Many of us are terrified right now. Maybe we’re terrified because either we or our loved ones are threatened by as-of-yet unknown but definitely brutal immigration enforcement and restrictions that we know will be coming, or by inevitable laws that will ban the right to be who we are and to love who we love. Maybe the fear is being threatened with a denial of the constitutional right to determine the fate of our own bodies, lives, and choices. Maybe it’s the coming threat to our choice in medical care or maybe to our choice in religion or of no religion or to our choice of art, music and literature. Maybe it’s all of the above.
For whatever reason or reasons for our fear, maybe the worst part of it is not knowing exactly how bad the coming months and years will be. We know it will be bad – really bad – but at this point all we can do is to make educated (or not so educated) guesses about what can definitely happen and what we’ll be able to do or not do about it.
We already know that the majority of the biggest media organizations have become unreliable and that too many Democratic representatives have decided that maga is their new bestie. The tech companies that we have no choice but to rely on for work and communications are bending the knee, and we also know that the health and energy sectors are literally salivating to get rid of required coverage and environmental regulations.
Even with all that in mind, we have to remember that there are people and institutions we can rely on in the coming years, and that if we all actively support them – in whatever way we’re able – we’ll have a much better chance of making it to the other side in one piece.
To start with, local and independent news is one of the major things we can and should all support, whether it’s with donations or simply passing along articles on social media to help their numbers grow. With the decline of local news and the growth of news deserts, the number of people not receiving information that most affects them and their communities continues to grow. However, there are some smaller independent news organizations that are trying to fill that void, and by supporting them we can help to start a new legacy of local news. There are some signs that independent news orgs are growing and filling in gaps already. According to the Local Media Association, “…even as arid news deserts expand, this new Medill report includes some green shoots. For the first time since we began tracking these statistics, we’re seeing a significant net increase in the number of standalone local digital news sites. It’s too early to call this a trend, but it’s certainly a welcome sight.”
You can find a list of your own local independent news sites at Find Your News, but be sure to do a search for more because there are many that aren’t listed there.
We can also find our local mutual aid organizations and help in whatever way we can to make sure our communities are nurtured. The best way to find this in your area is to either do a search, as a centralized database doesn’t appear to exist, yet. At the height of the Covid pandemic, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez provided this fantastic document showing people how to form their own mutual aid groups. We all should keep a copy on hand to be better informed on how to form a group among our own neighbors.
Beginning the search for bright progressives to run for congress to replace any current members (whether state or federal) who don’t want to do the work is another important area we can focus on. And – when we find the people willing to go out there and do it – we need to support them instead of falling back on a “safe incumbent.” We’ve all witnessed the so-called safe incumbents who succeed at the ballot box only to fail spectacularly after being sworn in. It’s time to replace them with new blood. No backing out.
I’ve also read from several very smart people that to keep yourself both mentally and physically healthy during hard times, it’s best to choose one or two causes that you feel strongest about and can realistically contribute to and devote yourself there. Don’t burn yourself out trying to contribute to everything.
One goal of mine, this go-around, is to prevent the exhaustion and burn-out that I felt during and shortly after the first reign of cheeto jezuz. I am vowing not to let him and his minions wear me down this time – at least not to the point of desolation – and I hope you will too. I believe it’s possible to do the work for democracy and for our communities without harming ourselves in the process.
It’s not going to be easy or fun, but if we stand by each other and keep ourselves healthy, we’ll make it through this.