DON’T MISS PART ONE, LINKED HERE!
First, let me say that in this sea of uncertainness, I am so heartened by the interest in my most recent post, 44 Things You Should Do If You’re Disappointed by the Election. This post has been re-shared hundreds of times and is now the second-most read post on my blog, ever. Thanks!
Even more, lots of you have been sharing additional thoughts, tips, and recommendations of things you can do in response to this election outcome. So I now present you with 22 MORE Things You Should Do If You’re Disappointed by the Election:
Political Action
- In my previous post, I encouraged you to write letters/emails to your existing representatives. But a former congressional aide recently gave compelling advice that CALLING your rep’s in-state district office is actually even more effective than letters or emails. And don’t forget to call your state- and city-level reps as well.
Here is a script that I used when I called: “Hello, my name is (name) and I am one of Congresssman/Senator (their name’s) constituents. I wanted to call today to let Congressman/Senator (their name) know that I am very concerned about the election of Donald Trump and wanted to call on the Congressman/Senator to do all he can in his power to help protect the right of marginalized communities, and especially to (fill in your own personal reasons here- they might include ‘protect a woman’s right to choose,’ ‘keep in place the Obamacare provision restricting insurers from discriminating against pre-existing conditions’, or ‘support DACA to keep families together’, etc.) They will likely then ask for your address. That’s it – super quick.
- There is a Change.org petition asking people to call on electors to cast a protest vote in states where they are allowed to do so. My personal opinion is that this is very unlikely to happen, but it takes two seconds to sign the petition, and does serve as a “count” of how many are working to prevent the potential damage of a Trump presidency from occurring.
- Similarly, you can write to the electors in your state, asking them to become a “faithless” elector, and vote their conscience. Know that this is pretty much a long shot, though.
- One other online petition of interest is the one asking Obama to appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, as the Senate has failed to do its job by calling for a vote.
- Email, write, and call your local city officials (mayor, city council), your district attorney, and your local police chief or sheriff, asking them to work to designate your city as a “Sanctuary City” for immigrants; meaning they will not turn over any lists they may have of who in your city is undocumented, nor will they allow police or municipal employees to inquire about an individual’s immigration status.
- Email, write, and call your University alma mater if you have one, asking them to designate your University a “Sanctuary Campus.” This is similar to becoming a sanctuary city, in that the University promises to refuse to turn over any lists of immigration status of students or staff, and does not work with ICE officials to facilitate raids on the campus. (If you Google “your school” + “sanctuary campus” you may find an existing letter you can join, as many campuses have already called for this.)
Boycott/Donate
- In addition to the previous targets of boycott that I listed, there’s also a call to boycott businesses that distribute/stock Trump branded products, and to write into their corporate headquarters asking that they discontinue their relationship with the brand. Talk about how you’re boycotting with the hashtag #grabyourwallet on social media.
- Write to Nike, Gucci, and Starbucks — all businesses that have “flagship” locations in Trump-owned buildings — asking them to end their leases and relocate these stores. Boycott these specific locations (but not the chains themselves) in the meantime.
- Do not watch or attend PGA events, and write to the PGA asking them to move the 2017 Senior PGA Championship and 2022 PGA Championship from Trump-owned golf courses. Also consider writing to individual golfers on the senior tour asking them to withdraw from the 2017 event in protest if it is not moved. Boycott the Senior PGA Championship sponsor, KitchenAid, and write to their corporate headquarters asking them to pull their sponsorship.
- While I told you in the previous article to support good news sources doing investigative journalism, I’d also recommend that you boycott the Wall Street Journal (both in paper and online), as it’s owned by Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch.
- Consider making donations (like ones to the organizations listed in the previous article) in lieu of giving Christmas or Hanukah presents this year.
Advocacy
- I keep seeing people say that “half of America voted for Trump”. This is an outright lie. Only roughly 25% of Americans voted for Trump. A slightly larger 25% voted for Hillary Clinton. And 47% didn’t vote at all. Everywhere you see this lie being propagated, correct it. Only roughly 1/4 of Americans voted for Trump, and he did not win the Popular Vote.
- Do you know someone who didn’t vote? Ask them why and then really LISTEN to their response. Do not vilify them. Do not accuse them. If there was a barrier that kept them from voting, e.g. they didn’t have the proper id, they didn’t know if they could get off work, or they didn’t have a way to get to the polls, make a plan with them for how you, personally, can help them set this right for them for next time around. If they cite the most common response for not voting—that they were too busy—ask them to make a commitment to you that they’ll vote in 2018, and then followup with them about it on a monthly basis.
- Be prepared to intervene if you witness or are the subject of harassment or an attack. Here’s a video on disrupting a racial attack from post-Brexit. Here’s a great comic on what to do if you witness Islamaphobic harassment. And here are 12 potential responses for encountering street harassment. (And p.s. white guys— here’s your chance to really step up, as victims of harassment will generally look to de-escalate themselves, but you can shift the focus and call out the harasser in a way that those being harassed often cannot.)
Health
- If you don’t have insurance, sign up for Obamacare. It’s much harder to take it away once it’s in place. Call your state representatives and let them know that you actively use it.
- Here’s a good list of Trans-specific healthcare concerns and actions to take before the inauguration. If you’re not Trans, share with any Trans friends.
- Are you a runner, walker or biker? Consider downloading the Charity Miles app that will donate $0.10 per mile biked or $0.25 per mile walked to a charity of your choice. Many of their charities have an international focus, but some also do work in the US, like: The Nature Conservancy (environmental protection), Partnership for a Healthier America (children’s health), or Back On My Feet (homelessness).
Self-Protection
- Read this article about better protecting your data online, and make whatever changes you see necessary. Here’s another article on the same topic.
- For Trans individuals, prioritize getting your name and gender marker changed on state and federal ids as soon as possible.
Community Organizing
- Start a community organizing group among your friends. Here is a FANTASTIC article I found about how to get started. I’d recommend everyone read this!
- Look into attending the Womens March on Washington D.C. the day after the inauguration, or, if you can’t make it to D.C., then to a local satellite event, like this one here in Austin.
- The safety pin thing. (Sigh.) I’ll admit I have mixed feelings on this one. Read up on both sides of the argument and make your own decision about whether you want to wear one or not.
- Consider attending a Trump protest (or not.) Like the safety pin thing, I also struggle with this one. As I feel right now, Trump has been legitimately elected by the process we currently have in place. Showing our solidarity? Good. But I’d rather save our collective “protesting energy” for protesting a specific policy, nomination, or action once he’s in office. A better option may be attending “rallies” for specific causes like immigration rights or BLM. But do what makes sense for you.
- Do you know a friend who would make a great candidate for office? Tell them so. Regularly. Set a reminder on your calendar to send them a note once a month or so to encourage them in this way.
So there ya go. How many have you checked off the list so far? Make it a competition against your friends and see who can drive the most change!
