure to Rep. Walden to make decisions that are good for all Oregonians and Americans - not just those in his party.
I have no idea how to do that - but I've got a brand new Twitter account, a brand new gmail account and a draft for a Craigslist posting (cause I'm FaceBook Free thus far in my life and would like to continue to be) - so we'll see what I can figure out .(NOTE - are you an OR-2 voter? MeMail Me!!)
Walden claims to have "telephone town halls" that I am finding nearly impossible to register for, but hey, I'll keep calling his staff about that. :)
posted by hilaryjade at 4:48 PM on December 22, 2016 [9 favorites]
I've been keeping a list of links to news reports of Trump & Co's shady deals: Trumpslyvania.
posted by notyou at 4:48 PM on December 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by notyou at 4:48 PM on December 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
Brazil is in a pretty strange political space right now and Rio especially so. The new evangelical mayor takes over on Jan1.
A couple of us are starting a trilingual online journal - English, Spanish, Portuguese - to show more indepth stories and photography in order to help move issues to a wider and more international audience as few outside of the country speak or read Portuguese.
Racism is a big issue here as is macho culture. Our main contributers are female.
posted by adamvasco at 5:54 PM on December 22, 2016 [12 favorites]
A couple of us are starting a trilingual online journal - English, Spanish, Portuguese - to show more indepth stories and photography in order to help move issues to a wider and more international audience as few outside of the country speak or read Portuguese.
Racism is a big issue here as is macho culture. Our main contributers are female.
posted by adamvasco at 5:54 PM on December 22, 2016 [12 favorites]
UK (though looking, as usual, to spend time in the US next year).
- Had another Krav Maga lesson. Seriously, the first one was a brilliant use of an hour. How to fight your way out of a confrontation, even if the other person is armed (which is my concern; a lot of knife-carrying by angry people here) and moving in (it's basically dirty and quickly effective fighting).
- Food bank shifts (I'm 6' 3'' so I do the high shelves, and lifting, stock spreadsheets and dealing with less friendly people).
- Mainly listening to several close US friends who are not having a good time post-election, to put it mildly, and need someone online to talk to and figure stuff out.
- Cranking out MetaFilter post-election posts.
posted by Wordshore at 6:00 PM on December 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
- Had another Krav Maga lesson. Seriously, the first one was a brilliant use of an hour. How to fight your way out of a confrontation, even if the other person is armed (which is my concern; a lot of knife-carrying by angry people here) and moving in (it's basically dirty and quickly effective fighting).
- Food bank shifts (I'm 6' 3'' so I do the high shelves, and lifting, stock spreadsheets and dealing with less friendly people).
- Mainly listening to several close US friends who are not having a good time post-election, to put it mildly, and need someone online to talk to and figure stuff out.
- Cranking out MetaFilter post-election posts.
posted by Wordshore at 6:00 PM on December 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
You've done a human's job, sir.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:16 PM on December 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:16 PM on December 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Sharing Indivisible - A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 5:21 AM on December 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 5:21 AM on December 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Giving myself a break from activism. I am burned out.
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Audre Lorde.
posted by Stewriffic at 7:38 AM on December 23, 2016 [20 favorites]
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Audre Lorde.
posted by Stewriffic at 7:38 AM on December 23, 2016 [20 favorites]
But I also have hosted a small dinner party for relationship building with like-minded folks as well as planning to host a viewing party with another small group of friends for a state house rep who will be doing a FB live event about how to organize in my state. (North Carolina....which is why I am burned out.)
posted by Stewriffic at 7:41 AM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Stewriffic at 7:41 AM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
Hi all. SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) is sponsoring a holiday hotline for those who have to deal with Trumpist family members this weekend:
___________________________________________________
Holiday Hotline volunteering with SURJ National: Training tonight & tomorrow
We're running the holiday hotline again to support folks having tough conversations about race and Trump at the end of the year and looking for folks to volunteer to help host it. Orientations are Friday and Saturday and all the information is also at the bottom of this email.
We will have two trainings for volunteers, one Friday the 23rd at 6 EST and one Saturday the 24 at 12 EST.
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/526283125
Or iPhone one-tap (US Toll): +16465588656,526283125# or +14086380968,526283125#
Or Telephone:
Dial: +1 646 558 8656 (US Toll) or +1 408 638 0968 (US Toll)
Meeting ID: 526 283 125
You will need to be at the computer.
Please also take a moment to fill out this survey: https://goo.gl/forms/eUriv9THojZo9YLf1
posted by Sheydem-tants at 8:16 AM on December 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
___________________________________________________
Holiday Hotline volunteering with SURJ National: Training tonight & tomorrow
We're running the holiday hotline again to support folks having tough conversations about race and Trump at the end of the year and looking for folks to volunteer to help host it. Orientations are Friday and Saturday and all the information is also at the bottom of this email.
We will have two trainings for volunteers, one Friday the 23rd at 6 EST and one Saturday the 24 at 12 EST.
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/526283125
Or iPhone one-tap (US Toll): +16465588656,526283125# or +14086380968,526283125#
Or Telephone:
Dial: +1 646 558 8656 (US Toll) or +1 408 638 0968 (US Toll)
Meeting ID: 526 283 125
You will need to be at the computer.
Please also take a moment to fill out this survey: https://goo.gl/forms/eUriv9THojZo9YLf1
posted by Sheydem-tants at 8:16 AM on December 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
One other thing--we're in the midst of some small family divestment in the banks that back Dakota Access, Energy Transfer Partners, and other partner/subsidiary companies. We're really not in a place, financially, where we can move our mortgage around, but we've moved our credit debt from two cards onto a card provided by our credit union, and we've written to BoA and Chase to let them know why. It's not much compared to the much larger debts we owe (house/car/tuition), but it's something for now.
posted by duffell at 10:14 AM on December 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by duffell at 10:14 AM on December 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
This morning, I called the American Guild of Variety Artists (212-675-1003) to demand the union support any individual Rockette who does not want to perform for the president-elect. I need to email the Radio City group specifically (feedbackradiocity@MSG.com) as well, but that will wait.
I bought myself a tea latte with my favorite seasonal flavor, and I'm actually pausing to focus on drinking it.
I have reached out to a local kid from an immigrant family who just got into college with a full ride, despite not having anyone in her family who had gone to college here, thanks to a local program helping first-gen and immigrant kids access information about college--and offered her advice about talking to other TAs and getting involved in research in my field, which is closely related to hers.
I'm building community. I'm reaching out and talking to local people who are upset in my area. I backed up a (queer) friend who had said on her facebook that she's most terrified of Pence, and when someone else went "oh, he's just the VP" I pointed out that the likelihood of Pence taking direct control of the Presidency at some point seems high. I showed my sister a link about what has happened in NC and explained why I'm scared, but also asked her if she'd send me funny animal videos because I can use 'em, and it'll make her feel like she's helping too. I reached out and added my roommate and a friend in another, more rural Texan city to a discussion group, and asked the friend for her perspective on people's feet on the ground.
I lovingly harassed my roomie into packing a bag for her upcoming trip home to see her family for the holidays and kept her from fretting herself into a paralysis state for doing things last-minute, so she can do more useful things with that energy (and also, y'know, actually pack the bag).
I started making a plan to post a FPP a week here, every Monday, on some aspect of US history that I think is useful to informing American resistance. Today I made a list of people and events and movements I would like to highlight.
I got back into the swing of my usual network of to-do lists and scheduling, so I can be more efficient about my time--and better at giving myself credit for the things I accomplish. Also, so I can remind myself what things I have promised to do and make sure I have the time to do them.
posted by sciatrix at 10:45 AM on December 23, 2016 [13 favorites]
I bought myself a tea latte with my favorite seasonal flavor, and I'm actually pausing to focus on drinking it.
I have reached out to a local kid from an immigrant family who just got into college with a full ride, despite not having anyone in her family who had gone to college here, thanks to a local program helping first-gen and immigrant kids access information about college--and offered her advice about talking to other TAs and getting involved in research in my field, which is closely related to hers.
I'm building community. I'm reaching out and talking to local people who are upset in my area. I backed up a (queer) friend who had said on her facebook that she's most terrified of Pence, and when someone else went "oh, he's just the VP" I pointed out that the likelihood of Pence taking direct control of the Presidency at some point seems high. I showed my sister a link about what has happened in NC and explained why I'm scared, but also asked her if she'd send me funny animal videos because I can use 'em, and it'll make her feel like she's helping too. I reached out and added my roommate and a friend in another, more rural Texan city to a discussion group, and asked the friend for her perspective on people's feet on the ground.
I lovingly harassed my roomie into packing a bag for her upcoming trip home to see her family for the holidays and kept her from fretting herself into a paralysis state for doing things last-minute, so she can do more useful things with that energy (and also, y'know, actually pack the bag).
I started making a plan to post a FPP a week here, every Monday, on some aspect of US history that I think is useful to informing American resistance. Today I made a list of people and events and movements I would like to highlight.
I got back into the swing of my usual network of to-do lists and scheduling, so I can be more efficient about my time--and better at giving myself credit for the things I accomplish. Also, so I can remind myself what things I have promised to do and make sure I have the time to do them.
posted by sciatrix at 10:45 AM on December 23, 2016 [13 favorites]
I posted something in the main thread that I realized would fit better here, so I hope it's okay to post about something I plan to do but haven't yet done! I really want to start a campaign to send copies of Hiroshima to the White House once the new administration takes over (ugh ugh). I had planned to spend part of my holiday break putting together a little "instructions for basic activism" zine to share on social media and hand out at the San Francisco Women's March, so I think those two things will be my project for the next little while. I'll share them here when they're done.
Thanks for posting this thread sciatrix. I found it really inspiring last time and I love that we're keeping it going.
posted by sunset in snow country at 10:54 AM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
Thanks for posting this thread sciatrix. I found it really inspiring last time and I love that we're keeping it going.
posted by sunset in snow country at 10:54 AM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
In phase with sciatrix – emailed Radio City to express that Rockettes who don't wish to perform, should be allowed to step out without repercussions.
I keep in touch with my senators, Merkley and Wyden, as well as my representative DeFazio. They're doing awesome work and, once again, I am so grateful to have good representation in the US.
Been sharing on FB (it's had a noticeable positive impact, with just one exception) and commenting in secret groups about stuff I know re: intersectionality and the effects of fundamentalist evangelicals on discourse. I know I'm lucky in being a woman who was able to escape abuse through education, a hell of a lot of dumb luck, and fantastic people. I've always felt I owe it to the universe to pay it forward by using my relative safety and privilege to point out bullshit and let others know that as much as society and cruddy closed-minded people would want them to believe otherwise, they are not alone.
Got elected as an employee rep and have been attending every single meeting and also calling out bullshit – in a professional, constructive manner. We have a really great team in our employee rep group, and working together, we've made concrete impacts. This is in France, and it means awareness at a time when our presidency is in the balance too. I have a lot of uncomfortable conversations, but when you've grown up in an abusive fundy family you disagree with? Uncomfortable is a luxury. I accept precisely zero of "France isn't the US" from white people here. (Everyone else already knows.)
posted by fraula at 11:25 AM on December 23, 2016 [7 favorites]
I keep in touch with my senators, Merkley and Wyden, as well as my representative DeFazio. They're doing awesome work and, once again, I am so grateful to have good representation in the US.
Been sharing on FB (it's had a noticeable positive impact, with just one exception) and commenting in secret groups about stuff I know re: intersectionality and the effects of fundamentalist evangelicals on discourse. I know I'm lucky in being a woman who was able to escape abuse through education, a hell of a lot of dumb luck, and fantastic people. I've always felt I owe it to the universe to pay it forward by using my relative safety and privilege to point out bullshit and let others know that as much as society and cruddy closed-minded people would want them to believe otherwise, they are not alone.
Got elected as an employee rep and have been attending every single meeting and also calling out bullshit – in a professional, constructive manner. We have a really great team in our employee rep group, and working together, we've made concrete impacts. This is in France, and it means awareness at a time when our presidency is in the balance too. I have a lot of uncomfortable conversations, but when you've grown up in an abusive fundy family you disagree with? Uncomfortable is a luxury. I accept precisely zero of "France isn't the US" from white people here. (Everyone else already knows.)
posted by fraula at 11:25 AM on December 23, 2016 [7 favorites]
I joined SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice), have made monetary contributions to BLM, NoDAPL, Georgia Innocence Project, (also Habitat for Humanity, San Francisco Aid for Animals and a couple of others that promote literacy, the arts, etc) and sent books to Liberation Library (providing books to imprisoned minors). I've emailed the Rockettes managers to implore them not to force any woman who does not wish to do so to perform at the inauguration.
posted by janey47 at 11:40 AM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by janey47 at 11:40 AM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
oh right, yes, I've also emailed my senators and representative regarding Bannon and other Trump appointees to ask them to block the appointment of racist and/or otherwise unqualified people, or people whose agenda is antithetical to the mission of the departments they have been nominated to head.
posted by janey47 at 11:44 AM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by janey47 at 11:44 AM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
I've made a commitment to myself to take one action every weekday for the next 20 weeks to build the society that I believe we all deserve. I post these on my Instagram account to keep myself accountable and to help normalize the idea of taking action. So far I've made donations to good organizations, called and emailed my senators, ordered BLM stickers for my window (and to give to friends), made a card to welcome refugees to my city who arrive in January, emailed my mayor to thank him for publically committing to continue the city's status as a Sanctuary City, and read Indivisible.
I'm planning to make a sign to post in my local coffeeshop with the names and phone numbers of our congresspeople along with encouragement to call.
posted by mcduff at 12:38 PM on December 23, 2016 [6 favorites]
I'm planning to make a sign to post in my local coffeeshop with the names and phone numbers of our congresspeople along with encouragement to call.
posted by mcduff at 12:38 PM on December 23, 2016 [6 favorites]
Mostly just donating (though I am also trying to support my more vulnerable relatives and the girls in my Girl Scout Troop in direct and personal ways.)
Donations/subscriptions to:
The International Rescue Committee
Doctors Without Borders
Together Rising
Mother Jones
The Washington Post
I sign some of the online petitions that come my way, for all the good it does. (It does at least get me on mailing lists that I hope might clue me in if some more substantial action is happening.)
And I have been shameless about talking politics, not just on Metafilter and on Faceboook, but also in real life, with family, with virtual strangers and people at work... It's awkward, it's impolite, and it alienates people, and I might be pissing off my employers, but I won't participate in this pretense that everything is normal. If our expressions of outrage and fear and dismay are confined to Metafilter and Pantsuit Nation, then Republicans get to pretend nothing is wrong. I think our best hope is for Trump to become massively unpopular, and we've seen just how effective a constant drumbeat of "he's corrupt, he's corrupt, he's corrupt" can be at undermining people's trust in a politician. The difference is, when they did it to Hillary, it was false. With Trump, it's true.
posted by OnceUponATime at 1:01 PM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
Donations/subscriptions to:
The International Rescue Committee
Doctors Without Borders
Together Rising
Mother Jones
The Washington Post
I sign some of the online petitions that come my way, for all the good it does. (It does at least get me on mailing lists that I hope might clue me in if some more substantial action is happening.)
And I have been shameless about talking politics, not just on Metafilter and on Faceboook, but also in real life, with family, with virtual strangers and people at work... It's awkward, it's impolite, and it alienates people, and I might be pissing off my employers, but I won't participate in this pretense that everything is normal. If our expressions of outrage and fear and dismay are confined to Metafilter and Pantsuit Nation, then Republicans get to pretend nothing is wrong. I think our best hope is for Trump to become massively unpopular, and we've seen just how effective a constant drumbeat of "he's corrupt, he's corrupt, he's corrupt" can be at undermining people's trust in a politician. The difference is, when they did it to Hillary, it was false. With Trump, it's true.
posted by OnceUponATime at 1:01 PM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
I have been hammering this a lot, but I really do think there's a lot of good to be done in being utterly shameless about politics in your social networks right now. I know a lot more liberals than conservatives who shut up about politics when visiting family or when they're in an unfriendly place, and I think that bringing those conversations into the mainstream is really important--kind of like trying to re-establish the country's herd immunity to hate politics again.
posted by sciatrix at 1:04 PM on December 23, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by sciatrix at 1:04 PM on December 23, 2016 [10 favorites]
so I hope it's okay to post about something I plan to do but haven't yet done!
As far as I'm concerned, go for it! I mostly wanted to just keep the focus and momentum on doing stuff, small stuff or big, long-term or short-term, and on keeping ourselves fed and healthy enough to actually execute and accomplish it. Hell, I added a thing which is a bit of a "I am planning to do this" thing myself.
posted by sciatrix at 1:16 PM on December 23, 2016
As far as I'm concerned, go for it! I mostly wanted to just keep the focus and momentum on doing stuff, small stuff or big, long-term or short-term, and on keeping ourselves fed and healthy enough to actually execute and accomplish it. Hell, I added a thing which is a bit of a "I am planning to do this" thing myself.
posted by sciatrix at 1:16 PM on December 23, 2016
I've been doing what small amount of donating I can, and doing a lot of learning, trying to figure out what's effective right now. I'm extremely interested in the Moral Mondays framework after taking a good long look at how it works. Other than that my biggest hurdle and point of focus right now is overcoming a lot of hard anxiety problems and unintentional "don't make waves" lessons learned in my formative years to get to a place where I can reliably speak out to people outside of the echo chamber. I need to work on myself so that I may help others. Then the next step will be figuring out the balance between putting myself out there and putting my girlfriend's support system for her health problems at risk if I go and get myself arrested while protesting or something, so I suppose expanding her support system is on the list as well. In the meantime I'm trying to do what I can to encourage others I know in similar situations to work on themselves as well for the fights ahead. Some of us are playing catch-up, we might not know how to shift into this new mode right away but we do plan on being there. A big part of that is normalizing protest and engagement, the more it feels like something everybody's doing, the easier it is for the next person to take the first steps. Threads like this really help.
posted by jason_steakums at 1:27 PM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 1:27 PM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
Yeah, and for those of us who have switched into straight up terrified mode, jason_steakums, being reminded that you aren't the only one who is trying to do what they can is actually pretty healing. Like... one of the reasons it occurred to me to want the other thread back is that I had been telling multiple people that look, I am immersing myself in this stuff because watching other people stand together against this threat is literally the only thing that lets me breathe and think about doing anything else that isn't directly tied to resisting or exhorting someone else to step up. The only thing.
So like. I figure that normalizing protest and engagement and trying to go "look, we are all helping, here's how to make it easy" is... also a purely self-interested thing for me to do, because it is something I can show myself when I'm going white-eyed with terror and my partner is going "will you come to bed and do something to relax because you are exhausting me just looking at you" and I can't make my brain let go of just one more thing. The reminder that it's not just on me, it's not just on one person, it's on a collective of millions of us doing small things to get involved and make ourselves known? That lets me relax enough to focus and direct enough of myself at something to be helpful. So. Yeah.
(I am sharing this with you not so much to make you feel guilty or anything but more in the hopes that my weird-ass guilt/rage/emotional process helps combat other people's weird anxiety/guilt/etc demons, because that works surprisingly well with many of the other folks I know with some level of brainweird or crazy.)
posted by sciatrix at 1:50 PM on December 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
So like. I figure that normalizing protest and engagement and trying to go "look, we are all helping, here's how to make it easy" is... also a purely self-interested thing for me to do, because it is something I can show myself when I'm going white-eyed with terror and my partner is going "will you come to bed and do something to relax because you are exhausting me just looking at you" and I can't make my brain let go of just one more thing. The reminder that it's not just on me, it's not just on one person, it's on a collective of millions of us doing small things to get involved and make ourselves known? That lets me relax enough to focus and direct enough of myself at something to be helpful. So. Yeah.
(I am sharing this with you not so much to make you feel guilty or anything but more in the hopes that my weird-ass guilt/rage/emotional process helps combat other people's weird anxiety/guilt/etc demons, because that works surprisingly well with many of the other folks I know with some level of brainweird or crazy.)
posted by sciatrix at 1:50 PM on December 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
I've been trying to have more political conversations with my Fox-news-watching dad. It's an uphill battle, but there are some times when I feel like I manage to shift his thinking a tiny bit. Part of the problem is that all of his news sources reinforce right-wing misinformation. I want to send him material from other news sources, but if they are too obviously "liberal" he will dismiss them out of hand.
Does anyone have recommendations for news sources that are not full of right-wing lies but might be more acceptable to the Fox-news crowd?
posted by aka burlap at 2:23 PM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Does anyone have recommendations for news sources that are not full of right-wing lies but might be more acceptable to the Fox-news crowd?
posted by aka burlap at 2:23 PM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Does anyone have recommendations for news sources that are not full of right-wing lies but might be more acceptable to the Fox-news crowd?
Right after the election I was sending people information from USA Today right after the election, but for many people, any source that disagreed with them was too liberal. You can also focus on specific conservative writers, which might be easier.
posted by dinty_moore at 2:41 PM on December 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
Right after the election I was sending people information from USA Today right after the election, but for many people, any source that disagreed with them was too liberal. You can also focus on specific conservative writers, which might be easier.
posted by dinty_moore at 2:41 PM on December 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
The project I'm working on, as a side benefit, is going to be able to rate news articles by how much they will raise the people's hackles. So I don't have a lot of good articles yet, but will soon.
posted by corb at 3:08 PM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by corb at 3:08 PM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Here's a Guardian article on conservative sources worth reading to get out of your bubble."
I've been following Reason and The American Conservative, from that list. Reason seems, well, reasonable, for a Libertarian magazine. They don't like taxes and regulations, but they also don't like Trump much. The American Conservative is more sympathetic to Trump (it's Pat Buchanan's magazine, and in many ways Trump is Buchanan's political heir) but they have some principles, and they sometimes point out Trump's lack of those.
posted by OnceUponATime at 4:54 PM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
I've been following Reason and The American Conservative, from that list. Reason seems, well, reasonable, for a Libertarian magazine. They don't like taxes and regulations, but they also don't like Trump much. The American Conservative is more sympathetic to Trump (it's Pat Buchanan's magazine, and in many ways Trump is Buchanan's political heir) but they have some principles, and they sometimes point out Trump's lack of those.
posted by OnceUponATime at 4:54 PM on December 23, 2016 [4 favorites]
The American Conservative was a really good source for some anti-Bush articles at the time, but yeah, it's pretty Trumpy now...
I know Glenn Beck has supposedly turned over a new leaf and he's walking back from the brink - whether it's genuine or not, eh, actions are what speak - but I haven't really sought out anything new by him. Maybe there's something worth seeking out there? He's not a source for news, really, but he's a conservative voice willing to say he got it wrong and he knows how to speak the language.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:35 PM on December 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
I know Glenn Beck has supposedly turned over a new leaf and he's walking back from the brink - whether it's genuine or not, eh, actions are what speak - but I haven't really sought out anything new by him. Maybe there's something worth seeking out there? He's not a source for news, really, but he's a conservative voice willing to say he got it wrong and he knows how to speak the language.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:35 PM on December 23, 2016 [3 favorites]
I've had a rough two weeks at work and so I've been doing the bare minimum: education myself and others, sharing stuff, following Shaun King's daily actions. One lazy action I've discovered is writing opinions on the Countable app. The app allows people to select 'yay' or 'nay' on upcoming bills or issues. You can also write a blurb explaining why. The bar to entry is very; most opinion are three sentences. I've gone through and added more substantial, fact-based opinion text.
posted by tofu_crouton at 5:57 PM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by tofu_crouton at 5:57 PM on December 23, 2016 [2 favorites]
Coworkers wanted to help the homeless, but didn't quite know how. We'd previously tried a drive for cash, to help a local homeless encampment with basic costs (porta potties, dumpsters). That did not well.
This time?
"It's cold. A full set of long underwear is $25. People are sleeping outside tonight. If you get me money by Tuesday, I'll turn it into long underwear and have it handed to people in need by Christmas day. Even $5 helps here; any amount is going to help. I'll match the first $100; let's do this."
That did *super* well; we wound up with a lot of stuff handed out, and a lot of people in need are warmer this evening because of it.
FWIW, we found three overlapping deals at Costco, so decent long underwear bottoms were $4.75, while the only easy place for the homeless to buy them locally starts at $25/piece; this hit with unusual impact, because we also have cars and Costco memberships and a credit card that gives 5% off, and so on. We found wool socks at Costco - after several discounts - as low as $1.25/pair, when the equivalent grade for the homeless is $15. Seriously; leverage.
The organized homeless camps (and almost all of the homeless shelters) also have Amazon wishlists, which enabled us to find and cover a few other needs, mostly around "keep folks warmer", with specific extra loot spent on the kids' needs.
A few lessons learned:
1. Asking for enough money to cover a single, tangible item; that got it going.
2. The item wasn't a basic basic necessity, but it's the most basic of luxuries, kind of.
3. Offering to match $100... triggered folks who could give $100 to do so.
4. If something's unusually cheap to buy in bulk, that helps convince people to give now.
5. People give like whoa when you point out there are kids sleeping outside. And there are.
6. $10 of long underwear given to someone cold often makes them cry out in joy. Seriously.
We're kinda trained that "change the world" means "be Superman and go through a huge fight and win and the entire world is saved".
That's not the way the world actually works, though; we chip away at it, and yeah, almost every little bit really does count. You'll never save the entire world, but damned if we can't each make it a better place, regardless of whatever else is going on that we don't have control of.
posted by talldean at 6:06 PM on December 23, 2016 [35 favorites]
This time?
"It's cold. A full set of long underwear is $25. People are sleeping outside tonight. If you get me money by Tuesday, I'll turn it into long underwear and have it handed to people in need by Christmas day. Even $5 helps here; any amount is going to help. I'll match the first $100; let's do this."
That did *super* well; we wound up with a lot of stuff handed out, and a lot of people in need are warmer this evening because of it.
FWIW, we found three overlapping deals at Costco, so decent long underwear bottoms were $4.75, while the only easy place for the homeless to buy them locally starts at $25/piece; this hit with unusual impact, because we also have cars and Costco memberships and a credit card that gives 5% off, and so on. We found wool socks at Costco - after several discounts - as low as $1.25/pair, when the equivalent grade for the homeless is $15. Seriously; leverage.
The organized homeless camps (and almost all of the homeless shelters) also have Amazon wishlists, which enabled us to find and cover a few other needs, mostly around "keep folks warmer", with specific extra loot spent on the kids' needs.
A few lessons learned:
1. Asking for enough money to cover a single, tangible item; that got it going.
2. The item wasn't a basic basic necessity, but it's the most basic of luxuries, kind of.
3. Offering to match $100... triggered folks who could give $100 to do so.
4. If something's unusually cheap to buy in bulk, that helps convince people to give now.
5. People give like whoa when you point out there are kids sleeping outside. And there are.
6. $10 of long underwear given to someone cold often makes them cry out in joy. Seriously.
We're kinda trained that "change the world" means "be Superman and go through a huge fight and win and the entire world is saved".
That's not the way the world actually works, though; we chip away at it, and yeah, almost every little bit really does count. You'll never save the entire world, but damned if we can't each make it a better place, regardless of whatever else is going on that we don't have control of.
posted by talldean at 6:06 PM on December 23, 2016 [35 favorites]
Called the senators on Monday, to thank both for pushing to look into Russian interference in the election, and push them to sign on to the letter asking McConnell to form an investigative committee. Weird calling Cory Gardner's office ([R], CO) to thank them, but encouraging, I guess.
Made all those calls from my in laws' house. They're Clinton-hating Republicans, but abstained from voting for president, possibly just because their sons pressured them. Survived a bear of a politics conversation that night. FIL is, in his sons' words, "sheepish about the social justice side of the equation but not enough to actually do anything about it," and MIL swallows Fox soundbites without question. Filthy rich, in the know some billionaires but not actually billionaires kinda way. So we asked for ACLU donations for Xmas this year, and got... cash, which everyone understands will go to ACLU donations. If there really is value in white people doing the touchy feely handholding of "now let us look up these facts together" and "I'm sure you didn't MEAN it that way but when I hear people complain about Obama not handling national news stories about police shooting black teenagers in a sufficiently racially neutral way or something I get deeply offended and sad for the following reasons that I hope you can also relate to" then I would officially like to send in my form for whatever shitty prizes 2016 would like to send me. I'm sure they're terrible prizes that will accidentally set my desk on fire, but by god I earned them. And now I feel terribly sad and angry and nauseous and am looking for other things to do besides donate this Christmas $ in the most pointed and effective ways I can. So thanks for this thread.
posted by deludingmyself at 9:56 PM on December 23, 2016 [8 favorites]
Made all those calls from my in laws' house. They're Clinton-hating Republicans, but abstained from voting for president, possibly just because their sons pressured them. Survived a bear of a politics conversation that night. FIL is, in his sons' words, "sheepish about the social justice side of the equation but not enough to actually do anything about it," and MIL swallows Fox soundbites without question. Filthy rich, in the know some billionaires but not actually billionaires kinda way. So we asked for ACLU donations for Xmas this year, and got... cash, which everyone understands will go to ACLU donations. If there really is value in white people doing the touchy feely handholding of "now let us look up these facts together" and "I'm sure you didn't MEAN it that way but when I hear people complain about Obama not handling national news stories about police shooting black teenagers in a sufficiently racially neutral way or something I get deeply offended and sad for the following reasons that I hope you can also relate to" then I would officially like to send in my form for whatever shitty prizes 2016 would like to send me. I'm sure they're terrible prizes that will accidentally set my desk on fire, but by god I earned them. And now I feel terribly sad and angry and nauseous and am looking for other things to do besides donate this Christmas $ in the most pointed and effective ways I can. So thanks for this thread.
posted by deludingmyself at 9:56 PM on December 23, 2016 [8 favorites]
1. The first thing I'm doing is self-care. Getting a couple of conditions treated that were causing me fatigue issues helped tremendously; one can't fight another day when one can barely get out of bed.
2. Networking with local activists, and planning on getting more involved in local protests.
posted by spinifex23 at 10:12 PM on December 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
2. Networking with local activists, and planning on getting more involved in local protests.
posted by spinifex23 at 10:12 PM on December 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm still working on my blog Cybersecurity for the Trumped. It started as a series of posts on my own blog; now all relevant posts are crossposted to a secondary blog, so that it's more readable for those who do not care about my cats. I also got an easy to remember URL redirect: cybersafer.info.
I've now written about, among other things: smartphones, Facebook, browser hardening, getting away from Google, and VPNs. Some more subjects are coming up soon.
It's a scarier world these days and that includes the internet. Please, be careful out there.
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:14 AM on December 24, 2016 [10 favorites]
I've now written about, among other things: smartphones, Facebook, browser hardening, getting away from Google, and VPNs. Some more subjects are coming up soon.
It's a scarier world these days and that includes the internet. Please, be careful out there.
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:14 AM on December 24, 2016 [10 favorites]
I'm involved in a far-left group for nurses that's part social support group and part activist project network. Our big project over the last several months has been starting a "wellness collaborative" where we offer basic screenings and referrals in conjunction with an established weekly meal for people experiencing homelessness.
The way the meal part works is, a big group--church congregation, school club, etc--brings all the food and does all the meal prep and serving. Before dinner last week, the church deaconess gave us a heads up that the group bringing the food was a wealthy congregation with two doctors among their regular volunteers, and maybe we should talk up our project to them.
Well, we did that, and now we're gonna get our whole initial batch of medical supplies covered. Now we'll be able to test blood glucose, and have a better range of dressings for wound care, and have blood pressure cuffs that stay at the church instead of bringing our own every time. It's a pretty small blow against Trumpism and our fucked up medical system, but I'm still excited to see what we can do now.
posted by ActionPopulated at 7:28 AM on December 24, 2016 [12 favorites]
The way the meal part works is, a big group--church congregation, school club, etc--brings all the food and does all the meal prep and serving. Before dinner last week, the church deaconess gave us a heads up that the group bringing the food was a wealthy congregation with two doctors among their regular volunteers, and maybe we should talk up our project to them.
Well, we did that, and now we're gonna get our whole initial batch of medical supplies covered. Now we'll be able to test blood glucose, and have a better range of dressings for wound care, and have blood pressure cuffs that stay at the church instead of bringing our own every time. It's a pretty small blow against Trumpism and our fucked up medical system, but I'm still excited to see what we can do now.
posted by ActionPopulated at 7:28 AM on December 24, 2016 [12 favorites]
I really want to start a campaign to send copies of Hiroshima to the White House once the new administration takes over (ugh ugh).
....I would be down with helping with this. Let's also throw in DVDs of Threads. (It's my understanding that Reagan was profoundly affected by The Day After when that aired, but I think Darth Cheeto will require a more concentrated dosage.)
I have been hammering this a lot, but I really do think there's a lot of good to be done in being utterly shameless about politics in your social networks right now.
....I think that this would work only if done with caution. One of the biggest things that gets on my nerves about some of my progressive friends is that they fall victim to reposting those videos that have a caption about how "so and so just DESTROYED Trump with this one tweet!" but all that happened is someone commented back to Trump. I mean, you can't say that Trump's logic got "destroyed" unless TRUMP HIMSELF admits his mistake. All that kind of stuff does is let progressives feel smug and smart, and that is part of the problem we're having. Be shameless in your politics, but be honest with yourself about the impact you're having, you know?
This is not to say that being vocal about politics won't work. I"m only saying that you should make sure that you're not mistaking preaching-to-the-choir or end-zone-dancing for "being vocal about politcs".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:55 AM on December 24, 2016 [10 favorites]
....I would be down with helping with this. Let's also throw in DVDs of Threads. (It's my understanding that Reagan was profoundly affected by The Day After when that aired, but I think Darth Cheeto will require a more concentrated dosage.)
I have been hammering this a lot, but I really do think there's a lot of good to be done in being utterly shameless about politics in your social networks right now.
....I think that this would work only if done with caution. One of the biggest things that gets on my nerves about some of my progressive friends is that they fall victim to reposting those videos that have a caption about how "so and so just DESTROYED Trump with this one tweet!" but all that happened is someone commented back to Trump. I mean, you can't say that Trump's logic got "destroyed" unless TRUMP HIMSELF admits his mistake. All that kind of stuff does is let progressives feel smug and smart, and that is part of the problem we're having. Be shameless in your politics, but be honest with yourself about the impact you're having, you know?
This is not to say that being vocal about politics won't work. I"m only saying that you should make sure that you're not mistaking preaching-to-the-choir or end-zone-dancing for "being vocal about politcs".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:55 AM on December 24, 2016 [10 favorites]
Oh, absolutely. When I say shameless, I'm thinking more... Hm. Acting as if there is nothing shameful about what I am saying or doing. Prioritizing honesty, morality, and integrity above unity or surface comfort. Being direct and speaking in good faith, and demanding that people grant you the same respect they want for themselves. Reflecting disrespect back to folks and making it clear that I've done nothing wrong here, and that if you're going to be rude to me, I'm comfortable imposing social consequences like removing myself from your presence permanently, being direct and rude back, or even just rephrasing your implications and repeating it so it is clear what those politics stand for.
I'm thinking, in short, of being shameless among people who might not agree with you, not so much the ones who already do. They're not the ones I care about so much right now, except perhaps insofar as they might be willing to help do something to enforce morality, kindness, and freedom in a threatened nation.
posted by sciatrix at 8:10 AM on December 24, 2016 [4 favorites]
I'm thinking, in short, of being shameless among people who might not agree with you, not so much the ones who already do. They're not the ones I care about so much right now, except perhaps insofar as they might be willing to help do something to enforce morality, kindness, and freedom in a threatened nation.
posted by sciatrix at 8:10 AM on December 24, 2016 [4 favorites]
So this comment in the other thread made me think: would it be helpful, those of you pushing back on conservatives, to have specifically progressive media or writing to point folks to that doesn't just avoid negative buzzwords and kneejerk triggers, but actually presses hard on positive ones?
I was thinking about Utah Phillips here, in the context of Trump supporters who are angry because they are disenfranchised and feel economically marginalized: sure, we here that, working-class white men; here's an old, bearded white man who came from a working-class background and put his life into making things better for people like you singing about that fight and talking about how to advocate for your best interests. You care about those things? Us too.
Or if you're talking to Christians who are driven by concern for Christian values; well, then, perhaps there the best folk to point them at is people like Reverend Barber, who are pointing out that kindness is a Christian value and so is charity, and.... hm, the folks who are supporting Donald Trump, they look an awful lot like Pharisees. Maybe you try and connect them to some of the rhetoric about what it means to be Christian, and what the faith ought to stand for.
Or if you're worrying about people who are military and old-time Republicans, like many of my extended family members, maybe you lean hard on patriotism. Maybe you (like President Obama) snap that "Reagan would be rolling in his damn grave", or maybe you point people at work about resisting Russian influence and stoking American sovereignty in your own nation. Maybe you make dry comments about the Cold War and the deaths of soldiers under a man who will throw their lives away like water, and maybe you push hard on Democratic values about healthcare as a way of taking care of our veterans.
What tactics do you use? Conservative people aren't a monolith any more than we are. But there's certain things that many people who lean conservative care about, and if you know a person well enough to work out what's driving them, you can
(Hey, corb, maybe in concert with your list of sources?)
posted by sciatrix at 10:05 AM on December 24, 2016 [4 favorites]
I was thinking about Utah Phillips here, in the context of Trump supporters who are angry because they are disenfranchised and feel economically marginalized: sure, we here that, working-class white men; here's an old, bearded white man who came from a working-class background and put his life into making things better for people like you singing about that fight and talking about how to advocate for your best interests. You care about those things? Us too.
Or if you're talking to Christians who are driven by concern for Christian values; well, then, perhaps there the best folk to point them at is people like Reverend Barber, who are pointing out that kindness is a Christian value and so is charity, and.... hm, the folks who are supporting Donald Trump, they look an awful lot like Pharisees. Maybe you try and connect them to some of the rhetoric about what it means to be Christian, and what the faith ought to stand for.
Or if you're worrying about people who are military and old-time Republicans, like many of my extended family members, maybe you lean hard on patriotism. Maybe you (like President Obama) snap that "Reagan would be rolling in his damn grave", or maybe you point people at work about resisting Russian influence and stoking American sovereignty in your own nation. Maybe you make dry comments about the Cold War and the deaths of soldiers under a man who will throw their lives away like water, and maybe you push hard on Democratic values about healthcare as a way of taking care of our veterans.
What tactics do you use? Conservative people aren't a monolith any more than we are. But there's certain things that many people who lean conservative care about, and if you know a person well enough to work out what's driving them, you can
(Hey, corb, maybe in concert with your list of sources?)
posted by sciatrix at 10:05 AM on December 24, 2016 [4 favorites]
Rockette update:
We received your email regarding the participation of the Radio City Rockettes in the upcoming presidential inauguration.
The Radio City Rockettes, one of the most celebrated and enduring American brands, have performed at Radio City Music Hall since 1925. As treasured national icons, the Rockettes have taken part in some of the nation’s most defining and uniquely “American” events - such as Super Bowl halftime shows, the Rockefeller Center tree lighting celebration, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades and presidential inaugurations, including in 2001 and 2005.
We are honored that the Rockettes have again been asked to perform in the upcoming inauguration festivities, which represent not only the president, but the entire country. Please be assured -- it is always a Radio City Rockettes choice to perform in a particular event and they are never forced to perform in any event, including the inaugural. For a Rockette to be considered for an event, they must voluntarily sign up. In fact, for this coming inauguration, we were oversubscribed, with more Rockettes’ requesting to participate than we have slots available.
We are sorry you don't agree with who the country selected to be the next president, but we will be proudly watching our world-famous Radio City Rockettes at this historic event, as they continue their tradition of celebrating the very best of America.
Sincerely,
Joe Picco
The
posted by janey47 at 11:04 AM on December 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
We received your email regarding the participation of the Radio City Rockettes in the upcoming presidential inauguration.
The Radio City Rockettes, one of the most celebrated and enduring American brands, have performed at Radio City Music Hall since 1925. As treasured national icons, the Rockettes have taken part in some of the nation’s most defining and uniquely “American” events - such as Super Bowl halftime shows, the Rockefeller Center tree lighting celebration, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades and presidential inaugurations, including in 2001 and 2005.
We are honored that the Rockettes have again been asked to perform in the upcoming inauguration festivities, which represent not only the president, but the entire country. Please be assured -- it is always a Radio City Rockettes choice to perform in a particular event and they are never forced to perform in any event, including the inaugural. For a Rockette to be considered for an event, they must voluntarily sign up. In fact, for this coming inauguration, we were oversubscribed, with more Rockettes’ requesting to participate than we have slots available.
We are sorry you don't agree with who the country selected to be the next president, but we will be proudly watching our world-famous Radio City Rockettes at this historic event, as they continue their tradition of celebrating the very best of America.
Sincerely,
Joe Picco
The
posted by janey47 at 11:04 AM on December 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
We are sorry you don't agree with who the country selected to be the next president
Oooooo I sense a little sass, Rockettes!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:27 PM on December 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oooooo I sense a little sass, Rockettes!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:27 PM on December 24, 2016 [1 favorite]
Although I live in an incredibly blue part of America, our jerkass governor has just cut money to programs such as:
Drug treatment and aids prevention
Hospice for terminally ill children
and
80% of the budget of The Cambridge Backpack Program which puts a Friday food package into the backpacks of food-insecure schoolchildren.
So I gave them money and if you want to, you can do so here.
posted by Hypatia at 3:43 PM on December 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
Drug treatment and aids prevention
Hospice for terminally ill children
and
80% of the budget of The Cambridge Backpack Program which puts a Friday food package into the backpacks of food-insecure schoolchildren.
So I gave them money and if you want to, you can do so here.
posted by Hypatia at 3:43 PM on December 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
I am finding this difficult, because we aren't in a position to throw tons of money at the problem.
What I have been doing is educating people on the Nazi problem, that is, my husband's great-Uncle, who was a famous French actor, was arrested, and then found to be a Jew, and exterminated. You can see his Wikipedia article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Monteux
There was also another brother and his wife, who were rounded up and killed.
From what I know, my husband's grandfather, Pierre Monteux, actually performed for the Nazi's once, as a friend of his asked him to fill in, and he was highly criticized for this, but he responded that he was doing it for his friend. Then he took a job in the US, and later, frantically tried to get his siblings to safety, to no avail. His favorite brother was arrested, we think due to being an artist, and later discovered as a Jew, then, killed.
So in looking at the general environment here, we have a person who is angry at an actor, Alec Baldwin, for parodying him. I think Baldwin is guaranteed a job for the next 4 years, but it brings to mind Cabaret, where Sally Bowes dances for the Nazi's, and her beau looks on in horror.
I have some personal writing projects that I am working on, but my thoughts go out to those who are marginalized, because they are the people who will be most affected by this new administration. I'll just be here, plugging along, poor as shit, but free.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:26 PM on December 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
What I have been doing is educating people on the Nazi problem, that is, my husband's great-Uncle, who was a famous French actor, was arrested, and then found to be a Jew, and exterminated. You can see his Wikipedia article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Monteux
There was also another brother and his wife, who were rounded up and killed.
From what I know, my husband's grandfather, Pierre Monteux, actually performed for the Nazi's once, as a friend of his asked him to fill in, and he was highly criticized for this, but he responded that he was doing it for his friend. Then he took a job in the US, and later, frantically tried to get his siblings to safety, to no avail. His favorite brother was arrested, we think due to being an artist, and later discovered as a Jew, then, killed.
So in looking at the general environment here, we have a person who is angry at an actor, Alec Baldwin, for parodying him. I think Baldwin is guaranteed a job for the next 4 years, but it brings to mind Cabaret, where Sally Bowes dances for the Nazi's, and her beau looks on in horror.
I have some personal writing projects that I am working on, but my thoughts go out to those who are marginalized, because they are the people who will be most affected by this new administration. I'll just be here, plugging along, poor as shit, but free.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:26 PM on December 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
This is a good thread.
I've been avoiding MeFi, kinda, for a while because… before the election, I was getting so angry that I was losing, like, five hour chunks to the election threads, and now after the election, they just depress the shit out of me.
I've been reading a lot. When I was in undergrad, I had a class called Modern Democratic Theory, and the main book we used was called Democracy and Difference, largely about the challenges inherent in pluralistic, liberal democracy. How to deal with nihilist attack, majoritarianism, how to construct a vision of a just and functional democracy… It's pretty good, even if it is all based on a symposium that Yale held in 1993.
I've been reading a lot about the rise of Nationalism in Europe, both the liberal nationalism (e.g. the creation of "Italy") and illiberal (Mussolini). With the return to protectionist rhetoric, the blood and iron, international terrorism — I keep feeling like the last time this happened globally, it turned into WWI.
I've also been reading a lot of Baudrillard. "Post-fact" is congruent with hyperreal. Baudrillard says that the only way out for us is science fiction, which at least gives me a reason to feel like reading Dick is activism.
I've joined three committees on neighborhood council (planning, transportation, outreach). One of my beliefs is that the crazies have driven the reasonable people out of much of local government, leaving the spittle-flecked seethers with quorum, so I'm trying to get engaged with fixing local problems through local organizing, and hopefully can help get other people involved too. (It's kind of wild how generational the neighborhood council is right now, between a wave of people whose median age is 60 or so and have been on the council for about 30 years… to the new crop of 30-somethings who are just joining because of this election.)
I'm also trying to be an unofficial troll-eater on Facebook, where my friends who aren't straight white dudes, and who deal with this shit plenty already, can just let me do the work of caring for their sealions and JAQers. I only block people for spamming, type quickly, and have a pretty thick skin from doing canvassing for LGBT stuff. At the very least it lets me blow off steam by wearing them out. So if any of you have an indignant uncle who needs to stop dropping his hot takes on privilege on your page, feel free to send them my way. That way you don't have to see it, and they won't mention it to you for a while.
posted by klangklangston at 10:11 PM on December 24, 2016 [13 favorites]
I've been avoiding MeFi, kinda, for a while because… before the election, I was getting so angry that I was losing, like, five hour chunks to the election threads, and now after the election, they just depress the shit out of me.
I've been reading a lot. When I was in undergrad, I had a class called Modern Democratic Theory, and the main book we used was called Democracy and Difference, largely about the challenges inherent in pluralistic, liberal democracy. How to deal with nihilist attack, majoritarianism, how to construct a vision of a just and functional democracy… It's pretty good, even if it is all based on a symposium that Yale held in 1993.
I've been reading a lot about the rise of Nationalism in Europe, both the liberal nationalism (e.g. the creation of "Italy") and illiberal (Mussolini). With the return to protectionist rhetoric, the blood and iron, international terrorism — I keep feeling like the last time this happened globally, it turned into WWI.
I've also been reading a lot of Baudrillard. "Post-fact" is congruent with hyperreal. Baudrillard says that the only way out for us is science fiction, which at least gives me a reason to feel like reading Dick is activism.
I've joined three committees on neighborhood council (planning, transportation, outreach). One of my beliefs is that the crazies have driven the reasonable people out of much of local government, leaving the spittle-flecked seethers with quorum, so I'm trying to get engaged with fixing local problems through local organizing, and hopefully can help get other people involved too. (It's kind of wild how generational the neighborhood council is right now, between a wave of people whose median age is 60 or so and have been on the council for about 30 years… to the new crop of 30-somethings who are just joining because of this election.)
I'm also trying to be an unofficial troll-eater on Facebook, where my friends who aren't straight white dudes, and who deal with this shit plenty already, can just let me do the work of caring for their sealions and JAQers. I only block people for spamming, type quickly, and have a pretty thick skin from doing canvassing for LGBT stuff. At the very least it lets me blow off steam by wearing them out. So if any of you have an indignant uncle who needs to stop dropping his hot takes on privilege on your page, feel free to send them my way. That way you don't have to see it, and they won't mention it to you for a while.
posted by klangklangston at 10:11 PM on December 24, 2016 [13 favorites]
Because of health and finances, I'm not in a position to be overt and active in my resistance. And there's only so much I can take of news and politics before I go stark raving livid. So I spend most of my efforts on self-care and personal support of those who can be overt and active.
My best friend has become well-known on all of our local news media Facebook pages. He's one of very few liberals who frequent the comments sections, and is fearless in his efforts. He's even been asked, behind the scenes, if he'd consider running for public office. I get to be his sounding board, to offer other viewpoints (especially of the female, non-heterosexual, pagan, homeless, disabled varieties), and to spend time he doesn't necessarily have doing research and fact-finding for him.
I also managed to convince him to go see his doctor about some health problems he's been having. And I'm encouraging his self-care. He's making baby steps.
I had an appointment with my therapist shortly after the election, and my anxiety regarding the next four years was one topic that came up. One idea that was batted about was focusing on something that would keep my mind off the worry and fear, and also have a tangible result. So, with some help from my mother, I've got a slew of arts/crafts projects in the works:
* A lap quilt with English paper pieced hexies
* A knitted scarf
* A basket woven from newspapers
* Tissue paper flowers to go on my bedroom walls (I HATE the walls, but can't do anything permanent to them to cover them up.)
* Other wall coverings: book page dahlias, toilet paper tube wall art, pages from multiple adult coloring books
I'm also trying to watch less Netflix, replacing it with Pandora and good books. And when I do Netflix, I'm working on less crime and horror and scary, and more fun and positive and productive.
And last but not least, I'm doing everything I can to improve my personal physical and mental health. Exercise, meditation, drug compliance, requesting referrals to the specialists I need, doing my own research on symptoms and causes and interactions and complimentary medicine, taking vitamins, and sleeping whenever I get tired. The biggest part: working hard at letting go of being able to do it all.
posted by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 3:27 AM on December 25, 2016 [6 favorites]
My best friend has become well-known on all of our local news media Facebook pages. He's one of very few liberals who frequent the comments sections, and is fearless in his efforts. He's even been asked, behind the scenes, if he'd consider running for public office. I get to be his sounding board, to offer other viewpoints (especially of the female, non-heterosexual, pagan, homeless, disabled varieties), and to spend time he doesn't necessarily have doing research and fact-finding for him.
I also managed to convince him to go see his doctor about some health problems he's been having. And I'm encouraging his self-care. He's making baby steps.
I had an appointment with my therapist shortly after the election, and my anxiety regarding the next four years was one topic that came up. One idea that was batted about was focusing on something that would keep my mind off the worry and fear, and also have a tangible result. So, with some help from my mother, I've got a slew of arts/crafts projects in the works:
* A lap quilt with English paper pieced hexies
* A knitted scarf
* A basket woven from newspapers
* Tissue paper flowers to go on my bedroom walls (I HATE the walls, but can't do anything permanent to them to cover them up.)
* Other wall coverings: book page dahlias, toilet paper tube wall art, pages from multiple adult coloring books
I'm also trying to watch less Netflix, replacing it with Pandora and good books. And when I do Netflix, I'm working on less crime and horror and scary, and more fun and positive and productive.
And last but not least, I'm doing everything I can to improve my personal physical and mental health. Exercise, meditation, drug compliance, requesting referrals to the specialists I need, doing my own research on symptoms and causes and interactions and complimentary medicine, taking vitamins, and sleeping whenever I get tired. The biggest part: working hard at letting go of being able to do it all.
posted by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 3:27 AM on December 25, 2016 [6 favorites]
I've gotten involved with the east bay SURJ contingent. I've helped coordinate our first effort at deep canvassing, going door to door to talk to white people about race. The first experimental excursion went quite well: We had 17 participants, and talked to 84 people in about two hours of door knocking. We learned a lot, and will do some redesign and go out for another round early next year.
The east bay surj chapter had over 300 people show up for the december new member meeting, and already have a larger number signed up for january. We're hoping to get the deep canvass operations well-honed, and then start plugging the firehose of new volunteers in. Our challenges in the short term are scaling up sustainably, and getting new members involved in useful ways. I think we've got some great structures for getting people really signed on to the organization, based around one-on-one conversations with new members to create a kind of mutual responsibility for the organization. It's high touch, and probably needs some modification to scale up going forward, but has been super effective.
posted by kaibutsu at 10:43 AM on December 25, 2016 [3 favorites]
The east bay surj chapter had over 300 people show up for the december new member meeting, and already have a larger number signed up for january. We're hoping to get the deep canvass operations well-honed, and then start plugging the firehose of new volunteers in. Our challenges in the short term are scaling up sustainably, and getting new members involved in useful ways. I think we've got some great structures for getting people really signed on to the organization, based around one-on-one conversations with new members to create a kind of mutual responsibility for the organization. It's high touch, and probably needs some modification to scale up going forward, but has been super effective.
posted by kaibutsu at 10:43 AM on December 25, 2016 [3 favorites]
I became a card carrying member of my local conservative party so that i can make sure that the winner of our upcoming party leadership is as centrist as possible and does not support a "unite the right" option.
posted by furtive at 5:53 PM on December 25, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by furtive at 5:53 PM on December 25, 2016 [5 favorites]
This week, I signed up for the training to be a Crisis Counselor. I've done it before, and decided I should start again because more people will be in crisis than ever before.
Starting Jan 1st, I plan to start attending local government meetings.
posted by greermahoney at 9:08 PM on December 25, 2016 [3 favorites]
Starting Jan 1st, I plan to start attending local government meetings.
posted by greermahoney at 9:08 PM on December 25, 2016 [3 favorites]
I was thinking about Utah Phillips here,
Ooh, I've been listening to him all week!
posted by greermahoney at 9:15 PM on December 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Ooh, I've been listening to him all week!
posted by greermahoney at 9:15 PM on December 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
I signed up to be a literacy and ESL tutor though my library, thinking that would help make immigrants feel more welcome in my community. I did the training last week and have my first lesson with my student tonight! I'm quite nervous but she sounds very nice and keen to learn so I think it will be good.
Carolr - I've been doing that for 2 years now and I find it very rewarding! Be compassionate with mistakes and you will do great! That's the only hard and fast rule I have.
posted by greermahoney at 9:26 PM on December 25, 2016 [3 favorites]
I've set up a recurring donation to the National Immigration Law Center. I'm watching this issue particularly closely, as it will affect my students and their families.
There are some local protests/meetups where I'll see what local folks are doing.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:05 AM on December 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
There are some local protests/meetups where I'll see what local folks are doing.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:05 AM on December 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also, my church (The Episcopal Church) will be involved in efforts to help those affected by the coming horror. I'm not sure how that'll work out, but I'll let LA MeFites know what I find out.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:16 AM on December 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by persona au gratin at 12:16 AM on December 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Today I am cheering on folks in my local Texan activist group who are brainstorming things to do in their own local communities, talking about their plans for the new year, and thinking about how to best network with local Hispanic and rural populations in order to talk about liberal policies that benefit those communities. I have also helped someone who wanted to find a local group by discovering this list of nationwide local groups organizing to create change in their communities, and upon realizing that none of the dozen Texan statewide and local activism groups I can think of were listed, I brought the site to the attention of the community mods. And I've participated in a conversation designed to help folks within Texas locate the local group working to enact change which is closest to their own home, in addition to the statewide group, and make identification of those groups easy to find while maintaining secret status for the main group and its organizers.
That was my morning. I'm going to go make soup out of my Christmas leftovers now.
posted by sciatrix at 9:56 AM on December 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
That was my morning. I'm going to go make soup out of my Christmas leftovers now.
posted by sciatrix at 9:56 AM on December 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
I have been doing a series on my blog to counteract racism. There have been a few things like this online, but I've never found one that fits this particularly perspective: how to identify racism, the different kinds of racism and how to guard yourself against prejudging (the latter one is still to be written.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:16 PM on December 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:16 PM on December 26, 2016 [5 favorites]
The Almighty Mommy Goddess: “[W]hen I do Netflix, I'm working on less crime and horror and scary, and more fun and positive and productive. ”I can't speak to much, but I can address something in this space: I lost heart to watch much "topical" television in the last six weeks. I have now cancelled my Hulu in favor of YouTube Red. There's a ton of well produced, friendly, comfortable content on YouTube, like Food Wishes, the Jas. Townsend and Son 18th century cooking series, or This Old Tony and his machining projects, among many others.
posted by ob1quixote at 2:27 PM on December 26, 2016 [3 favorites]
I give, but not yet enough. I am a small tributary unto my issues, and hopefully will make myself into a river.
I read, but not yet enough. Defying Hitler, the “rise” segment of The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich, The Power of the Powerless, Nothing is Real and Everything is Possible. Eventually The Origins of Totalitarianism, It Can’t Happen Here, and perhaps a history of reconstruction. More on the eventual failures of democracies.
I call my representatives, as one does.
I’m uncertain what I am preparing for, uncertain of what will happen. But I should go to the gym more often.
posted by Going To Maine at 8:42 AM on December 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
I read, but not yet enough. Defying Hitler, the “rise” segment of The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich, The Power of the Powerless, Nothing is Real and Everything is Possible. Eventually The Origins of Totalitarianism, It Can’t Happen Here, and perhaps a history of reconstruction. More on the eventual failures of democracies.
I call my representatives, as one does.
I’m uncertain what I am preparing for, uncertain of what will happen. But I should go to the gym more often.
posted by Going To Maine at 8:42 AM on December 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
Update to my previous comment on looking up facts and challenging assumptions with in laws (or other people you can't / don't want to cut out of your life):
For the love of god, don't be me and remember to clear your search history, etc. Otherwise suddenly you're back at work showing something to your boss and realizing that the in-browser search bar still says "murder rates by race," and you will want to crawl into a hole and die all over again.
posted by deludingmyself at 10:38 AM on December 28, 2016 [4 favorites]
For the love of god, don't be me and remember to clear your search history, etc. Otherwise suddenly you're back at work showing something to your boss and realizing that the in-browser search bar still says "murder rates by race," and you will want to crawl into a hole and die all over again.
posted by deludingmyself at 10:38 AM on December 28, 2016 [4 favorites]
I'm kind of done with politics (frustrated with everybody all along the spectrum) and planning to work through church and community organizations to do tangible things to help the most vulnerable people in my community. This week I set up a monthly donation to my rector's discretionary fund in addition to my monthly pledge...he uses the proceeds from the plate offering once a month for emergency requests from the general community (help with electric bills, rent, etc.), and the amount received has been a bit low as of late.
I'm also thinking about gradually shifting from editing to teaching remedial writing and ESL to adults to teach at a local community college, even though at one time I said I'd never teach again. It's not about the money, although even a little money always helps. The need is just too great.
I've also started carrying cash (which I don't normally do) in case someone asks me on the street for help. I'd rather get taken in by an occasional scammer than turn away from someone who really needs a hot meal or bus fare. In my religion, goats quibble over who is truly needy. Sheep don't.
posted by tully_monster at 11:36 AM on December 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'm also thinking about gradually shifting from editing to teaching remedial writing and ESL to adults to teach at a local community college, even though at one time I said I'd never teach again. It's not about the money, although even a little money always helps. The need is just too great.
I've also started carrying cash (which I don't normally do) in case someone asks me on the street for help. I'd rather get taken in by an occasional scammer than turn away from someone who really needs a hot meal or bus fare. In my religion, goats quibble over who is truly needy. Sheep don't.
posted by tully_monster at 11:36 AM on December 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
Today I did the scary thing and followed up on a bunch of emails that have gone hiding because I got too overwhelmed by everything to actually answer them, including the diversity panel I am supposed to be helping moderate in my local community. I reached out to folks who have been kind enough to reach out to me, which is always scarier for me than reaching out to people who want something out of me or need something. I made some scheduling plans and cleaned out my inbox.
I confirmed that I have the time off with my employers to go to the Washington march, badgered my partner into confirming their time off, abruptly realized that November's combination of unexpected vet bills and car expenses followed by the holidays have left us completely fucked, cashflow-wise, and with a massive amount of anxiety and shame put up a gofundme to help us actually get to Washington. (We'd take the bus, but special snowflake reasons involving my partner's work situation and my desire to spend some time reaching out to and shoving my grandmother on politics grounds have left us kind of needing to fly up on a slightly different timeline. Fuck.) Also, I have done some budgeting in the hopes of helping us reduce the debt from this expense and let us recover from it, on the assumption that we're just going to eat the cost of our flights on a credit card for the most part.
I have kept up with letting my sister know what is happening politically and helping her inform herself, because she asked me to do that, and I'm slowly giving her access to the kind of context that has me so scared. I am reminding myself and others that there have been victories this year, too, and that allowing ourselves to pause and celebrate the progress that is being made before throwing our shoulder to the wheel is an important part of invigorating activism. And I am trying to eat and take care of myself so I have the energy I need to hit the ground running in the new year.
posted by sciatrix at 7:41 PM on December 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
I confirmed that I have the time off with my employers to go to the Washington march, badgered my partner into confirming their time off, abruptly realized that November's combination of unexpected vet bills and car expenses followed by the holidays have left us completely fucked, cashflow-wise, and with a massive amount of anxiety and shame put up a gofundme to help us actually get to Washington. (We'd take the bus, but special snowflake reasons involving my partner's work situation and my desire to spend some time reaching out to and shoving my grandmother on politics grounds have left us kind of needing to fly up on a slightly different timeline. Fuck.) Also, I have done some budgeting in the hopes of helping us reduce the debt from this expense and let us recover from it, on the assumption that we're just going to eat the cost of our flights on a credit card for the most part.
I have kept up with letting my sister know what is happening politically and helping her inform herself, because she asked me to do that, and I'm slowly giving her access to the kind of context that has me so scared. I am reminding myself and others that there have been victories this year, too, and that allowing ourselves to pause and celebrate the progress that is being made before throwing our shoulder to the wheel is an important part of invigorating activism. And I am trying to eat and take care of myself so I have the energy I need to hit the ground running in the new year.
posted by sciatrix at 7:41 PM on December 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
Spent the morning emailing companies that advertise on Breitfart. Emailed Simon and Schuster as well.
posted by tofu_crouton at 8:04 AM on December 30, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by tofu_crouton at 8:04 AM on December 30, 2016 [3 favorites]
Donated half my income to charity. PP, National Lawyers Guild, Trans Lifeline, local homeless charity. The object being to deny Trump's federal government that money, and to help the people he will hurt.
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:21 PM on December 30, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Pallas Athena at 1:21 PM on December 30, 2016 [7 favorites]
Hey everybody looking to tke action, maybe find your Representative and leave them a message objecting to THIS?
Before they vote on it this afternoon?
posted by OnceUponATime at 3:35 AM on January 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
Before they vote on it this afternoon?
posted by OnceUponATime at 3:35 AM on January 3, 2017 [1 favorite]
Called all three reps whose districts are included in my zip code; casually did not actually give my street address to the two who are not technically my reps any more. (Hilariously, the one lone Dem is the only person whose staffer asked. I suspect he gets a bunch of people like 2013-era me who are scared, need to reach out to a House rep for something, and aren't actually represented by him specifically (confusingly enough) but feel like he is the only one of several reps in their zip code who might listen.) Anyway, I encouraged/threatened all three of them to stand against these rules, and asked the staffer for my actual rep to take care of herself and pass on my thanks to him, because he's the only one I trust out of the whole sorry lot of people who theoretically represent me. (Well. One of my state reps isn't too bad.)
Also had a polite and empathetic conversation with a lady I don't actually know who came onto my Facebook to argue that all of this calling your officials is a waste of time, and why are you tiring yourself out? about why I think that calling reps is worth it even if they are amoral slimeballs who don't personally care, and a somewhat more blunt and eyerolly conversation with another lady I don't know who came onto my Facebook to tell me that we don't need ethics committees like this one; the Patriot Act, FBI, NSA, and DoJ do that! (Ahahahaha. no.)
posted by sciatrix at 6:29 AM on January 3, 2017 [3 favorites]
Also had a polite and empathetic conversation with a lady I don't actually know who came onto my Facebook to argue that all of this calling your officials is a waste of time, and why are you tiring yourself out? about why I think that calling reps is worth it even if they are amoral slimeballs who don't personally care, and a somewhat more blunt and eyerolly conversation with another lady I don't know who came onto my Facebook to tell me that we don't need ethics committees like this one; the Patriot Act, FBI, NSA, and DoJ do that! (Ahahahaha. no.)
posted by sciatrix at 6:29 AM on January 3, 2017 [3 favorites]
Today, in addition to calling my Representative about the Ethics Committee insanity, I joined Tuesdays with Toomey, a group that meets at Toomey's Philadelphia office to call on him to listen to his constituents and truly address the needs of all Pennsylvanians. Each week they (we!) pick a topic to focus on. This week it was the environment including asking Toomey to oppose Pruitt for the EPA. We haven't yet gotten a meeting with Toomey. But we have gotten press coverage and this week staffers locked us out of the office and disconnected the phones. So we are making it harder for him to do terrible things.
Up until now, my political involvement consisted of voting and having opinions. That has changed. I'm hoping that I'm not the only one.
posted by mcduff at 1:29 PM on January 3, 2017 [6 favorites]
Up until now, my political involvement consisted of voting and having opinions. That has changed. I'm hoping that I'm not the only one.
posted by mcduff at 1:29 PM on January 3, 2017 [6 favorites]
I like the Tuesdays with Toomey idea. I'm going to chew on that a bit and think about how we can do something similar.
I'm starting a social justice reading group for my neighborhood. It's a primarily white and high-middle class neighborhood. I waver back and forth on how effective I think this is as an action, but ultimately it's one I KNOW I can do. After the election, several people in my neighborhood wanted to band together with like-minded individuals but no one really had a good organizing idea. I figure this eases us into it by introducing us to one another and forming yet another affinity group that could be spun into action later.
posted by tofu_crouton at 6:46 AM on January 6, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm starting a social justice reading group for my neighborhood. It's a primarily white and high-middle class neighborhood. I waver back and forth on how effective I think this is as an action, but ultimately it's one I KNOW I can do. After the election, several people in my neighborhood wanted to band together with like-minded individuals but no one really had a good organizing idea. I figure this eases us into it by introducing us to one another and forming yet another affinity group that could be spun into action later.
posted by tofu_crouton at 6:46 AM on January 6, 2017 [3 favorites]
tofu_crouton It looks to me like Tuesdays with Toomey has the potential to be an effective obstructionist voice and a good model for other cities. One thing I like about it is that it is relatively low effort for a high impact. I've only been to one Tuesday and don't really know the organizers yet, but let me know if I can help out with introductions.
posted by mcduff at 8:39 AM on January 6, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by mcduff at 8:39 AM on January 6, 2017 [2 favorites]
Going to Sanctuary in the Streets training this weekend, along with a number of my radical nurse friends. Hundreds of people signed up for this event, enough that the organizers had to create a second training day for the extra people.
posted by ActionPopulated at 10:41 AM on January 6, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by ActionPopulated at 10:41 AM on January 6, 2017 [3 favorites]
If you are in the tech community in a major city you might wish to look up @techsolidarity on Twitter
posted by Going To Maine at 12:00 PM on January 6, 2017
posted by Going To Maine at 12:00 PM on January 6, 2017
(Or maybe even a not major city)
posted by Going To Maine at 12:01 PM on January 6, 2017
posted by Going To Maine at 12:01 PM on January 6, 2017
Hey, for those of you in Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's office is currently polling public opinion on SB6, the latest and hatest so-called "bathroom bill" targeting trans women.
Patrick's office: 512-463-0001
Call to oppose the ongoing trainwreck. Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington are also currently aiming to pass anti-trans laws.
posted by byanyothername at 7:40 PM on January 6, 2017 [2 favorites]
Patrick's office: 512-463-0001
Call to oppose the ongoing trainwreck. Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington are also currently aiming to pass anti-trans laws.
posted by byanyothername at 7:40 PM on January 6, 2017 [2 favorites]
Thanks, byanyothername. I've contacted my state senator about SB6 and several other anti queer bills and he says he's strongly opposed (publicly as well as on Twitter and Facebook), but I haven't yet contacted the Lt Governor. Today's goal.
posted by sciatrix at 3:31 AM on January 7, 2017
posted by sciatrix at 3:31 AM on January 7, 2017
And called and left a message strongly opposing said bill.
By the way, has anyone used Countable before? It's an app that makes it really easy to monitor legislation currently pending, comment on bills so other Countable users can see, and (most importantly) call your reps about those bills, email them, or send them video messages opposing or supporting specific legislation. It also shows you how your reps vote once bills are voted on. You can even share your profile with folks or follow them if you want to get a sense for what your friends think. Here's mine.
My useful thing for today, aside from calling about SB6 and running out for pink yarn, was setting mine up and checking off the interests in government that I care most about so that I can start getting in the habit of staying informed and paying close attention to my reps. I like my house rep, who is my single best argument against Cruz' current crusade for term limits, but I also like building habits so they're there when I need them.
posted by sciatrix at 6:55 AM on January 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
By the way, has anyone used Countable before? It's an app that makes it really easy to monitor legislation currently pending, comment on bills so other Countable users can see, and (most importantly) call your reps about those bills, email them, or send them video messages opposing or supporting specific legislation. It also shows you how your reps vote once bills are voted on. You can even share your profile with folks or follow them if you want to get a sense for what your friends think. Here's mine.
My useful thing for today, aside from calling about SB6 and running out for pink yarn, was setting mine up and checking off the interests in government that I care most about so that I can start getting in the habit of staying informed and paying close attention to my reps. I like my house rep, who is my single best argument against Cruz' current crusade for term limits, but I also like building habits so they're there when I need them.
posted by sciatrix at 6:55 AM on January 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Don't worry about Washington - that is a bill that doesn't have the votes to pass, at least not unless Democrats turn, and they seem very unlikely to. The filing of the bill is legislators trying to "fulfill a campaign promise" at a time they know their votes are meaningless.
posted by corb at 8:00 AM on January 7, 2017
posted by corb at 8:00 AM on January 7, 2017
Which bill? SB6 is a state bill in Texas, not in Washington, and I am given North Carolina's success not about to let it go unchallenged. Or do you mean Cruz' term limits thing? Because that is good ish news except that that one is the only piece of legislation out of his mouth I have ever seen Dems support.
posted by sciatrix at 8:15 AM on January 7, 2017
posted by sciatrix at 8:15 AM on January 7, 2017
Sorry, WA HB1011, it's in the article byanyothername posted. It's the third bill they've tried, and for bills 1 and 2 they controlled more of the legislature than they do now, so I think it'll probably fall flaming just like the last two.
posted by corb at 8:23 AM on January 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by corb at 8:23 AM on January 7, 2017 [1 favorite]
Ohhh you meant Washington state. Okay, that makes more sense. Ugh, though, the Texas one is not show legislation as far as I can tell...
posted by sciatrix at 8:24 AM on January 7, 2017
posted by sciatrix at 8:24 AM on January 7, 2017
I've added myself to Trump opposition mailing lists. I've also started blogging more openly about politics on my social media and am making plans to protest the inauguration in January.
It's had...mixed results. I've lost a few followers as a result of blogging about politics, which I feel guilty about, but it's the only way I can really speak out where I am and I've tried my best to set rules around it (no calling out or dogpiling other users, trying my best to avoid fake news).
posted by thedarksideofprocyon at 1:32 PM on January 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
It's had...mixed results. I've lost a few followers as a result of blogging about politics, which I feel guilty about, but it's the only way I can really speak out where I am and I've tried my best to set rules around it (no calling out or dogpiling other users, trying my best to avoid fake news).
posted by thedarksideofprocyon at 1:32 PM on January 7, 2017 [2 favorites]
Rather than engaging in predictable, well-trod tit-for-tat political arguments about issues like gun violence (whether in person or on social media), I'm trying to take Rev. Barber's advice and using the language of morality. A friend who is generally very shy about discussing politics recently posted on FB about her sorrow at the Ft. Lauderdale shooting, and pledged to work for much stricter gun control laws. A mutual acquaintance immediately jumped on the comment saying guns are not the problem, suddenly very concerned about mental health services, blah blah bullshit blah. Instead of engaging with the same tired bullshit arguments, I just posted the following:
I'm with you, [xxx]. Thank you. I am ashamed of our willful blindness about the harm done by instruments of mass murder. Children in classrooms; worshippers in church; families traveling home to visit loved ones. It is a moral issue, and it's unconscionable to turn a blind eye.
posted by duffell at 6:52 PM on January 7, 2017 [7 favorites]
I'm with you, [xxx]. Thank you. I am ashamed of our willful blindness about the harm done by instruments of mass murder. Children in classrooms; worshippers in church; families traveling home to visit loved ones. It is a moral issue, and it's unconscionable to turn a blind eye.
posted by duffell at 6:52 PM on January 7, 2017 [7 favorites]
Another thing I'm doing: reading about the art/graphics created by Gran Fury/ACT UP and using them as inspiration to make similar images. Who knows if it will have an impact, but I might as well use the tools and skills from my career as a graphic designer for something beyond just making large companies larger.
posted by mcduff at 12:29 PM on January 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by mcduff at 12:29 PM on January 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
I have started calling my members of Congress. My family increased our donations. I went to one protest and plan on two more. I am starting to get more active in the Sierra Club. And am thinking about running for my state House of Representatives.
posted by maurreen at 6:55 PM on January 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by maurreen at 6:55 PM on January 8, 2017 [4 favorites]
mcduff: I'd be interested in putting my design skills to work like that too, maybe a bunch of us could build up a site of print-ready posters and signs, graffiti stencils, screen print designs for shirts, etc? I'd bet there are other mefites who'd contribute too.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:08 PM on January 8, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 7:08 PM on January 8, 2017 [2 favorites]
jason_steakums: Sounds interesting. What's the first step?
posted by mcduff at 8:08 AM on January 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mcduff at 8:08 AM on January 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
* Called all committee leads about the upcoming nominations
* Bought a box of 'thank you' cards and mailed off my first two, to the mayor and the sheriff for committing to making our city a sanctuary city. Will try to make a habit of sending them out to politicians who are taking stands against the tide.
posted by tofu_crouton at 4:05 PM on January 9, 2017 [3 favorites]
* Bought a box of 'thank you' cards and mailed off my first two, to the mayor and the sheriff for committing to making our city a sanctuary city. Will try to make a habit of sending them out to politicians who are taking stands against the tide.
posted by tofu_crouton at 4:05 PM on January 9, 2017 [3 favorites]
jason_steakums: Sounds interesting. What's the first step?
idk for the time being I'm just going to crank out some poster ideas and see if I like how it comes out (meaning "oh god I hope my ideas don't seem too pretentious in the final product"), I'll post anything here if I like it.
I've also got some ideas for a site I'd like to get on paper, it's a bit beyond my capabilities to fully build it out but, basically, something where designers can post well-tagged and searchable materials for activists and grassroots organizations to use, like a big progressive stock photo site. Maybe in lieu of payment designers can have a "donate what you will" widget on checkout that goes to their cause of choice! It would involve a lot of moderation, and maybe require a small initial donation to like the ACLU or NAACP or something to get the MeFi $5 signup effect of keeping brigading levels of trolls out, but it might be doable and useful!
posted by jason_steakums at 5:31 PM on January 9, 2017 [2 favorites]
idk for the time being I'm just going to crank out some poster ideas and see if I like how it comes out (meaning "oh god I hope my ideas don't seem too pretentious in the final product"), I'll post anything here if I like it.
I've also got some ideas for a site I'd like to get on paper, it's a bit beyond my capabilities to fully build it out but, basically, something where designers can post well-tagged and searchable materials for activists and grassroots organizations to use, like a big progressive stock photo site. Maybe in lieu of payment designers can have a "donate what you will" widget on checkout that goes to their cause of choice! It would involve a lot of moderation, and maybe require a small initial donation to like the ACLU or NAACP or something to get the MeFi $5 signup effect of keeping brigading levels of trolls out, but it might be doable and useful!
posted by jason_steakums at 5:31 PM on January 9, 2017 [2 favorites]
That sounds like the description of the kind of web site that the (free, open-source) software GNU MediaGoblin was intended for powering. The rate of previous releases mentioned in that Wikipedia article makes it look like they might be getting ready to release the 1.0 version this year.
posted by XMLicious at 5:59 PM on January 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by XMLicious at 5:59 PM on January 9, 2017 [1 favorite]
That looks great, thanks for the tip!
Here's my software tip: if anyone's got their mind on tackling the problems on the journalism side of things, check out SourceFabric for open source tools! I've been keeping my eye on them since back when I worked in a newsroom that couldn't afford a decent newsroom system and publishing platform, and they've really come along.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:24 PM on January 9, 2017 [3 favorites]
Here's my software tip: if anyone's got their mind on tackling the problems on the journalism side of things, check out SourceFabric for open source tools! I've been keeping my eye on them since back when I worked in a newsroom that couldn't afford a decent newsroom system and publishing platform, and they've really come along.
posted by jason_steakums at 6:24 PM on January 9, 2017 [3 favorites]
jason_steakums: I wonder if you are over-complicating your website idea? Perhaps it could start out as a place where a group of artists you already know post their materials? That would get around the issue of trolls and donations and would mean that it could get started faster.
posted by mcduff at 6:33 AM on January 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mcduff at 6:33 AM on January 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
More (West) Texas alerts:
The Two Rivers Camp outside of Alpine has been going since late last month, and needs folks to stand with water protectors and help out in protesting the Trans Pecos Pipeline. More information on the Facebook group.
posted by byanyothername at 12:40 PM on January 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
The Two Rivers Camp outside of Alpine has been going since late last month, and needs folks to stand with water protectors and help out in protesting the Trans Pecos Pipeline. More information on the Facebook group.
posted by byanyothername at 12:40 PM on January 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
ALERT LA will definitely be looking for artists in the GRAN FURY tradition for actions we will be doing. I know of a group in NY too. I'll stay in touch with both of you!
posted by Sophie1 at 4:27 PM on January 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Sophie1 at 4:27 PM on January 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Eek, I did it: I made a Wordpress site and a Facebook page for people to #SendHiroshima to the White House. I'm a social media amateur and feeling nervy and everyone on my Facebook feed is mourning after Obama's farewell speech so I'll probably wait until tomorrow morning to start hammering on it. But there it is.
posted by sunset in snow country at 8:04 PM on January 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by sunset in snow country at 8:04 PM on January 10, 2017 [3 favorites]
Signed, liked, and shared, sunset in snow country.
I'd also suggest adding the alternative to send DVDs of "The Day After" or "Threads" as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:56 AM on January 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'd also suggest adding the alternative to send DVDs of "The Day After" or "Threads" as well.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:56 AM on January 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
And how can I help with this, because in another thread I talked about wanting to do this. I think we should expand this to members of Congress too.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:56 AM on January 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:56 AM on January 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I called my rep and asked them to file articles of impeachment if Trump doesn’t release his taxes and (more importantly) fully divest. My concern is the kleptocracy and the end of the system, and that is -so it seems- the essence of it. Let us make this a movement.
posted by Going To Maine at 5:53 PM on January 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Going To Maine at 5:53 PM on January 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
(A citation: “The Emoluments Clause: Its Text, Meaning, and Application to Donald J. Trump”, by Eisen, Painter, and Tribe at The Brookings Institute, December 2016.)
posted by Going To Maine at 6:43 PM on January 12, 2017
posted by Going To Maine at 6:43 PM on January 12, 2017
EmpressCallipygos - post that on the page!
posted by sunset in snow country at 12:22 PM on January 13, 2017
posted by sunset in snow country at 12:22 PM on January 13, 2017
Also just sent versions of this to Nordstrom, DSW, Ross, Marshalls, and Macy's.
Dear Nordstrom,
I'm a longtime Nordstrom customer who will unfortunately no longer be shopping with you because of your decision to continue selling the Ivanka Trump brand. I'm a millennial woman and an urban professional who buys (among others) Clinique, Rebecca Minkoff, kate spade, Frye, and ban.do, as well as the Nordstrom and BP brands, at Nordstrom in San Francisco and online, and I typically spend thousands of dollars in the course of a year. I have always loved your store and its excellent customer service, and I'm sad that I am no longer able to shop there, but I can no longer in good conscience support a retailer that is willing to alienate its core customers by carrying such a toxic brand. I've spoken to many of my friends who feel the same way and will not be shopping at Nordstrom in 2017. Donald Trump's presidential campaign and transition (in which Ivanka Trump has an official role) has stoked hate against women, people of color, Muslims, LGBT people, and countless other groups (including groups I belong to), and I cannot overlook that.
I hope that Nordstrom will end its support of Ivanka Trump's brand so that I and the many women I know who are disappointed in Nordstrom can support you once again.
posted by sunset in snow country at 4:20 PM on January 13, 2017 [6 favorites]
Dear Nordstrom,
I'm a longtime Nordstrom customer who will unfortunately no longer be shopping with you because of your decision to continue selling the Ivanka Trump brand. I'm a millennial woman and an urban professional who buys (among others) Clinique, Rebecca Minkoff, kate spade, Frye, and ban.do, as well as the Nordstrom and BP brands, at Nordstrom in San Francisco and online, and I typically spend thousands of dollars in the course of a year. I have always loved your store and its excellent customer service, and I'm sad that I am no longer able to shop there, but I can no longer in good conscience support a retailer that is willing to alienate its core customers by carrying such a toxic brand. I've spoken to many of my friends who feel the same way and will not be shopping at Nordstrom in 2017. Donald Trump's presidential campaign and transition (in which Ivanka Trump has an official role) has stoked hate against women, people of color, Muslims, LGBT people, and countless other groups (including groups I belong to), and I cannot overlook that.
I hope that Nordstrom will end its support of Ivanka Trump's brand so that I and the many women I know who are disappointed in Nordstrom can support you once again.
posted by sunset in snow country at 4:20 PM on January 13, 2017 [6 favorites]
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posted by disclaimer at 8:16 AM on December 22, 2016 [46 favorites]