#call your senators and congresspeople

[intelligentchristianlady]

Facts

"Americans think the U.S. spends too much on foreign aid because they think it spends about 25% of the federal budget on such aid while they say it should only spend about 10%. In fact, it spends only about 1% on foreign aid. Similarly, while right-wing leaders insist that the government is bloated, in fact,...the U.S. population has grown by about 68% in the last 50 years while the size of the federal government’s workforce has actually shrunk.

"At the same time, budget deficits have been driven by tax cuts under Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump as well as the unfunded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the Treasury actually ran a surplus when Democratic president Bill Clinton was in office in the 1990s." [HCR, 2-15-25]

[keepxsolxinxsolxinvictus]

Resist! Boycott! Protest!

And vote blue in the midterms.

[fairuzfan]

What's new(ish) in the settler-colonial state of the US is that a series of bills have been passed in the House (the Baby Senate as I like to say) and are on their way to the Senate that make it harder to voice support for Palestinians while also making sure your direct taxes aid the genocide in Gaza.

These bills affirm the US's stance on the settler-colonial Zionist Entity and the implicit ties that the government has with Israel and really — just goes to show you how Israel is just one big base for American Imperialism.

Anyways, there's still time to call your senate and tell them that you don't want these bills that only further spiral the US into fascism so even if you think it might not do much — it's important that we document our dissent in official sources. And while you're at it — call your congressperson and tell them that if they voted for this you're not voting for them next election. If they voted against the bills, still call your congresspeople and tell them you support their decision to vote against these bills.

Here are the bills:

📍Resolution: HR 6126

Resolution Name: Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act Description: Gives $14.3 Billion To Israel From The IRS (Taxes You Pay). Like straight up. Just takes it from an IRS project, which used our tax dollars to begin with, to give to Israel "defense." Link to check summary: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr6126

📍Resolution: HR 798

Resolution Name: "Condemning the support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations at institutions of higher education, which may lead to the creation of a hostile environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff." Description: Will Penalize Students On American College Campuses For Supporting Palestine. This includes "Free Palestine" Protests as according to Rep Owens who introduced the bill (Click). Link to check who voted: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/118-2023/h578

📍Resolution: HR 3266

Resolution Name: "Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act" Description: They will be examining Palestinian education materials to see if it promotes "hate" or "violence" (aka are they teaching their children to become murderers??). Will inevitably require Revision Of Text Books In Palestinian Schools To Portray The Occupation In A Positive Light. Link to summary: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr3266

📍Resolution: HR 340

Resolution Name: "The Hamas International Financing Prevent Action" Description: Claims to stop financial support for "terrorist" organizations but considering that Gaza's government is run by Hamas, then this would mean Gaza will receive absolutely no aid and donating to people in Gaza could get you in legal trouble. Link to summary: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr340

There's a button for most of these bills that allows you to contact your representative directly. Please do take the time to contact them — while many of this isn't especially new to Palestinians, the difference is now that we have a larger power in numbers than we did in the past. Please make sure to advocate for you Palestinian comrades in the US whenever possible! Help us Free Palestine one step at a time!

[lucybellwood]

I thought I was pretty hip to calling my reps but I’d never previously heard about speaking to a staffer in charge of a particular issue! Good tips in this post from Gordana Richardson:

“Advice (from a high-level staffer for a Senator) on contacting your representatives:

You should NOT be signing online petitions or emailing. They are essentially ignored or trashed. Instead…

YOU SHOULD MAKE 6 CALLS A DAY: 2 each (DC office and your local office) to your 2 Senators & your 1 Representative. Calls are what all the congresspeople pay attention to.

Every single day, the Senior Staff and the Senator get a report of the 3 most-called-about topics for that day at each of their offices (DC and local), and exactly how many people discussed said topics. They're also sorted by zip code and area code.

Republican callers generally outnumber Democrat callers 4-1; closer to 11-1 regarding hot-button issues. Congressmen who may be on the fence to vote with the their party can be swayed by call volume. In the last 8 years, Republicans have called, and Democrats haven't.

So, when you call:

A) When calling the DC office, ask for the Staff member in charge of the topic you're calling about ("Hi, I'd like to speak with the staffer in charge of Healthcare, please") — local offices won't always have specific ones, but they might. Record names of staffers you speak with. Don't leave a message if at all possible.

B ) Give them your zip code even if they don’t ask for it. Extra points if you live in a zip code that traditionally votes for them, since they'll want to make sure they get/keep your vote.

C) Make it personal if at all possible. "I voted for you in the last election and I'm worried/happy/whatever" "I'm a teacher, and I am appalled by Betsy DeVos," "As a single mother…" etc.”

[emjee]

US people! The asshole who currently resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave signed an EO on 3/14/2025 to defund the Institute of Library and Museum Services. YOU have the chance to call YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVE and be REALLY ANNOYING in an INFORMATIVE WAY.

As an act of love to yourself, your neighbors, and your library workers, please call your Congresspeople and:

- Demand they do everything in their power to block this defunding

- Tell them libraries are important to you and you use their services and you don’t want those services to change or go away. You want MORE services which means MORE money.

- Demand they do everything in their power to end the current constitutional crisis. Congress has power of the purse, not the executive branch.

This is a fast and tangible way to support libraries! You get to vent your frustration about this regime! You get to know that I am genuinely thankful to you!

The information in this post is for the purposes of making phone calls. It is accurate, but not deeply nuanced. If you have further questions please send me an ask.

[meeedeee]

Calling Your Congresspersons

Not my post but please feel free to copy and paste to share with others

*******************************

FOR THOSE OF YOU LOOKING TO TURN YOUR ANGER INTO ACTION, here's some advice from a high-level staffer for a Senator. Re-posting from a friend of mine:

There are two things that we should be doing all the time right now, and they're by far the most important things.

You should NOT be bothering with online petitions or emailing.

1) The best thing you can do to be heard and get your congressperson to pay attention is to have face-to-face time — if they have town halls, go to them. Go to their local offices. If you're in DC, try to find a way to go to an event of theirs. Go to the "mobile offices" that their staff hold periodically (all these times are located on each congressperson's website). When you go, ask questions. A lot of them. And push for answers. The louder and more vocal and present you can be at those the better.

2) But those in-person events don't happen every day. So, the absolute most important thing that people should be doing every day is calling.

YOU SHOULD MAKE 6 CALLS A DAY:

2 each (DC office and your local office) to your 2 Senators & your 1 Representative.

The staffer was very clear that any sort of online contact basically gets immediately ignored, and letters pretty much get thrown in the trash (unless you have a particularly strong emotional story — but even then it's not worth the time it took you to craft that letter).

Calls are what all the congresspeople pay attention to. Every single day, the Senior Staff and the Senator get a report of the 3 most-called-about topics for that day at each of their offices (in DC and local offices), and exactly how many people said what about each of those topics. They're also sorted by zip code and area code. She said that Republican callers generally outnumber Democrat callers 4-1, and when it's a particular issue that single-issue-voters pay attention to (like gun control, or planned parenthood funding, etc...), it's often closer to 11-1, and that's recently pushed Republican congressmen on the fence to vote with the Republicans. In the last 8 years, Republicans have called, and Democrats haven't.

So, when you call:

A) When calling the DC office, ask for the Staff member in charge of whatever you're calling about ("Hi, I'd like to speak with the staffer in charge of Healthcare, please") — local offices won't always have specific ones, but they might. If you get transferred to that person, awesome. If you don't, that's ok — ask for that person's name, and then just keep talking to whoever answered the phone. Don't leave a message (unless the office doesn't pick up at all — then you can — but it's better to talk to the staffer who first answered than leave a message for the specific staffer in charge of your topic).

B) Give them your zip code. They won't always ask for it, but make sure you give it to them, so they can mark it down. Extra points if you live in a zip code that traditionally votes for them, since they'll want to make sure they get/keep your vote.

C) If you can make it personal, make it personal. "I voted for you in the last election and I'm worried/happy/whatever" or "I'm a teacher, and I am appalled by Betsy DeVos," or "as a single mother" or "as a white, middle class woman," or whatever.

D) Pick 1-2 specific things per day to focus on. Don't rattle off everything you're concerned about — they're figuring out what 1-2 topics to mark you down for on their lists. So, focus on 1-2 per day. Ideally something that will be voted on/taken up in the next few days, but it doesn't really matter — even if there's not a vote coming up in the next week, call anyway. It's important that they just keep getting calls.

E) Be clear on what you want — "I'm disappointed that the Senator..." or "I want to thank the Senator for their vote on... " or "I want the Senator to know that voting in _____ way is the wrong decision for our state because... " Don't leave any ambiguity.

F) They may get to know your voice/get sick of you — it doesn't matter. The people answering the phones generally turn over every 6 weeks anyway, so even if they're really sick of you, they'll be gone in 6 weeks.

From experience since the election: If you hate being on the phone & feel awkward (which is a lot of people) don't worry about it — there are a bunch of scripts (Indivisible.org has some, there are lots of others floating around these day). After a few days of calling, it starts to feel a lot more natural.

Put the 6 numbers in your phone (all under P – Politician.) An example is McCaskill MO, Politician McCaskill DC, Politician Blunt MO, etc., which makes it really easy to click down the list each day.

**If you want to share this, please copy and paste so it goes beyond our mutual friends.**

I have added the following websites:

1. Find your federal and state legislators: Use reps.fyi (directs you to https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/ )

2. Use scripts from 5Calls.org

3. Use scripts from the Americans of Conscience Checklist (updates every 2 weeks) https://americansofconscience.com/checklist/

4. Join a local or virtual group at https://indivisible.org/

[the-moon-loves-the-sea]

(X, X)

This has happened to so many people seeking a gender marker change in the past week — documents seized, passport marked “processing.”

But the office tells them it won’t be released until they have a law in place to back up the EO, which says passports will only be issued marked with someone’s assigned birth gender. No matter what the person’s other papers say.

We need phone calls! We need congress to know this matters to us. Trans people are a small minority. They need cis people to speak up. Here are the links to call your congresspeople and your attorney general:

Their offices keep track of the top issues being called about. Even if they’re liberal, they still need to know they have voters’ support to act on this. You don’t have to be eloquent—you just need to tell them this affects your friends and makes you feel unsafe as a citizen. If their right to documents can be revoked, so can yours.

[remyfire]

I need to know that y'all know what is going on right now.

I need y'all to understand that today there was a rally outside of the US Treasury Building to protest Elon Musk and DOGE's actions at the Treasury. I need y'all to know that there were Democrat Congresspeople out there in the streets, rallying together the protesters, unafraid to use words like fascism and dictator, literally leading chants to shut down the Senate. They were focused. They were passionate. They sent their best out and they kicked fucking ass.

I need y'all to understand that things are incredibly. Fucking. Serious right now. And I need y'all to call your goddamn representatives and put the fear of God in their hearts because if they don't get in there and slow every single thing that comes through the Senate down, I am not exaggerating, it is going to be incredibly hard to come back from this.

This is the time. This is when we need to move. There is a protest happening tomorrow in the capital of every major city. If you're ready to go, then get ready for it.

[soggycheeeeeeese]

Taken from u/Visual_Industry_ on Reddit

First, know that *they* are silencing news about protests. We are not laying down. You can find community, resources, and protest events against Donald J Trump, Elon Musk, and their administration on the 50501 subreddit.

Next, if you are, for any reason, unable to make a demonstration, please call your representatives. Call your senators, congresspeople, and anyone in the White House. Contact your governor's office as well. Use this resource sheet for more information.

Finally, send the following letter template aand share the above links around at the very least. I copied and edited this one from u/Die_of_beaties. Hell, you can copy/paste this entire blog onto yours. Get word out. Do demonstration, call, and even email if you can.

But share links and send emails at the very least. Here is the template. Change and edit information as needed.

Congressman/Congresswoman/Senator/Governor _______,

I write to you as a citizen of your district/state/precinct.

I and my community have grave concerns that President Donald J. Trump's excessive abuse of power within only two weeks holding this prestigious office demonstrates nothing less than an overwhelming and blatant disregard for our Government, our Democracy, and the democratic process. It is a budding display of despotism with a tyrant's actions and words, not an American president's. He and his administration, including 'special government employee' Elon Musk, show zero honor for the Constitution upon which this great country was built.

Yet, we are to trust that he and his administration will faithfully uphold the Constitution? I'd like to outline a few specific instances of particular concern:

1. The memo freezing federal grants and loans:

He overreached and abused his power via this unconstitutional act. Federal spending power belongs to Congress, not the president.

2. Birthright citizenship removal:

This attempt violates both The Bill of Rights and The Constitution, two documents upon which this nation was founded, built, and grown. This attempt shows that he disrespcts each and that he cares nothing about his presidential duty to uphold and defend these documents, what they stand for, and who they protect. He, therefore, shows no regard for the United States of America. And I fear this disrespect and disregard can and will go further.

3. Emoluments Clause violations:

He launched a crypto currency which directly violates the Emoluments Clause. This president Donald J. Trump (and potentially his family or beneficiaries) profit directly from his position and crypto currency to the tune of a few billion (at least). I, personally, have no issues with crypto in itself. I do take issue with an already proven shady public figure profiting via difficult-to-track means by which he could easily send and receive funds or bribes from potentially dangerous foreign entities. He also stated he would do so to varying degrees during his campaign. These actions require a thorough and unbiased investigation from those who are not tied to or purchased by him.

4. Public comments about "rigging" or "stealing the election":

He and his associate Elon Musk publicly made comments suggesting that they may rig the election against the voters leading up to Election Tuesday on November 5th 2024. This point should have already been acted upon via a federal investigation of all parties involved, Elon Musk in particular. The time-sensitive data of voting records demanded and continues demanding such urgent attention.

5. Repeated discussion surrounding the use of political violence:

Donald J. Trump and some of his associates repeatedly spoke of using political violence and/or blood shed so that he may forgo American political procedures and have his way once he got in office for this particular term. He used such verbiage against former NIAID director Anthony Fauci, former national security adviser John Bolton, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Pompeo's top aide Brian Hook. These individuals received death threats against their persons and families once President Donald J Trump stripped them of their security and protections. Donald J Trump also threatened them about social media posts (specifically in the same manner and to the same audience as the January 6th insurrection, including the violent criminals he personally pardoned in said insurection). If another president or government official made similar statements, let alone carried them out, they would certainly face almost immediate criminal charges reaching levels akin or equal to domestic terrorism. President Donald J Trump should not be exempt from such swift action either.

6. Threats against long-standing American allies:

Donald J Trump also threatened long-standing allies, like Mexico, Canada, and Denmark, with either conquest or seizure of land via military action. Our allies did not provoke these statements. He is currently transforming our peaceful borders into hostile territory and beloved allies into potential enemies. I can only think that he does this purely for bombast and ego. No logical human being of sound mind who cares about other citizens would act in such a way.

7. Undermining the First Amendment on The Bill of Rights:

Donald J Trump took bribes from, sued, and threatened with violence opposing journalists, news organizations, social media platforms, and average individuals for speaking up about or reporting on things that don't shine him in a flattering light, including all of the above. He proves time and time he doesn't care to uphold nor honor the Bill of Rights.

Not one of the listed actions come from a true American president but a rising Dictator and Tyrant. Congress has explicitly defined three forms of misconduct as grounds for impeachment;

• “Improperly exceeding or abusing the powers of the office” (First, Second, and Seventh instance above)

• “Behavior incompatible with the function and purpose of the office” (Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth instance above)

• “Misusing the office for an improper purpose or for personal gain.” (Third instance above)

In the instances listed, Donald J Trump explicitly violated each and every one of these definitions.

We hold you and your cohorts as our elected representatives to stand in defense of our democracy, our government, and the United States of America. Push for the proper investigations, trials, and impeachment of Donald J Trump and his party. The inaction we have seen over the last 4 years regarding this man has been unacceptable. Unprecedented happenings require unprecedented and urgent actions before it is too late.

Respectfully,

_______

[aqlstar]

By the way, if you are American you can sign up to call your senators and congresspeople to encourage them to apply the necessary pressure to see the hostages released.

Click here to volunteer or for phone numbers and a script.

[justalittlesolarpunk]

Advice for Turtle Islanders

Hey everyone, I’m aware that I’m very privileged to live in a country where the government are like, regular level shit instead of Trumpian, so I wanted to help out people living in the so-called USA however I could. Here’s my advice for what it’s worth - I don’t have experience living under an authoritarian state but I have studied history and been paying attention to what everyone has been saying in the past few weeks, so I thought I’d offer some of my suggestions for how to keep yourselves and your neighbours safe going forward. It’s hard to know what to go so far as to suggest, since it’s just so unpredictable what might happen over the next few years. But in the interests of predicting every eventuality, I hope you’ll overlook any particularly outlandish suggestions. Hopefully it won’t get as far as some of these actions imply, but it’s always better to be prepared than blindsided. You don’t have to do all these things. Just do what you can, and remember you aren’t alone

-Join a labour union, go to meetings, and be prepared to strike

-Attend protests even if you think they won’t do anything. But bear in mind you will increasingly risk arrest and police brutality. Dress unremarkably, don’t take photos at protests and DEFINITELY don’t share them online

-Call your senators, congresspeople, governors, state legislators, mayors and city councillors. Continually bother them and kick up a fuss about even the smallest thing you disagree with. It’s important to keep government busy so implementing evil legislation is harder

-Set up or volunteer with a community fridge/kitchen or homeless shelter

-Knock on your neighbours’ doors and start getting to know them. If they are safe people, build relationships of reciprocity and care with them

-Read. Expose yourself to as many ideas as you can, but especially political theory, queer storylines and other subversive texts. Some recommendations:

Hope in The Dark by Rebecca Solnit

The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin

How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa

Anything by Marx, Kropotkin, Chomsky, Gelderloos, Freire, Fanon, Foucault, Harvey, Graeber, etc

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions by Larry Mitchell

Pirate Care by Marcell Mars, Valeria Graziano and Tomislav Medak

No Ordinary Men by Elisabeth Sifton and Fritz Stern

Conspiracy of Decency by Emmy E. Werner

-Try to set up or join a local group in your community that discusses political or philosophical ideas, does consciousness-raising, builds connections between neighbours, provides stopgap services to desperate people, teaches people their legal rights, or some equivalent act of mutual aid or resistance

-Key in to existing activist networks for climate, racial, migrant or gender justice - attend their events, fund them, give your time

-Consider whether at some point you’d be willing to do things the government will tell you are forbidden, risking arrest, imprisonment and possibly more severe consequences further down the line. You will have to answer to your own conscience but it’s also important to try and keep safe. If you’re willing to hide people from ICE or the police, source ‘illegal’ HRT and other essential medication, lose or falsify records, help someone get reproductive care, spread forbidden ideas, graffiti or poster government buildings, hold sit-ins, occupations or encampments, key certain people’s cars, let people in or out at borders who you aren’t ‘supposed’ to, sabotage fossil fuel or military infrastructure, disrupt party conventions, withhold tax, film or take photos in places where it’s banned, conscientiously object should a draft come in, or other similar behaviours, do them quietly and carefully. Involve as few other people as possible and DO NOT in the coming days broadcast your willingness to do so. Also for legal reasons I’m joking 😉

-Pick a behaviour from the government which, if enacted, would result in you immediately leaving the country. Once they do this, get OUT. Don’t make it too small, but don’t wait until they’re rounding up journalists in the street, holding public executions or imposing military curfews either. (I’m not saying any of these things will happen, I’m just saying pick your line.) If you’re trans, this event might have already happened, in which case start the process of seeking work or asylum abroad. Do your due diligence - make sure the place you choose will be safe for people like you, and bear in mind that asylum seeking is a big step that will expose you to dehumanising bureaucracies and local hostility even in the most liberal countries

-Put together a go-bag

-Donate any money you can spare either to these advocacy groups or to people in need directly

-Be radically, aggressively kind and compassionate to everyone you meet

-If you have children or are responsible for them, talk to them about what is happening. Strike a balance between explaining to them that it’s important to stay true to our principles and making sure they know to be careful

-Take time to be with loved ones and experience moments of joy, whether this is group meals, days out, shared catharsis, birthdays, religious celebrations, making music, movie nights, whatever replenishes you and reminds you what the fight is for

-Pick an hour each day in which to engage with and respond to the news (broadcast channels, papers, social media). The rest of the time focus on your well-being, that of your family, friends and neighbours, on your job, on being kind, on your volunteering, on resisting in countless tiny ways. Unless something big and emergent is happening in which case respond and react in real time

-Seek out good news stories from your own country and the world. They are out there, I promise

-If you see an arrest or immigration raid, get your phone out and start filming. You have a right to record it

-Donate to bail and strike funds

-Spend time in nature, and learn the names of local trees, flowers, birds, mammals, fish and reptiles. Educate yourself about the natural history and ecology of your local area so you can replenish your mental health, defend your environment and remember that there is life beyond the fascist state’s delusions of total control

-Learn about and engage with your local indigenous tribes. Study their history, attend any events they put on that are open to the settler public, donate money and any supplies they might need, agitate for their rights, see if you have any land you could transfer to their stewardship, and learn some of their languages if they think that’s appropriate

-Make an effort to research and understand things that are happening abroad. The US empire thrives on isolationism, ignorance and poor education. Learn foreign languages, follow other countries’ politics, study their history, watch their films, expose yourself to their cultures and teach yourself to point them out on a map. The more you feel affinity with people across the globe, the more you are a citizen of the world and able to keep your heart safe from narratives of exceptionalism - because you’d best believe the propaganda will be targeting you too. You’re not immune to it. You have to work at resisting. Foreign news services can also help you keep a handle on what’s real if your national ones are lying to you

-Run for school board, union rep, a welfare or campaigning role on your college campus or in your place of worship, or some other small-scale local post where you can make a difference

-If you’re in a position to do so, see if you can help marginalised people receive cheaper services through your job, volunteering or advocacy (for instance offering discounted rates if you run your own business)

-Learn first aid, cooking, and basic clothing repair, and teach these skills to others. Use them to help people with relevant needs

-Pick your battles. Sometimes you might have to let smaller things slide in order to make a bigger difference later. Other times, the small things will be the thin end of the wedge and you’ll want or need to take a stand

-Wear a mask and try to keep up to date with your vaccinations

-Be ready to mobilise your community to protect vulnerable people or places from vigilante attacks, especially if there’s a mosque, immigration centre, lgbt venue or abortion clinic in your neighbourhood

-Download the Signal app and Element software. Get a VPN. Turn off ‘learn from this app’ in your phone’s Siri settings for every app. Leave your phone at home if you’re protesting or doing anything else spiky. Put it in the fridge or at the other end of the house if discussing things you don’t want overheard. Assume you are under surveillance most of the time

-Carry narcan

-Get a library card and take out as many books and DVDs there as you can, use the internet there, stay warm there, really make use of the public service. You can even offer to volunteer there if you have time

-See if you can access academic and scientific papers somehow, and make an effort to read at least one over a semi-regular period of time. This will help with the education mentioned above, as well as keeping you in touch with the truths which your government is so eager to suppress. Lots of downloads also helps an academic in their career, which will be very valuable now that so much of their funding has been cut

-Pick up your neighbours’ groceries or prescriptions for them, drop them off at/pick them up from medical appointments, watch their kids, bail them out and cook for them

-Quit twitter. Use BlueSky instead if you want but don’t assume you are unobserved there. Consider quitting Facebook and Instagram too if you can - Supernova offers a vaguely similar user interface to insta if you want to keep up with friends and continue sharing pictures

-It might help your sanity to start keeping a diary or journal, detailing your emotions and experiences and keeping an eyewitness record of your government’s behaviour. If you do this, though, consider keeping it in a secure hiding place or writing it in code. Perhaps send a copy securely to someone outside the country, but only if you can do so safely, and be ready to destroy it if you think you’re in danger from its discovery

-See if you can get involved with or start a movement for community green energy in your local area

-If you have any garden space, try to plant and grow a bit of your own fruit and veg

-Get trained in non-violent direct action and in self-defence

-Save as much money as you can. You never know when you or someone else might need it

-If it’s accessible to you, consider getting a therapist to talk through the difficult experiences and painful emotions that are going to come up in the next few years. But be careful - make sure you trust the professional you use and that your conversations are as private as possible. Even if both of these are the case, be considered as to how you phrase things

-Walk, cycle, or take public transit whenever possible

-Make art! Paint, draw, sing, play instruments, write stories or poetry or lyrics or plays, act, dance, collage, sculpt, whatever frees your heart and keeps it your own

-Donate individually or through orgs to sex workers, domestic violence survivors, Romani and Traveller individuals, and other people at risk of precarious housing and/or income

-Educate yourself about Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Paganism, Indigenous Spiritualities and other non-Christian religions

-Carry a spare scarf to offer to a hijabi whose hijab might be torn off by vigilantes

-Offer court support to friends and neighbours

-While you still can, source and distribute as many binders, packers, breast forms and pairs of tucking underwear as possible

-As much as possible shop with small local independent businesses, and follow consumer boycotts

-Consider eating less meat. Ignoring the environmental and ethical implications of the meat industry, deregulation is likely and this means many food safety standards will be scrapped

-If you can afford it, get an air filter for your house and a water filter for your tap

-See if you can file lawsuits against government bodies or big companies for violating various laws and rights

-Make sure the disabled people in your community can access spaces, services and transit, that they have enough money for necessities and for disability aids, and that there’s an evacuation plan for them in the event of flooding/fires/a tornado/vigilante violence/government violence

Stay safe out there everyone. Look after each other, keep your head high and your heart soft, and survive.

[americanssweetheart]

Keep Fighting!

As Americans, we are aware of the political stance we are currently in. From political standoffs to economic struggles, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and suffocated, especially when it feels as if our country is headed in a direction we disagree with. And yet, one sentence I keep encountering is, "I am sorry, world, well fix this in 4 years." But do we have to wait four years for another presidential election to move forward? 

The idea of sitting around and waiting for the new administration to take power four years from now is a dangerous form of complacency. While feeling defeated is understandable, we have more tools to fight against this political outcome than we may think. 

Midterms, Local Elections, and Special Elections Matter

First and foremost, the 2024 general election is not the end of our responsibility to our democracy. Although the general election gets the most attraction, we still have midterms in 2026. Midterm elections determine who holds the White House and who represents us in Congress and at the state and local levels every two years. 

Local elections and special elections happen year-round. Whether it is choosing your city council members, voting on local ballot initiatives, or filling vacancies in Congress, these elections matter. We have the ability and responsibility to stay engaged in all elections since they shape the laws and politics that impact our daily lives.  

Contact Your Representatives-They Work for You!

We have the opportunity that many people worldwide envy: the ability to contact our representatives. This is not a privilege- it is right. A right that many of us fail to exercise. If you're angry or worried about the direction our nation is heading, you do not have to take the defeat and move on. You can reach out to your senators, congresspeople, and state legislators. Inform them about where you stand, what policies you care about, and how their decisions can affect you and your community.  

If they're not listening? Organize peaceful protests, petitions, town hall meetings—these are all ways we can hold our elected officials accountable. We do not need to wait for the political pyramid to make a difference. Grassroots movements have made historical changes and brought significant changes to our society. Change doesn't have to wait for the next presidential cycle—it can start in your neighborhood, state, and local community.

Education

We should fix what is broken. Therefore, we must educate ourselves on the problem—explicitly identifying meaningful ways of educating people about propaganda and media literacy's roles in one's life. Far too many of us have fallen into the trap of being influenced by misinformation or half-truths, whether from social media, news, or any unreliable source. Having the ability to evaluate the news and information we consume is an essential tool for modern citizenship. 

Education is not just for students; it is for adults, too. We need to create a culture where people actively seek to learn, understand, and engage with political issues year-round, not just when the presidential race is happening. The habit of checking on political events every four years must be broken. Our stakes are too high; every decision made by elected officials creates long-lasting consequences, and if we remain passive, we risk becoming complicit in a system that does not serve us. 

Breaking the Cycle of Surrender

It is understandable to feel defeated and discouraged when things don't seem to be going your way, but we cannot afford the cost of giving into a sense of "proactive surrender." Fundamental issues are at play, and there are ways to push back. Some of us may be able to weather the storm, but we must remember that those most vulnerable are also the most affected by our inactivity. The more time we spend sitting back and waiting, the longer we allow the problems to fester. 

A Call to Action

So, what does "four years" mean? It does not mean waiting passively for the next election cycle. It means continuing the work, pushing for a meaningful change, and never giving up on our democracy. We have the power to shape our future now, in this very moment. We cannot wait another four years to start fighting for change that we desperately need now. The work is long, complex, and often discouraging, but it is worth it. Our country's future depends on it. 

credits to @dollywons for the border 💘

[filibustin-a-nut]

Republican Senators Are Starting to Break Ranks

The consequences of Musk's unchecked actions of gutting federal funding along with pressure from the people calling their conservative congresspeople is enticing republican representatives to break rank.

Do not stop calling representatives about your concerns regardless of what party they align with. Do not let up the pressure. They are to represent the people so make them do their jobs.

[zjofierose]

for those who feel, as i do, that our only hope is to immediately and fully unite behind VP Harris as the democratic nominee, please contact your senators and congresspeople *right now*.

here's how:

enter your info here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

open the links to your representative (you have only one of these) and your senators (you have two of these) in new tabs

look for the "contact link"

fill out the form to email them (or if you prefer, just call their office and leave a message!)

submit

here is the text i used. you are welcome to use it or tweak it to fit your preference.

(Senator/Representative ___), I am writing to encourage you to endorse VP Harris as the Democratic nominee for president immediately and without reservation. We cannot as a party withstand the damage of an extended debate around who our nominee will be. We must present a united front behind the existing Vice President who is a highly skilled, highly experienced, woman of color and provide her with all possible support if we want to prevail in November. Thank you.

anyone who wants to send me screen shots (plz redact your personal information!!!) of having done this, i will tell you that you're amazing and give you a gold star.

[batboyblog]

During Trump's first term, my main go-to was calling my representatives because I lived in an area represented by 100% Republican elected officials. Now I live in a different area represented by 100% Democrats. Is it still a good idea to call those officials with opinions I know they already agree with, or is it a waste of their time and mine?

well it certainly can't hurt.

however, if you already know your Rep and Senator are a lock on whatever bill is a problem of the moment, there are Orgs like MoveOn and the like that have a list of Congresspeople and Senators you can call on issues. It can be very effective to call early and target bills when they're just working their way through committee and call the members of the committee to help kill something before its a big national fight

and like while members of Congress care more of course about calls from voters in their own district/state most of them care at least some if a lot of people are calling them, also.... you know... you can just tell a little white lie about where you live.

[sweetfirebird]

Senator Murkowski (R) said on camera to her voters that she was scared, the Republicans were scared of retaliation.

And look, I do believe they have been threatened or at least that they are scared of retaliation.

I also don't care. I also believe she is saying this partly so that later on, if there is a later on, she can claim she was threatened and is therefore not responsible for pretending she couldn't stop the country from being destroyed for billionaire profits.

There are whistleblowers right now speaking up--and their lives are DEFINITELY in danger. There are citizens and legal residents being abducted off the street so that Miller and Trump can joke about it. There are Democrat senators calling out the grift and racism and bullshit. There are colleges and universities and state Attorneys General and state governors calling out the grift and racism and bullshit.

So a sitting, wealthy, white United States Senator trying to tell us that they are all so scared they can't stand up for themselves even if not for us? Cry me a fucking river. Do your job or get out of the way.

We have a lot more to lose. Why on earth would sitting GOP senators and congresspeople get a pass to not do anything?