I’ve been thinking on and off over the last few days about how to make change in the world. In America, we’re seeing one-party control of the executive and legislative branches of government, which is probably a bad thing. I’m not a fan of parties in general–too often, they seem to work in lock-step and will afford their members no deviation, even to represent their constituents.
There are many posts written on this type of thing already, and with much more understanding and history backing them up. I just feel the need to summarize some of the ideas bouncing around my head, in no particular order.
- #Resist in the title isn’t necessarily in reference to the current administration. It’s a call to take action for your beliefs. Resist miseducation, resist fake news, resist kneejerk reactions, resist ignorance (especially your own). Be aware of why you’re taking action, and why you believe what you believe.
- It’s not enough to choose your side and be done with it (especially if your side is a political party). People in government are built from the same stuff as the rest of us, and are subject to the same emotions. They (like everyone else) can make mistakes, be illogical, and not think in the long term. Look at their actions and respond to those, not whether there is a D or R after their names.
- Use the tools given, but be mindful. Swing Left looks interesting, and looks like it’s a way to statistically strike at the most important voting areas of the country. It can be a tool for change, but it’s also a tool for the Democratic Party. I don’t know who runs it. Third parties likely don’t count. Republicans who are doing good work in their districts and are pretty close to Democrats don’t count.
There are more thoughts. There will hopefully be more posts if I can organize them. Thanks for reading.