@cindy Beautifully said! Love this. Thank you!
@autistic_anthony I can’t knock doors in my area - I’m surrounded by milita. It would put my life and my families life in real danger.
I tried phone banking and texting during the last election and I don’t have the stomach for the abuse.
what I’ve decided to do instead is to keep watch on my Facebook feed (for I’m back there for the time being) and reaching out to friends, family, and former students who have indicated disgust or being on the fence about even voting - my 3 F’s to convince them to vote and vote for Biden this year. Over the last week I’ve gotten two. It’s what I can do to combat exactly what you’re seeing.
if you know anyone in those comment sections keep gently reaching out to them.
I will respectfully disagree. Liz Cheney did perform the country a service, however, she is still an arch conservative who voted with Trump ~93% of the time. Perhaps we could fine more of a middle of the road candidate.
@autistic_anthony I can’t knock doors in my area - I’m surrounded by milita. It would put my life and my families life in real danger.
I tried phone banking and texting during the last election and I don’t have the stomach for the abuse.
what I’ve decided to do instead is to keep watch on my Facebook feed (for I’m back there for the time being) and reaching out to friends, family, and former students who have indicated disgust or being on the fence about even voting - my 3 F’s to convince them to vote and vote for Biden this year. Over the last week I’ve gotten two. It’s what I can do to combat exactly what you’re seeing.
if you know anyone in those comment sections keep gently reaching out to them.
@DannyBoy -- I can't knock on doors, either...I suffer from social anxiety, and I'd end up telling off all of the ridiculous people whom I'd encounter. The campaigns wouldn't WANT me door-knocking on their behalf, haha. Other people have that social grace and tolerance for stupidity that I simply don't have.
I don't know how to drive, so my mobility is very limited. I have trauma from when I worked as a telemarketer, so phone calls are also out, for me.
I honestly believe my role in this campaign is branding messages through my writing skills for public consumption. And passing those talking-points along to other activists (most of whom hopefully have wider and more visible platforms than I individually do).
I will respectfully disagree. Liz Cheney did perform the country a service, however, she is still an arch conservative who voted with Trump ~93% of the time. Perhaps we could fine more of a middle of the road candidate.
@JackOfHearts -- I agree with you that Liz Cheney is the wrong person for the top of a future presidential ticket.
As far as saving democracy, however, she's the perfect ally. She's staunchly conservative in her own ideology; yet she wants a free public forum where all dissenters from across the political spectrum can hash out the policy details in front of the public. She opposes an authoritarian state. She's also a rare Republican lawmaker open to compromise, which I think has been partially influenced by her sister, Mary, who is a conservative lesbian woman.
Also, the fact that Donald Trump has said Liz Cheney should be prosecuted for "treason" in front of a military tribunal...just another of the many examples we can point to as evidence that Trump is simply unfit for office.
For me, the most disheartening and scary part is when I read the Comments Sections of YouTube videos, TwitterX, and online articles. You see multiple people chiming in who clearly DON'T want a Trump dictatorship; yet, they express defeatism and helplessness, declaring that democracy is now permanently dead.
A very important thing to keep in mind when reading comments is that social media is absolutely infested with bots, foreign agitators and other bad actors who are trying to force their narratives & control the conversation. While there absolutely are genuine people who are feeling defeated & hopeless, the overwhelming 'we should just give up now' attitude is straight up astroturfing.
Breathe. Take a step back from social media. Unplug entirely if you need to! Protect your mental health & wellbeing. But most importantly - don't give up. Don't give into the fear, doom & gloom. It's not going to be easy, but we still have a chance to turn this around for the better.
But only if we don't give up.
@jackofhearts I'll try to elaborate a bit. I dawned on me that with climate change and environmental collapse, we all need to pull in the same direction, and unfortunately by the time enough people realize we need to do something it will be too late. Like many in here have pointed out the old system has to die. Free will is an important principle, so we can't punish or cut out the people who are not willing to go along with a green new deal or whatever plan we come up with. Rather people have to chose their own fate without feeling forced.
I think most people want to collaborate and help each other. Then there are a few ones who are happy exploiting others for their own benefit, but they pack this ideology into messaging like "end wokeness" or other meaningless words aimed at making people angry. I think it's been a necessary phaze to let the alt-right grow, giving certain people the illusion that they have the population with them. There used to be certain thoughts people would keep to themselves in order not so become a social outcast. Now they feel safe spewing all sorts of hateful rants. I think we've reached the point where they are saying the quiet part out loud en masse. I see the supreme cour ruling as one of the most important pieces here. I think a lot of people will finally snap out of it, and we'll be left with a small group of extremists that are going to feel very naked and exposed indeed. People will see them for what they are and what they stand for, and we'll finally be able to move on.
The odd thing I can't quite figure out in my vision was I saw the extremists will get the choice between cooperate in solidarity with humanity and earth, or go "somewhere else". In the vision they all boarded a ship and sailed off. They were super stoked about it, convinced they had drawn the longest straw. I have no idea what the ship symbolized or where it was going, but we didn't have to worry about them anymore.
I think the future holds something very different for us. Something that goes beyond traditional party lines.
@cindy Thank you so much for taking the time to say all of that! I agree and I'm struggling. I shouted to the universe to PLEASE HELP ME GET THROUGH THIS DARKNESS AND GET BACK TO LIGHT. HELP ME DEAL WITH THESE FEELINGS PLEASE!
My point is, that these are their lessons and Karmic debt to deal with, not ours. We are just a part of the equation, not the solution. Don't stress yourself thinking you need to do more or be more when that may not be your role. Simply let your light shine, and do what FEELS right for you.
I decided yesterday that I need to do more work on myself before I can help others. So I dug out ALL my Michael Newton books. His research on reincarnation and lives between lives rings true to me. There is no punishing afterlife where you pay for your sins, but Im getting distracted.
I'm searching for my own peace and understanding of where we are and what I can do about my sliver of the planet and that must be good enough. It's not my job to change the world though I would if I could! I still embrace all of my sides (good bad and ugly) equally. I like me! I just want to feel like I'm more in control of my emotions.
I was in the ER struggling to breathe the other day and a obnoxious Trumper was "preaching" to several others in the waiting room about how Joe Biden is a puppet and is ruining this country. I stood in front of him and honestly wanted to just throat punch him and be done with it. But I didn't. I explained that to me Joe Biden is an awesome president. I mentioned a couple things while he laughed but the room changed. The people that were nodding in agreement were chiming in that TFG is NUTS and a dictator! I thought I'd have to take on the room but it seems like the others were just going along to get along!!! Which makes me SICK but I realized it took one person to turn that room! ME! I must admit to you all that I'm not perfect! I did suggest to the nurse that called him back that he likely required a lobotomy and "y'all should do some serious research on his brain!" But I tend to make jokes in uncomfortable situations. And dark humor is part of who I am! Ha!
I know I have work to do. I'm learning I'm a control freak! Which I knew but never put much work or thought into. I feel the need to manipulate my environment to make things less uncomfortable for me. I need to learn to cope and ride the waves better.
I am so grateful to have found this space and all of you!
@ak I agree but we Dems are NOT KNOWN for our backbones unfortunately. I would LOVE to see Biden test this COURT!!!!!
@cindy Thank you, Cindy.