If you’re feeling hope, share that as widely as you can. If you’re feeling despair, treat it like the flu: try not to spread it, treat the symptoms, and work to recover. Neither hope nor despair is an objective fact, but despair saps your energy to bring about change. Treat it, don’t feed it.
For 250 years the post office stamped mail the day you dropped it, even in a blue box. Under Trump that ended. If you need a postmark by a specific date, you have to walk up to the counter and request it. Tell people about this change before it’s time to drop ballots (or bills!) and make sure they understand it’s part of a long-term GOP effort to privatize the mail. None of this had to happen.
The economy is likely to get harder for a while. Are you in a position to help someone? Maybe someone specific? If you know a family that’s struggling, an elder who has lost meal service, or someone who has been looking for work for months, could you help? Inspired by a woman who posted “I can afford to feed a small family. One adult and up to two children” on her Buy Nothing group, how about something a little less simple: commit to helping someone long-term. Set boundaries and be prepared to tighten your own belt to help someone.
Community building is key to resistance. When we’re connected, plucking one of us out makes the whole web vibrate in response. A great way to connect is to share skills. We all have areas of expertise. Find a way to teach others through mentoring, show-and-tell or even a free class at a library!
Teach Something Find Out How »
Signal is as simple to use as SMS or FB Messenger, but provides end-to-end encryption and a platform designed for security. We don’t recommend planning your next war on it, but it offers enhanced privacy compared to other easy-to-use options, and the more of us who use it the less notice using it will draw. Install Signal, learn to use it, and begin building your network there.
Have you seen folks over freeways, waving flags and holding giant signs? Have you thought “that’s something I could do!” but you weren’t sure how?
The Visibility Brigade has created a detailed manual. Find a few friends and get out there! Go have coffee afterwards and talk about the state of the world. This is organizing!
Visibility Brigade Find Out How »
