Stopping Trump: A Primer (Updated March 8th)

Politics, Life Hacks

Stopping Trump: A Primer (Updated March 8th)

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Update Log:

March 6th: Added Wall of Us, Town Hall Project, WTFJHT’s First 45 Day Guide
February 27th: Added IssueVoter, pocket-sized Action Guide, good reads
February 20th: Added Flippable, Blue Feed/Red Feed, Emily’s List, and others
February 16th: Updated with Swing Left & NDRC - Thanks Nate F!

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There’s been a storm of activity, both a constant bludgeoning of our core values by our sitting President, and the counter-insurgent response from We the People who do not accept his disastrous regime.

In many conversations with friends and family, I hear that lots of people want to help but are…

  • UNSURE of where to start
  • OVERWHELMED by everything happening, and
  • SKEPTICAL of whether or not they can make a difference

The below is a living compilation of the resources and mental tools I use to remain engaged, effective, and optimistic.

It might seem like a lot, but with a quick skim, you’ll realize that it doesn’t take much to become an active citizen.

This is a living document, help me improve it! There are lots of other groups, tools, newsletters, articles, and resources, so please send me a note if I’ve missed something!

Start here.

STEP 1: ENLIST.

Below are groups & email lists that will keep you informed on how you can help.

Pick at least 2.

STEP 2: ACT.

Commit to one thing a week.

Don’t worry about doing it all, just do one thing. Big or small, one thing is a great place to start.

My favorite thing: Using 5Calls to make phone calls. See below for more information.

In general, here’s a brief list of things you can do that actually make a difference:

  • Call your Members of Congress - This actually works. Congressional staffers tally up the calls they get and convey those tallies to your Senators & representatives. For every call you don’t make, you can be sure there’s someone who disagrees with you that is making that call. Check out 5calls below for an easy way to get started.
  • Attend a community meeting near you - meet face to face with engaged citizens that live around you. It’ll be much more fulfilling than just trying to get more social media likes. See Step 1 above for links that can help you find a group near you.
  • Join a protest - Protests and marches aren’t necessarily about changing the minds of our Administration. The biggest benefit is a showing of solidarity to everyone affected. It can also show the world that we don’t agree with our President and his policies.

  • Have a conversation with a Trump supporter - The point here is not to influence, but to understand and connect. You’re not going to agree, and you will get angry, but ignoring the half of the country that voted for him won’t work either. I’m not saying make best friends with an alt-right neo-nazi, but maybe make amends with that person who was simply more afraid of Hillary than she was of Trump.

    Remember: you can still be angry without holding a grudge.

  • Get Local - Get involved in your local community around causes you care about. As policy and funding starts affecting our local organizations, it’s going to be important for all of us to get involved at the ground level. There is a lot you can do to protect your own community from Trump’s destructive federal policies. One great first step is reaching out to your State-level Representative & Senator.
    PRO-TIP: The Town Hall Project can help you find a town hall being organized around you.
    SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS: A list of SF local organizations that you can get involved with.

Below are some resources to help figure out what to act on and how.

  • 5Calls
    There is no better tool to help you call your Members of Congress. Visit the website, put in your zip code, and pick your issue. It gives you the number you need to call, the message, and moves you onto the next. You can do one of these calls each week.

    Visit 5calls.org each week and pick one issue to call your Members of Congress about.

  • Jen Hofmann’s Weekly Action Guide
    Jen Hofmann writes blogs and helps small businesses with social media. She also curates a fantastic weekly email that walks over 60,000 subscribers through everything we can do to act on the issues we care about.

    Join Jen’s email list and each week, pick one action and do it.

    Here is the checklist for the week of March 5, 2017.
    Here is a pocket action guide you can print and fill out and keep with you at all times.

  • Wall of Us
    4 Actions Each Week

    Sign up to Wall of Us and commit to doing one of the 4.

STEP 3: GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA.

There are other ways to connect with others that want to take a stand. There are other ways to stay informed. Social Media is more detrimental than productive these days. It’s depressing, and the fleeting satisfaction you get when you see someone else post your thoughts, or when you yourself are echoed by your social chamber, doesn’t really help in the long run.

What you see on Facebook is only what Facebook thinks you want to see, and nothing more.

I use these platforms for specific reasons, but try to stay off them otherwise:

  • Facebook: for activist groups that use FB to organize events & have a message boards
  • Twitter: to read what my Members of Congress are thinking

I try to avoid the endless scroll through a newsfeed, and try to divert my energy elsewhere instead of posting something that only like-minded individuals will engage with.

STEP 4: LEARN.

Below are some resources that will help you gain a foundational understanding of how to be more effective as an active citizen:

STEP 5: STAY INFORMED.

In addition to the above (Jen Hoffman, Indivisible, etc), here are some resources to help curate the news for you, so you don’t have to waste hours scrolling through Facebook or watching CNN:

STEP 6: KEEP YOUR CHIN UP.

As my friend Sergio once said:

“That’s how fascists win: they wear you down until you are too tired to fight.”

Don’t let that happen. What we do does make a difference. What we’ve done already has. And what we plan to do will change things for the better.

A Must Read: When Resisting Makes You Weary

Below are some signs of progress:

STEP 7: SMILE.

As my friend Samir says:

“Always maintain your hope and positivity. Convert your anger to positive action and change.”

Here are some things that bring much needed levity to these heavy times:

STEP 8: DONATE.

The ACLU is just one place you can donate your money. They do great work, but don’t forget about other organizations who may be getting overlooked. The ACLU has already raised over $25M this year. They also may support legislation that you don’t.

STEP 9: STAY INSPIRED

Here are some inspiring posts:

Sunish Oturkar avatar
About Sunish Oturkar
Sunish is a 30-something on a mission to find a mission.
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