Sunday, December 29, 2024

5 resolutions for keeping democracy alive in 2025.

Indivisible
Interested in these emails?
Do us a favor and click on one of the links (any one will do). That'll tell us you'd like to keep getting updates.

Hey there Pamela,

I hope this message finds you on some beach with a tiny umbrella in your drink, or in front of a warm fire surrounded by loved ones -- or whatever setting best recharges your batteries. Ezra and I are back home in Texas right now with my family, doing our own version of that. 

While we recharge, we're bracing for what's to come. And we got a preview of it this month with the Elon-fueled implosion that nearly pushed us into a government shutdown. But one hopeful takeaway from this GOP self-induced fiasco is this: they're not invincible. Yes, they're malicious, but they're also chaotic and incompetent. And when we stick together (indivisibly, you might say), sometimes they stumble and fail.

So, with that happy thought in mind, Ezra and I thought we'd send over five resolutions for keeping democracy alive in 2025. And because Indivisible has a bias towards action, I'll include an actual thing you can do with each resolution. 

1) Seek out community. "They want you to be alone. Nobody is going to fix this alone. That's not how this works." That's from the famed historian of tyranny Timothy Snyder. The quote resonated so much with us, it leads a chapter of the new Indivisible guide: Indivisible: A Guide to Democracy on the Brink

Now, I obviously hope that means you'll join (or form!) an Indivisible group. And I'm proud to say that we've had more Indivisible groups form in the last two months than any similar period since 2017, so you'll be in good company. But whatever you do, figure out how to get into real, face-to-face community. You'll need it in the days ahead.

2) Build something local. For the time being, we still live in a representative democracy. That means your elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels still wake up every morning worrying about what their constituents think. And that gives you power -- if you organize and apply it. 

If you're wondering where to get started, check out the new guide. Make a copy. Edit it. Make some doodles. Delete the parts that aren't relevant to you. Write addendums. Make it your own. Share it. And get to work where you are focusing on what you can do. 

3) Connect with those under threat. Trump has promised to be a dictator on day one, to go after immigrant families, trans kids, and other marginalized communities. The Project 2025 agenda is a divide and conquer gameplan -- pick us off one-by-one as they dismantle our democracy and hand the federal government over to their billionaire buddies. But their strategy has an Achilles' Heel -- it doesn't work if we stick together.

In the most poetically unjust coincidence in recent memory, Inauguration Day falls on MLK Day this year. Well, MLK Day is traditionally a day of service, and we're encouraging Indivisible groups across the country to use that day to connect with their own communities. It's a good chance for all of us to do the most basic work of democracy: connecting with our fellow Americans where we live together. Find info here on how to participate.

4) Support your independent media and social media. The media environment has been deteriorating for years. And with Trump taking office and corporate owners rushing to kiss his ring, It's about to get a lot harder to be a good journalist in this country. Yes, we have plenty of problems with the anticipatory obedience from the likes of the management and ownership of places like the LA Times, New York Times, Washington Post, and ABC News. But we need to engage, trumpet, and support journalists with a pro-democracy bias -- whether independent actors or embattled fighters for truth in compromised institutions. And we need platforms for communicating the truth and with each other.

And there are easy steps you can take. For one: get off of Twitter. BlueSky is thriving -- find me and Ezra over there. When it comes to media, identify the journalist you trust and like, and amplify them (or, if they're independent, start signing up and paying for their work). In the last week or so, I've read compelling, powerful pieces from Perry Bacon and Jen Rubin at the Washington Post, Jamelle Bouie and Michelle Goldberg at the New York Times, Tim Dickinson at Rolling Stone, and Rebecca Traister at NY Magazine. And look at supporting new independent publications, like Bolts, which does incredible local coverage, or Zeteo, which is giving a home to many great independent journalists. Got other ideas or favorites? Great. Share them.

5) Have fun. I'm serious. Fascism is frightening. But self-flagellating judgment or descending into despair are not gonna help us. Our power is in our numbers, which means we have to create welcoming, fun, caring, impactful communities for folks to join. If you're in an Indivisible group, get an IndivisGather grant for a potluck or movie party or other fun gathering. 

Everything above is more important than giving money -- but if you want people-powered movements to succeed, giving money is important too. So if you'll humor me with a sixth resolution, I hope it's this: Contribute to the best damned locally led, nationally-organized pro-democracy movement in the country by supporting Indivisible here.

In solidarity,
Leah Greenberg
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Indivisible

Indivisble

Leah Greenberg

Co-Executive Director

Pronouns: She/her

Indivisible Facebook
Indivisible Bluesky
Indivisible Instagram
Indivisible TikTok
Indivisible Mastodon

Indivisible Project is a locally-led, people-powered movement of thousands of local groups in red, blue, and purple states, and in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Our mission is to power and lift up a grassroots movement of local groups to defeat the Trump agenda, elect progressive leaders, and realize bold progressive policies.

Grassroots donations, not foundations or large gifts, are our single largest source of funding. That means we're accountable to, and fueled by, Indivisibles on the ground. Chip in $7 to keep fueling our movement. 

Chip in >>

To give by mail, send a check to Indivisible Project, PO Box 43884, Washington, DC 20010.

Indivisible Project is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Donations are not tax-deductible.

Click here to view this email in your browser or here to forward this email to a friendThis email was sent to kmyers209.shamrock5@blogger.com at zip code 32955. Update your contact information here. You may unsubscribe at any time.

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.