Claim the power of the people
We are barraged daily by cruel, apparently random actions of this presidential administration — cut funding for Medicaid; fire thousands of federal workers, eliminate the Department of Education, etc. Cruel, indeed, but, make no mistake, nothing is random about these actions. President Donald Trump and his cronies are implementing a playbook used by autocrats around the world attempting to destroy democracy. This playbook outlines systematic consolidation of power by co-opting the pillars upon which civil society rests.
Education? A democratic society requires an informed electorate. Remove access to education; just tell people what to believe. Media? Control what and who spreads information, squash dissent and present solely views that support the power of the autocrat. A system of laws and due process? Ignore the courts, make a mockery of the rule of law, kidnap people on the street. And so on, as we see daily.
However, these efforts will not succeed without our consent. People across a society, interrupting its function with non-violent resistance, can preserve democratic institutions — by not cooperating with unjust policies, protesting at rallies and standouts, and refusing to comply with illegal directives. There are hundreds of examples daily — the Idaho teacher refusing to take down her “Everyone is Welcome” banner, LA Dodgers barring ICE from the stadium, people boycotting Target’s abandonment of DEI, the Tesla takedowns. We can say no to hate and instead use the power of our choices and voices to bring about our vision of a caring, just and inclusive democracy. For more information: www.nokings.org/rise.
Marta Lev
Florence