As expected, all things Trump put me in a foul mood. It would be easy to stick my head in the sand and go about my happy life. That’s what one of my golf buddies said – this stuff largely didn’t affect him, so he was tuning out.
I said, yeah, I get that, but I keep thinking about the poem by Pastor Martin Niemöller.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
Citizen Donna came to the rescue and helped me realize denial is not an option. I know it’s different for everyone, but I’ll share my thoughts in case there’s a nugget or two.
For starters, I’m not much of an activist and don’t want to be. But reading the news and getting jolted every day with the lunacy of it all was making me feel angry and powerless. What to do?
It might sound counterintuitive, but I started actually paying more attention to the news – not just titillating headlines, but in-depth information on equal rights, fair taxation, immigration, abortion medication, Supreme Court ethics … and the beat goes on.
I quickly realized there’s a lot I don’t know about pretty much everything. I saw birthright citizenship was buzzing around in the headlines, but I didn’t realize the potential impact of Trump’s executive action until I read up on the 14th Amendment. I thought I was all cool with transgender issues until I went to a resource for transgender allies and learned I’m actually quite clueless.
Switching from the victim mode to the learning mode has made a huge difference in my mental state. It’s not just read it and weep anymore. As I become more educated on these issues, I’ll be better prepared to discuss them, and that already makes me a better citizen than I was before I came out of my funk. Is that an approach that will work for you as well?
The next step is harder, and that’s action. I’m not likely to go door-to-door or join a march, but I have skills that can help other people make sense of it all. For some clarity, I started working on a master document that succinctly describes the top issues, nonprofit organizations focused on those issues and independent media sources that provide facts and perspective. For the nonprofits, I will also include a rating from one of the charity watchdog organizations.
I’m hoping this whole exercise will help us see which issues trigger a reaction so we can decide where to focus our time and energy. I’ll be sure to post it when I’m finished. You know, I never did find a volunteer opportunity that suited me, but maybe the best way for me to give back is to share my pro-Democracy content and donate money to causes I care about.
That doesn’t mean all my other stuff is going away. I’ll still write about books, movies, food and all the other simple pleasures that add up to a great retirement.
Thank you, thank you! We need thoughtful, measured people like yourself who can cohesively string a sentence together (an obvious understatement!) to help us all frame what is happening.
I look forward, as always, to what you put together ~
Jeanne (an appreciative reader)
Thank you so much, Jeanne. I’ll keep writing if you keep reading!
Good for you for figuring out an action that suits you and provides others with information. I think we all need to do something or else those in power will think we agree by virtue of our inaction. For me, that’s writing letters, donating money, and participating in actions when I can.
That’s it in a nutshell. If we do nothing, they will think we agree by virtue of our inaction. Well said.
Go Donna, go Donna!
Thanks, Jay!
I have to admit that I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do. I like your thoughts about educating yourself, as long as the sources are credible. I think we all need to find the best way to push back. I look forward to reading more about your path forward.
I agree that finding credible sources is key. I’m starting to explore substacks and other indpendent media and have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of information out there. I hope I can help demystify at least some of it.
Pay attention to your news source. Do you ever wonder why the nightly news is full of advertisements by drug companies? If the news outlets investigate the drug companies, the ad revenue goes away. Do you ever wonder why various conflicts/wars don’t resolve regardless of which party is in power? US military industrial complex makes big money from them and you and I pay for it. Do you ever wonder why Washington pushes sending water south from the delta? To irritate fields west of I-5 which historically were never planted due to lack of water, and we subsidize the electricity hogs to pump all that water. Only a few issues to get educated on
So true David. I like to read people I trust on Substack, as I cut out the corporate media filter.
I just starting reading content on Substack when I found out Jennifer Rubin left The Washington Post to start The Contrarian. That led me to Heather Cox Richardson and Robert Reich, and I feel like everything is beginning to make more sense.
You’re so right about paying attention to the news source. And even when it’s people I agree with, it’s sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction. Your questions remind me that some sources report the facts as they see them, but they don’t see the big picture … the real reasons behind what’s happening.
Thanks for sharing these thoughts. I look forward to your list. We all need to pay attention and take action in ways that are meaningful in our circumstances. For me I am focusing short term on not spending money that benefits the people standing behind Trump at the inauguration. I have a Tesla but will not get another when my lease expires in July. I love Whole Foods but am finding other options for shopping. I am finding options for Amazon. I rarely use Facebook but have stopped using it to monitor activities in my community. I am also looking at all companies I do a lot of business with. I would encourage all to do this as it will help let these people know it is not ok insult your customers. These actions help me.
Great advice! The visual of those billionaires standing behind Trump should scare the crap out of us all. I’m so glad I didn’t buy a Tesla, but I need to kick my Amazon addiction. I can easily reduce my spending there by half.
This: “ Switching from the victim mode to the learning mode has made a huge difference in my mental state. It’s not just read it and weep anymore. As I become more educated on these issues, I’ll be better prepared to discuss them, and that already makes me a better citizen than I was before I came out of my funk. Is that an approach that will work for you as well?”
Yes. The answer is yes. Thank you for giving me a better way to deal with the daily desire to cover my eyes for the next four years all the while not wanting to be uninformed or giving up. I am still working to understand how the ordinary citizen can believe that Trump is the second coming. I don’t think that anything he does can dissuade their beliefs. However, if some of his and the 2025 group’s policies hit them where it hurts and it hurts enough, perhaps there will be a crack in the foundation. And maybe Democrats who sat by for whatever reason in this election, will feel more inspired to get out and vote in 2026, for the policies if successfully put in place, will affect everyone.
I look forward to your posts going forward.
Seriously, choosing to stay informed during these dark times is a bold action. I agree with you about 2026 — the midterms are an opportunity to put some brakes on this runaway train. Sometimes it feels like giving money to lost causes, but I fear more will be lost if we don’t try.
More to come on Project 2025. That’s some scary shit.
I also am not very informed on a lot of these topics and I should be. Today, I was reading a Facebook post about 47 and thought, what does that mean? It finally dawned on me – the 47th President. It seems some people can’t even say his name. Then I have a friend who’s all gushy about Trump/47 and his new cabinet members. I thought she was intelligent but I’m now wondering. I’ve never been a democrat except when it comes to social issues, but it’s not easy being a Republican these days. I’ve always registered as Independent and I see no reason to change. Just wish we’d find someone who isn’t so extreme either way. I look forward to reading what you’re learning.
I too have turned to Substack more these days. Check out Paul Krugman – he recently retired from the NYT, but is still writing (more freely) there. Plain talk explanations of tariffs, trade deficits, immigration, etc. A recent post was titled “The Pathetic Billionaires’ Club.” I found the post “I’ll Say It Again: The Numbers Don’t Add Up for Trump” by David Rothkopf somewhat reassuring. Thanks as always for your perspective.
Kudos to you!
Thank you for your efforts!