During Trump’s (TFG) first term, I spent a lot of time thinking, writing, and saying “Anger into Action.” It made me feel empowered to do something and it still does.
During his second term, I’m trying to move more quickly from the anger or even better, to skip over it. One of the things we have talked about in our podcast episodes is how to differentiate between terrible TFG/MAGA acts that are simply anger-provoking and terrible TFG/MAGA acts that we can still influence through our actions. This post (and the accompanying episode) is filled with things you can do and resources to make it easier.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when the threats to democracy are so vast. But the goal of authoritarianism is to make people feel powerless—and we are not powerless.
We can turn out voters, apply pressure to leaders, and fund the fights that matter.
We can stay informed without getting consumed.
We can organize in ways that fit our lives.
Not everyone will do everything. But everyone can do something. Pick an action. Commit to it. And keep going.
What actions are you taking? Drop them in the comments so we can keep building this list together.
Apply pressure to elected officials:
On Sunday, February 2nd, we started to see posts on social media about a 50 states, 50 protests event at state capitols (and other cities) for Wednesday, February 5th. There seems to be a coordinated effort for this on Reddit with over 30,000 members in less than a week. Indivisible is also coordinating actions at Senators’ state offices this week.
Below are some more evergreen actions.
Call or email your reps. 5 Calls provides scripts and phone numbers to make it easy.
Amplify issues online. Sharing information on social media (especially with direct calls to action) helps create public pressure. Read this (especially pages 5, 6 and 7) for suggestions on how to share information for maximum impact.
Write op-eds or letters to the editor. Local newspapers still influence politicians more than most people realize.
Show up in person. Attend town halls, ask direct questions, and demand answers.
Turnout voters:
Presidential elections get the most attention, but the biggest threats to democracy—and our best opportunities to stop them—often happen at the state and local level. State legislatures and courts are where voter suppression laws are passed and upheld or overturned. School boards are where extremists push bans on books and LGBTQ+ rights. City councils decide how policing and public services function.
Build your voting muscles, by voting in each and every election and build a practice of frequently doing one of the following (there’s almost always some election somewhere that you can help):
Postcards to Voters – A simple way to encourage voter turnout through handwritten messages. I’ve been doing this for years and it’s easy and satisfying!
Vote Forward/Swing Left - another letter-writing group.
Mobilize.us A centralized database of all kinds of community actions (you’ll see them show up on this list a few times).
Connect and organize in your community
Fascism thrives on isolation, fear, and division. One of the most effective ways to resist it is by strengthening connections in our communities. Authoritarians want us to feel powerless as individuals—so our greatest strength is collective action. Here are some places to start:
Indivisible – Local groups across the country organizing for progressive change.
Mobilize.us A centralized database of all kinds of community groups and actions
Your local library, community center, or progressive faith group – Many host civic engagement events.
Volunteering with local organizations working to protect marginalized communities.
Supporting small businesses that align with your values instead of corporations funding anti-democratic causes.
Stay informed, learn new things, avoid the overwhelm
Understanding how democracy erodes, why fascism takes hold, and where we still have power is the first step in resisting. We don’t have to consume every bit of news, but we do need to stay informed enough to recognize when civil rights, elections, or institutions are being attacked.
Some essential resources:
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder – A powerful, short book outlining the warning signs of authoritarianism and concrete ways to push back.
Emily Amick (aka Emily in Your Phone on IG) and her book Democracy in Retrograde – Substack and book on civic engagement.
Marc Elias (find him on Bluesky) & Democracy Docket – Updates on the legal battles to protect democracy, fight gerrymandering, and ensure fair elections.
Indivisible’s Activist Guide – How to strategically resist authoritarianism at every level of government.
Fund the fights that matter to you
There are so many organizations that are and will be doing good work to help save our democracy and civil rights. This list includes a few and there are others above too. Please add more to the comments!
ACLU.org Lisa started a monthly donation to them in January 2017 when they took the lead on fighting the Muslim ban. They are also taking the lead on many of the legal fights today.
Planned Parenthood supporting access to women’s reproductive healthcare
Immigrant and refugee assistance organizations like HIAS (they helped Lisa’s mother’s family come to the US) and more at this Charity Navigator link.
You can use Charity Navigator to find the best charities for the causes you care about!
Our goal wasn’t to overwhelm you with options. Find one thing to do today. See if you like it! If you do, do it again. If you don’t, try something else. And don’t forget to find some joy in your day too- dance, sing, laugh- while we turn anger into action!
Listener/Reader Suggestions
Posted in the Podcast Episode comments by Jenni “join your chamber of commerce, be in the know of what’s going on locally and get involved if you can.”
Enjoy Life!
Life still goes on during these crazy, chaotic and uncertain times. Keep your psychic, spiritual, emotional and physical energies charged up on good vibes. Carve out some time to read that book you’ve been wanting to start. Check out a streaming show that others have been imploring you to see. Find some live music performances in your area. Try out pickleball. Pick-up embroidery. Take dance or language lessons.
Fixing the world is a long game. And if we are charged and focused, we each can be an incredible force for good.