by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist (read the original in Noozhawk by clicking here)
The Women’s March in Santa Barbara brought out men, women and children, many of whom were not customary marchers. The signs we carried proclaimed a rainbow of concerns. A few of my favorites:
» Make America think again
» The emperor has no clothes
» This is what democracy looks like!
» Glaciers have no agenda: they just melt
» Boys will be xboysx good humans
» If you are neutral during injustice you’re on the side of the oppressor (Desmond Tutu)
» Never normalize hate
» Hate does not make America great
» Appreciate the value of otherness (my sign, from Parker Palmer’s Healing the Heart of Democracy)
What these signs had in common was the recognition that we’re in a new era of fighting for democracy.
One of our first freedoms to suffer has been freedom of speech. The president is already attempting to throttle federal executive departments when they post inconvenient truths on their websites. No president has an easy relationship with the press, but our need to seek and know the truth is at the heart of democracy.
Given the president’s penchant for abject falsehoods, we need to support one another in protecting all the values of a democratic society.
Environmentalists need to stand with middle-class Americans worried about job prospects. “Black lives matter” supporters need to work for the rights of Muslim Americans. Universal health care activists need also to stand against torture and climate change.
One model for why we need to act come from Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984). His speech, as it appears in translation in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, reads in part:
“First 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 for me.”
January is resolution time. Can you devote a certain number of hours (or even minutes) per week or per month to democracy? Making a commitment is the most difficult step. Once you do that, the possibilities are endless.
One model for action emerges from the Tea Party. Some congressional staffers produced a practical guide for reaching our Members of Congress (MoC): our two senators plus one representative. The four advocacy tactics are:
» Town halls. Attend and make sure your MoC listens to your concerns.
» Non-town hall events. Ribbon-cuttings and other photo-ops are places to approach MoCs with pointed questions.
» District office meetings or sit-ins. Go to district offices and request or demand a meeting.
» Coordinated calls. Calls and emails are less effective nowadays, but a coordinated barrage can be effective for a special issue.
In all of these local advocacy tactics, it is imperative always to report back to your own group. Record encounters on video, prepare questions ahead of time, coordinate with your group, and report back to local media.
Many have given their lives for the principles of this country. What can each of us commit to?
Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist
Karen Telleen-Lawton is an eco-writer, sharing information and insights about economics and ecology, finances and the environment. Having recently retired from financial planning and advising, she spends more time exploring the outdoors — and reading and writing about it. The opinions expressed are her own.