Like many people, I am deeply troubled in the face of war crimes, ICE shootings, and the specter of another January 6th attempt to overthrow the election, this time with more planning, people and resources. But the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of these atrocities and the takeover of the social structures designed to protect us by people dedicated to dissolving or weaponizing them leaves me feeling powerless. Some suggest this is by design; the sinister elements among us wish to immobilize us with fear and hopelessness so opposing voices will never be heard and untruths and slanders go unchallenged.
With millions of Americans, I have been driven to join in squares and commons, street sides and highway overpasses, to express my opinion and call for change. Nevertheless, often I question the effectiveness of these tactics, and hear others express similar skepticism. Can protest by ordinary people bring about change?
Regardless, joining others in a common purpose, like seeking justice for the persecuted, feels good because it’s the right thing to do, and conversely, not acting feels bad because one is shirking a responsibility to protect the vulnerable among us, especially those of us with privilege conferred in our backwards society by race or sexual orientation. Finally, joining others in the face of a threat builds community, and a network to help us withstand as best we can the challenges facing those of us who care about justice and humanity.
Then I see this AP headline: “Citizens Bank to cut ties with CoreCivic and GEO after a fierce public pressure campaign.” That’s right, we forced the 13th largest bank in the U.S. to drop its undoubtedly lucrative relations with two sinister incarceration corporations because we expressed our outrage at these corporations using our tax dollars to brutalize immigrants for profit. Songbirds employ a similar strategy; if a hawk is in their midst, they join together and scold, each less vulnerable since they are in numbers, which makes them more vociferous as well. In all cases that I have observed, the hawk retreats.
Like many people, now that I am engaged in efforts to make our society kinder and more just, I am less fearful since I have the support of my flockmates. And now I am part of the solution and no longer obscured in a toxic cloud of hopelessness. I am able to enjoy normal things in life that tasted like ashes in my mouth when I was aimless and inactive. It took a while and a lot of Zoom calls before I found a place I fit in, and I still have a long way to go in becoming a more effective advocate. Fortunately, there is a vast community of brave and good people waiting out there to offer support to those of us who feel the need to be part of the solution instead of a helpless spectator.
This community includes the eight million people who came out to protest the authoritarian policies of our current administration in the March 28 No Kings gatherings. Now we are getting excited about the upcoming No Kings gatherings to take place across the country on Oct. 17. These gatherings are a nonpartisan effort directed at countering the administration’s sinister plan to subvert the will of the American people by undermining the 2026 midterm elections. On Oct. 17, you can join your friends and neighbors to make sure every eligible voter understands their options for how to vote and has the opportunity to make their voice heard. It’s easy to get involved: check Indivisible.org for an action near you and take that next step towards realizing our dream of a just and compassionate society that includes the safety and welfare of all of us, including our most marginalized and vulnerable community members.
Dave King lives in Amherst.