Call to Action
Reflect on the past 4 years and your role in resisting Trump, his administration, his pernicious demagoguery and his egregious policies. What did you learn about yourself and your responsibilities as a citizen in a representative democracy?
Enjoy the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. This is a moment for celebration and hope.
Persist as we tackle the challenges to our democracy that have become so evident in the last two weeks. Commit to remaining fully engaged in your community, state and nation.
Recall this time four long years ago! We were preparing for the massive rallies and marches that followed the inauguration of Donald Trump. Hats were knitted and clever signs assembled. We were shocked but energized to face the coming threats to our democracy, civil liberties, environment and basic values. We were making new commitments to protect our democracy. We showed up and made our voices heard. My Weekly Resistance was part of that recommitment to democratic action and you have been the reason we kept on. Thank you for all of your amazing work on behalf of “the resistance.”
The past two weeks have been an alarming reminder of just how far we have yet to go in our work but let’s not forget how far we have come today. We removed a terrible President and eked out a governing majority in the Senate and House. We can look forward to having competent officials committed to an effective response to COVID, to helping working people, to facing the challenges of global climate change, to confronting systemic racism, and to reestablishing the United States’ place in the community of nations. There is plenty of cause for optimism.
Yes, the damage from the past weeks and the ongoing threats are frightening. We have seen armed insurrection in our nation’s capital. We see the evil of white supremacy reasserting itself in every state. A large percentage of our fellow citizens believe that a free and fair election was stolen. Yet, all this is simply a call to vigilance and persistence. We must continue to resist the undemocratic right and to actively build an inclusive society.
This is the last edition of My Weekly Resistance for a while. We are going to take some time to rest and reflect. We urge all of our readers to focus your resistance on the many challenges to and assaults on our shared democracy. Resistance to inequity. Resistance to voter suppression. Resistance to the continuation of Trump’s lies and efforts to inflame his supporters. Resistance to the inevitable efforts by Congressional Republicans to oppose the vital reforms that are proposed by the Biden administration. It’s not really about Donald Trump now, but about a Republican party that remains in thrall to his lies and authoritarian government.
The good news is that after these four long years, we know “how to citizen” better. We know where to find phone numbers to call our elected representatives. We know how to inform our friends and neighbors on important issues. We know that our contributions to organizations like Fair Fight can really make a difference in the outcome of elections. We know how to stand up for what is fair and just in a democracy and make our voices heard. We also know that this work has to be done at every level from block organization, to precinct canvassing, to city and state governance, to national elections and lobbying. Keep on keeping on as best as you know how
My Weekly Resistance is in a period of transition. We don’t plan on writing on a regular basis in the near future, but we will be sending out periodic communications. Over the past four years we have become our own support group as we met the daily outrages. We plan to meet monthly to keep in touch and learn with one another. We hope you will do the same with your own personal/political networks and that you will smile when you see an update from us in your inbox.
Thank you for persisting with us in the Resistance. We look forward to working together to build a better democracy and a more just society together.