What are YOU doing?

November 16, 2016 11:34 AM

There have been a flurry of asks and comments addressing political actions members are taking in the wake of the election. This post is a place for members to discuss what actions they are taking and to invite other members to join them when appropriate. Please include specific instructions.
posted by bq to MetaFilter-Related at 11:34 AM (241 comments total)

This is a last-minute call-to-arms for NYU alumni!

WHAT I'M DOING: I'm writing a letter to NYU's director of alumni and the engineering school dean to complain about the lackluster response the school gave after a couple of Islamophobic incidents on November 9th.

WHAT HAPPENED: Two separate things: 1) someone wrote "Trump" on the door to the Muslim students' prayer room, and 2) some dudebro called a group of A/P high school students the n-word while they were all in an elevator, saying that "Trump won so I can get away with that now". The school has responded by just posting a guard by the prayer room, and that's it; no statement from the school about diversity or protecting students.

HOW TO HELP: If you went to NYU, just memail me your name, the department, and the year you graduated.

WHEN TO DO THIS BY: tonight! I want to get this in the mail tomorrow (November 17th). I can share the text of the letter if you like.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:40 AM on November 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

I have volunteered to help towns remove hateful graffiti in hard to reach places for free, as I'm a rock climber and I have a power-washer.
posted by French Fry at 11:40 AM on November 16, 2016 [62 favorites]

(Quick procedural note: we'd had another similar MetaTalk in the queue from yesterday but were waiting to hear back from the poster on some framing questions. This is close enough in spirit that I've decided to go ahead and put this through instead.)
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:40 AM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

I don't feel like I'm able to do as much as I'd like and some of my stuff is still theoretical (if anyone has non-congresspeople suggestions for writing or calling I'd love to hear them! I'm ordering new stationary so I'll be ready!) but here are some of the actions my husband and I are taking:

• My husband and I have looked at our finances and have set up monthly donations to a number of organizations (including the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and Trans Lifeline, an organization run by Trans people which was a priority for us on that front).
• We live in DC so I've reached out to some friends from other parts of the country (including some MeFites! Hi guys!) to let them know that if they or people they trust are coming to protest at the inauguration we're happy to provide them with a space to sleep (I mean, it'll be a floor, this is one step up from sleeping in the basement of a church, but at least it's inside). We have a baby so won't be going to protest ourselves because she's not in a position to make a choice about her participation and we don't feel comfortable putting a baby in danger but this means we will be able to look after other people's kids if necessary, possibly for an extended time if there are (God forbid) mass arrests or anything.
• I'm getting in touch with friends and family, especially Jewish/Muslim/LGBTQ/PoC friends to let them know I'm thinking of them and ask if there's anything I can do to help.
• I'm writing to family members who mean well but don't necessarily agree with me or think we should wait and see and explaining to them why this feels different from a normal, if disappointing, election and why I support protesters.
• Again, baby, so I can't volunteer too regularly but I have experience with working on databases at not-for-profits so I'm looking around to see if there are organizations that could use my help with that. I'm also trying to see if there are organizations that train volunteers to help people fill out stuff like immigration paperwork.
• I've already written one letter (to Director Comey of the FBI) and I'm researching others that might be worth writing or phone calls worth making (DC so no congresspeople ugh ugh ugh)
• Checking out resourches on being a good ally so I know the best way to intervene if I see someone being harassed.

posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 12:04 PM on November 16, 2016 [21 favorites]

I just donated to Louisiana Democrat Foster Campbell's campaign for the US Senate.
If he wins this run-off election, the split in the Senate will be 51-49 R-D, rather than 52-48.
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:27 PM on November 16, 2016 [21 favorites]

I just donated to Louisiana Democrat Foster Campbell's campaign for the US Senate.

Me, too.
posted by briank at 12:39 PM on November 16, 2016 [6 favorites]

Mostly just increased my regular donations to groups I was already supporting: ACLU, SPLC, PPA. I'm not happy with that being the full extent of the work I do, I intend to start bugging my congresscritters and state legislators. Between there not being much concrete to oppose yet and my living in blue, blue Massachusetts, though, I don't have any specific topics to call about right now. Mostly I'm just collecting info on who I should be calling, when the time for that comes.

I'm thinking the first thing I might reach out on is getting my city to declare sanctuary status, like Somerville already has, and maybe see if there's something the legislature can pass to similar effect. Gov. Baker made a statement today that sanctuary status is up to the cities (which makes sense, since it's mainly about law enforcement cooperation with ICE), but I intend to ask my state reps anyway, just in case there's something they think they can do.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:41 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

Energy and environmental issues hit marginalized communities the hardest. Environmental racism is subtler than swastika graffiti, but also important to fight.

I'll be upping my work with ReThink Energy Florida to help local communities fight environmentally risky fossil fuel extraction and help bring the new, green jobs to the Sunshine State. ReThink helped beat bad, pro-industry fracking regulations and helped defeat pro-utility, anti-renewable energy Amendment 1 in 2015. If you're in Florida we can use help, everything from letter-writing parties, hosting films and talks, direct action, and more. We need volunteers and funding.

I'll also personally be probably running for a seat on the County Commission in 2018.
posted by Cookiebastard at 12:44 PM on November 16, 2016 [23 favorites]

I'll also personally be probably running for a seat on the County Commission in 2018.

Good luck! Florida is already feeling the effects of climate change, so they really need to be on the cutting edge of fighting it as well. (Fuck Rick Scott.)
posted by tobascodagama at 12:46 PM on November 16, 2016 [4 favorites]

Miko's "Vitamins for Democracy" framing has helped me call my Congresspeople. I have encouraged friends to put their reps' numbers in their phones and to call frequently.
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:47 PM on November 16, 2016 [11 favorites]

I really want to help our local population of Muslim refugees and immigrants (a group that Trump came to our state specifically to threaten) but I have no time, no money, and no clue where to start. Help?
posted by selfnoise at 12:49 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

Donating to Planned Parenthood, ACLU, Transgender Law Center. Going this weekend to the local Democratic Party to see if they need database wonks or just someone to make phone calls.

Have also had two opportunities to use ErisLordFreedom's suggestion in conversation; the strange looks alone were worth the price of admission.
posted by Mooski at 12:55 PM on November 16, 2016 [6 favorites]

--I set up monthly donations to the ACLU. (I need to get more going.)
--I'm working with the local chapter of Pantsuit Nation to set ourselves up as a grassroots organization.
--I'm anti-protesting outside the local Planned Parenthood this weekend.*
--I'm getting involved with the local democratic party.
--I'm making it part of my regular schedule: every morning, as my coffee brews, I'm calling my senators (both Republicans). This morning it was about Bannon.

*The group that runs the anti-protest is really cool. It was started by a guy I know. After the Planned Parenthood shooting a while ago, he decided he wanted to show support. So, he just set up a Facebook group to encourage supporters, and he went and stood with supportive signs. Now it happens every weekend, and there are more than 700 people in the Facebook group. It's a great example of how it really only takes one person to show some resolve to get a whole movement going.
posted by meese at 12:57 PM on November 16, 2016 [13 favorites]

This thread seems like possibly a good place to ask if anyone is aware of effective channels for humanitarian aid to Syria and collective action against Trump's potential alignment with Assad/Putin. (I am aware of more US-local efforts supporting refugees.)
posted by thetortoise at 1:07 PM on November 16, 2016

I really want to help our local population of Muslim refugees and immigrants (a group that Trump came to our state specifically to threaten)

Selfnoise, this sounded so familiar that I had to check your location to make sure we're not neighbors.

Last week I started making a spreadsheet of various organizations that might need help with funding, put them into broad categories, and what sort of region they covered. It's a long list and there's still more to add - I definitely want more local orgs on there. I can't fund all of them all of the time, but I can give $10 a week to one of them, and if I can't swing that I can volunteer for a few hours. I've shared that list with other who have wanted it.

My local planned parenthood chapter is going to try to help people sign up for MNSure with the idea that if we make the ACA a little easier and have more people on it, more people I know will care if it's taken away. So they're phone banking, and I'm going to try to show up.

I'm going to be better about calling out shit, on facebook and otherwise. I can be pretty aggressive when making arguments, and I'm trying to tone that down a bit, but still get to the point. I'm mentioning the stuff I'm dealing with, the stuff my friends are dealing with - or have dealt with in the past. I'm trying to tell more stories I know because I realize some people will listen more if it comes from a white mouth.

I've been asking people I know how they're doing and trying to point them towards resources that might help, or encouraging them to help by linking them with resources.

And lastly, I'm trying to be kind to people. Helping out the guy who is freaking out at the light rail station and calling his friend for him. Helping a little old lady with her groceries at Target and asking her about her day. Giving someone asking for change money for once. Trying to get to know my neighbors. So many of us are hurting right now that it's so easy to get angry and lash out, to wonder who out there would hate me if they knew me, but you've got to be kind.
posted by dinty_moore at 1:09 PM on November 16, 2016 [6 favorites]

This is also a good place for me to mention that I'm still getting the occasional heads-up about donations to the IRC, which is wonderful. I even got a tip about how to improve broswer visibility that I've passed on to our tech team. :-)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:24 PM on November 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

I made an extra donation to Planned Parenthood and re-joined the ACLU--I was a member years ago but let my membership lapse--I guess I got too complacent.

I'm trying to figure out something that I can specifically do on Inauguration Day. For the past two inaugurations I took the day off work and watched the coverage all day and cried some happy tears. I'd planned to take the day off again this year but now I won't dignify this year's event by watching any of it. I'd like to do something specific and positive that day instead, and am open to ideas!
posted by bookmammal at 1:36 PM on November 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

I called all six of Senator Burr's offices just now (Senator from North Carolina). I wrote myself a script so that I wouldn't get all flustered (which I did anyways on the first call, but then it got a little better).

Here's the script I used, and the info to call the offices:
When a person actually picked up, I said:
"I am a constituent from Greensboro. I am calling to let Senator Burr know that I am terrified that Steve Bannon, who is a white supremacist, may be determining the course of the United States over the next four years. And so I am asking Senator Burr to refuse to work with the Trump transition team until Steve Bannon is removed from his staff."

When I got a voicemail I took the opportunity to get a little more ~elaborate~, to whit:
"I am a constituent from Greensboro, and I am calling to say to Senator Burr that my home city of Greensboro was home to both the Greensboro sit-ins, which advanced civil rights in America, and the Greensboro Massacre, in which Nazis and Klan members murdered North Carolinians. I would like Senator Burr to ask himself which version of North Carolina he wants us to be, and so I am asking Senator Burr to refuse to work with the Trump transition team until Steve Bannon is removed from his staff."

Here are the offices where a real person answered the phone:
Winston-Salem
[phone]
Wilmington
[phone]
Washington, DC
[phone]

Here are the offices where I had to leave a voicemail:
Asheville
[phone]
Gastonia
[phone]
Rocky Mount
[phone]
One of those places had a full voicemail box, so I selected the option to leave a message with one of the staffers and left it there instead.

Y'all, doing this was scary as shit. I have literally never called a Senator's office before. But the staffers who answered the phones were all incredibly polite, and said that they would pass the message on to Senator Burr, which hopefully is true.

I didn't do Sen. Tillis because frankly that was kind of exhausting but I plan to do it tomorrow
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:46 PM on November 16, 2016 [75 favorites]

I joined a newly formed group that is focusing on LGBTQA and reproductive rights. I'm working on a website of local resources. Rebudgeted to increase my donations. A friend and I are brainstorming what we can best do locally. I'm going to start attending the meetings of the Progressive Democrats here. Working with the local PN chapter on their campaigns. And yeah, being kinder to others and practicing good self-care.
posted by Ruki at 1:48 PM on November 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

Kanata--Thank you. And I disagree with your thought that your actions didn't help. Solidarity is a powerful thing.
posted by bookmammal at 1:49 PM on November 16, 2016 [6 favorites]

So far mostly donations (ACLU, NAACP, planning to add League of Women Voters and Planned Parenthood) (and yes, Empress, I haven't given to IRC for a bit so time for that one too).

Planning to give to Foster Campbell for Senate - thanks for the links above. Also it looks like you can sign up to phone bank for Foster, for any MeFites United folks who miss making phone calls.

I also registered a couple of domains (strongertogetherwhatsnext.com and imwithherwhatsnext.com) and was kind of thinking of putting up suggestions like all the things everyone's mentioned above, links to sources of solace and inspiration, links to progressive organizations - does something like that already exist? I don't really want to duplicate effort but I could probably throw something together this weekend if it would be useful.

Oh, I also called my representative in Congress to request an injunction in Wisconsin, as suggested by the Whelk - I don't know whether that's a viable strategy, but it gave me a chance to thank my rep and also the nice harried staffer who answered the phone for being part of our government.
posted by kristi at 1:50 PM on November 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

I am setting up a monthly ACLU donation.

I donated to Foster Campbell.

I am going to call Ryan, my Senators and my Rep every week about whatever issue is most pressing. I think Tuesdays will be my day.

I will be going to Austin to protest on inauguration day with some friends (and meeting more of them there), many PN folks are going too.

I am considering whether to shut down the coffeehouse committee I'm in charge of at my UU church to have time for the Social Justice Committee; or maybe transform it in some way for activism; one way or the other, I'm going to get my well-intentioned but still-too-white church to do some local good in service of our principles. This will possibly mean we get graffiti'd and otherwise threatened, and many are understandably scared, but we have to stand up.

I am going to family Thanksgiving (and Christmas) and being calm and conversational about my politics and the election, in hopes that I might reach the younger/less fossilized members or give hope to any that are being very quiet about what they think because they're afraid.

In general, I am as a white lady going to talk to and listen to and hopefully educate my fellow white people, not stay in my liberal bubble or let hatespeech go unchallenged. It is not the job of people of color to educate other white people; that's on us.
posted by emjaybee at 1:52 PM on November 16, 2016 [9 favorites]

I'm trying to figure out something that I can specifically do on Inauguration Day. For the past two inaugurations I took the day off work and watched the coverage all day and cried some happy tears. I'd planned to take the day off again this year but now I won't dignify this year's event by watching any of it. I'd like to do something specific and positive that day instead, and am open to ideas!

See if a food bank or an animal shelter needs help that day. Other orgs, too - but those are the ones that probably are the easiest to find and have the most experience with shorter term volunteers.

Yesterday I was toying with trying to get tickets to the inauguration and then not going to throw off their numbers, but a) I'm so obviously a democrat I wonder if they'd think something was up and b) this would only work if I managed to get a ton of other people to do this too, and I don't think I have the organizational skills to pull this off.
posted by dinty_moore at 1:55 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

I am in PN local groups in two states, and one in particular is doing a Daily Action. So in the last four days I have spoken to my reps more than in the last year, probably. Also, we are joining the ACLU and giving to PP. And we're going to the march, and whatever else anyone asks us to do.

But my biggest project is one I put together with a small advisory committee. It is a fairly large-scale project to create shareable digital tools and a program model for having small-group, pop-up civics learning discussions all over the nation. I am extremely excited about it and I'm looking for volunteers who would like to make a serious effort to increase civics learning among regular people in the US, engage the disenfranchised and support progress change. We need: content developers who can research civics topics and create short, accessible educational resources; web and visual designers; and social media managers and contributors.

If you are interested, please MeMail me and I will add you to our list. I have a Google Doc that lays out the proposal in clearer terms, and I'd be happy to share it with you so can see whether this is something you'd like to get involved in. We believe it has real legs and could spread widely. Thanks and good luck.
posted by Miko at 2:03 PM on November 16, 2016 [19 favorites]

I have (with my pal bluishorange) set up a small email list of like-minded folks to distribute letters and phone scripts and instructions on issues that could benefit from local/state/national action. Part of what's hard is figuring out where to start and feeling like what you're doing is ineffective, but after doing independent research and seeing here on Metafilter data showing that personal letters and phone calls ARE meaningful, I decided to do something to make it super easy for my friends with limited time/energy resources to be involved. Yesterday I sent out information on 1) the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, along with a letter that I sent to my state reps and 2) how to call and voice opposition to Steve Bannon's appointment as Chief Strategist, along with a phone script that I totally borrowed from melissasaurus.
posted by oh really at 2:03 PM on November 16, 2016 [4 favorites]

https://trumpreliefpledge.org/
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:05 PM on November 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

- Donated like everyone else said. And if Trump actually does cut my taxes, every dollar of that cut is going to charities that need it.
- Blocked off half an hour on my calendar every week to make phone calls. I've called my rep and senators, and I've called other people's reps and senators. Yes I'm willing to lie and say I'm a constituent (googled the relevant zip codes because sometimes they ask), I understand that not everyone is.
- Requested inauguration tickets to create empty seats. Even my democratic rep and senators have these to distribute so I don't think they're distributing them based on who they think is a real republican.
posted by last_fall at 2:08 PM on November 16, 2016 [5 favorites]

Figuring out how much federal tax I am likely to owe, then donating just over that amount to charities that will help the people Trump will hurt. Federal government gets as little of my money as possible for the next four years.

I'll still pay DC's tax, because my city needs that money. But the federal government can go fuck itself.
posted by Pallas Athena at 2:21 PM on November 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

Figuring out how much federal tax I am likely to owe, then donating just over that amount to charities that will help the people Trump will hurt. Federal government gets as little of my money as possible for the next four years.

I'll still pay DC's tax, because my city needs that money. But the federal government can go fuck itself.

I don't think that's how it works - charitable deductions reduce your income used to calculate your taxes, but don't substitute for your tax payment. So, whatever donations you make, your tax payment will be reduced by about 25% of that amount (depending on your tax bracket). So yeah, you're stiffing the government, but not totally.
posted by LionIndex at 2:30 PM on November 16, 2016 [9 favorites]

- I called, emailed and tweeted at Sanders to get a lot more aggro about Bannon
- I certified my town's election results with the town clerk and sent them to the Secretary of State (I am a poll worker) on Tuesday
- I've been working on a skunkworks Library Freedom Playbook with some folks but in the meantime passing good links around via my newsletter
- staying in touch with my friends and neighbors locally and figuring out which of our more vulnerable neighbors may need help
- self-care including yoga, gym, therapy, sunshine, Vitamin D, sleep
- Donated to Urban Libraries Unite who always does good work and good activism
- going on VPR's Vermont Edition tomorrow to talk about how this is all "affecting women" (they're talking to a cross-section of Vermont women)
- spreading the word about how libraries and their concerns about verifying source materials and giving a shit about the truth are going to be sort of important in these weird times. (great link: False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and Satirical “News” Sources)
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 2:30 PM on November 16, 2016 [17 favorites]

I continue to be heavily involved in Girl Scouts. Since the election, I've had one person in Chicago and one person here on mefi reach out to me about how to start volunteering. That's awesome!

I went to a Pilsen Alliance meeting last weekend. I don't live in Pilsen but I live in the neighboring neighborhood where we have many of the same issues and some of the scout troops I oversee are there so it felt right to go. The meeting was almost entirely in Spanish, a language I do not speak but can kind of hear, so I was able to follow along with maybe 70% of it. Honestly might have been one of the most productive meetings I've ever attended--started with lots of crying and ended with plans for marches (to get people informed and involved) and an informational hotline immigrants can call to learn their rights. Do you have any idea how great it is to hear a woman in her 50s wearing a big ol crucifix around her neck to say "wait, we need to make sure we're considering trans rights as well." REALLY damn great.

MCMikeNamara posted this in IRL, I'll be going this weekend.

I've upped my charitable giving to include Planned Parenthood and the SPLC. ACLU, Black Lives Matter, and Trans Lifeline are on the list for next month.

I bought some Black Lives Matter buttons that I'll swap out my Hillary buttons for once they arrive because I had a white coworker start telling me some bullshit about how the country needed a change and it would be ok while literally interrupting the conversation I was having with a black coworker, and I'm tired of white people thinking I'm a safe space for them and their casual racism. Also I support the BLM movement so I should start saying so.

And just today I realized that some friends of mine still aren't 100% ready for self care (myself included, I ate >1 packs of poptarts yesterday, this was a bad choice) so am offering to Grubhub food to anyone who needs a hearty meal. This goes for metafilter, too. If you haven't been eating properly and you don't have the money or ability right now to get yourself fed, memail me your address and I will Grubhub you dinner. If you can afford to buy a few meals right now, please consider doing this. Food helps.

Posts like this also help. Seeing the outpouring of action and donations come through on my facebook feed from the wonderful people I'm lucky enough to know in my life has been so healing. We're all in this together, we have to have each other's backs. People are stepping up, and seeing that happen helps get other people to step up, too.
posted by phunniemee at 2:47 PM on November 16, 2016 [27 favorites]

- I've stopped crying multiple times or vomiting once every day.
- I marched in Chicago the night after the election and plan on keep doing it as often as I can. (It's horrible to have to say but being the clean cut older white guy who gets in line with the kids doing all the heavy lifting of organizing gives them a different type of power so it's the very definition of "the least I could do" with my privilege.)
- I've donated (either newly or increased monthly) to Planned Parenthood, the local chapter of Black Lives Matter, Transgender Law Center, and Southern Poverty Law Center.
-I made phone calls to my senators and representatives on certain issues (No Bannon!) and also sent letters prior to that letting them know that I'm counting on them and asking what can I do to help (Hardcore blue state here, obviously)

(Many of these things were inspired by MeFites, so thank you.)

But other than that, I don't really know what to do. I want to do so much more. I have so many things running through my head at all times and so many things that need to get done but nowhere to put it. Which is one of the reasons I organized this meetup for this Saturday., both because I hope it will help me but also because it gives me something tangible to focus on.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:47 PM on November 16, 2016 [10 favorites]

-I have contacted #NeverTrump senators I have spent time with personally and also influencers I have personal relationships with to encourage them to maintain the filibuster for emergencies
-I have continued to leverage #NeverTrumpers into not giving up and going over to the enemy
-My family has decided to donate to the ACLU
-I have come up with a concerted plan on how to ratfuck white supremacists and supremacist-leaners from within the Republican Party; I am also currently working on developing an anti-racist Republican farm team within multiple states to slowly eliminate those fuckers from the halls of government.
-I did an interview with a reporter from a #NeverTrump perspective on the reasons a Trump presidency is dangerous
-I have linked up with the Pink Pistols, and offered firearms, self-defense, and de-escalation training to individuals most likely to be directly targeted should things go pear-shaped.
-I have done unspecified things around assisting individuals in setting up an underground railroad if one is needed.
posted by corb at 3:17 PM on November 16, 2016 [64 favorites]

This is the list I wrote out for myself:

1. Donate to organizations that fight for justice, and continue to donate. I donated to PP, the ACLU, Border Angels, and the NAACP so far.
2. Volunteer for organizations that fight for justice or will support democratic candidates in future elections. I signed up with the League of Women Voters and my local Democratic Party office.
3. Engage in daily acts of kindness and support towards others without the expectation that the favor will be returned.
4. Engage in conversations, not arguments, about social justice, while not backing down on what's right. Facts, logic, and evidence clearly are not winning here, so I plan to use "tell me about why you think that" and other neutral probes. Keep in mind that Derek Black (the son of the Stormfront founder), two of the Westboro Baptist Church folks, and no less than Glenn Beck have been brought to our side by welcoming them and listening to them, while also sharing our viewpoints.
5. Be a safe person for those who are feeling very marginalized right now to talk to. No reassurance that things will be ok.
6. Visibly express support for LGBT folks, Muslims, folks of color, sexual assault survivors, immigrants, women, people with disabilities, and other groups that will likely be affected by this presidency.
7. If, God forbid, things ever get very very bad for my friends from marginalized groups, offer space in my home to protect their safety.
8. Call my congresspeople regularly in support of legislation that will prevent future voter suppression, protect Planned Parenthood funding and abortion rights, and stop any of the other dangerous ideas he's advanced. Already called a few about Bannon.
9. Try as much as possible to not self-isolate by ideology--geographically, on Facebook, in my family, among friends, etc.--to the extent that it feels safe to do so.
10. Put aside petty differences with other liberals--both personal and political--because this is bigger than all of those and we need all of the unity we can get. Express love and support for people who fight the good fight.
11. Resist the urge to root for this plane that we're all on to crash in order to prove a point. Evidence that he wasn't going to help them didn't sway them then and it's not gonna sway them now.
12. Speak up and/or physically step in to protect the safety of people being harassed or attacked in public.
13. Vote in midterm elections.
14. Sign up for my congresspeople's email lists and attend town hall meetings that they're holding.
15. Don't forget these feelings or become complacent.
posted by quiet coyote at 3:24 PM on November 16, 2016 [21 favorites]

I had about three or four days of shellshock and then my wife and I came to some conclusions. We are currently getting our own house in order so we're not spending all of our resources in a neighborhood where the biggest crisis anyone has faced this week is whether two-rail post-and-rail should be the only allowed fence type or if three-rail should also be permitted. We're hoping to be able, within a year or so, to have resources to help out folks in need of crash space and the time and money to donate to worthy causes. We have a few more things in the conceptual stage, but moving across the country is going to be where our focus is for the next couple months.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 3:25 PM on November 16, 2016 [13 favorites]

The one thing I can be proud of this week is that after yet another intense political discussion with my mom (a Trump voter), she sent me a message saying "I think I'm reading too much right-wing garbage, could you send me some better sources?" I gave her a list and now the Christian Science Monitor and the Economist are on her blogroll.
posted by thetortoise at 3:34 PM on November 16, 2016 [27 favorites]

I'm phonebanking for Show Up for Racial Justice, going to protests here in Oakland, and expanding my charitable giving to include organizations fighting political suppression (I use that term instead of voter suppression because I think it's a broader issue that includes things like the school-to-prison pipeline, systemic poverty and workers' rights, felon voting rights, police brutality...). My family is half staunchly Democratic Puerto Ricans from NYC and half staunchly Democratic white people from Texas, but I've been arguing patiently in favor of protests and direct action with the skeptics. I've almost entirely stripped self-righteous snark from how I do that without being falsely conciliatory on points that I don't think are morally negotiable -- the snark has been a frequent failure of mine in the past.
posted by invitapriore at 3:43 PM on November 16, 2016 [10 favorites]

I'm doing lots of things. I'm not in the US so I'm limited to remote help so what I will most likely be focusing on is digital media in some form. Not sure what that is going to entail yet.

Found out we have some Trumpist here, one who is running for the Conservative leadership and one (my own MP ^$#%#$#) who supports her and made a positive statement about Trump. So at this point I'm working on a game plan because I don't believe in 'it can't happen here anymore'. So my MP is getting a letter initial and we'll have to wait to see how much of a fuss is going to happen around it as word gets around. The next step will depend on what exactly happens and how he responds.

I'm also working on a couple of social media campaigns that could be used if it looks like the leadership candidate's words are getting traction and she becomes a favorite for the leadership.
Also made sure every single person I talked to face to face knows what my MP said about Trump. Happy to report the reactions were all versions of 'wtf no and facefalling disappointment'.

On my social media I'm no longer ignoring 'politics'. Been pretty vocal.

I've very, very concerned about Trumpism influence in Canada. At this point I think it's more about tracking and informing people about what might be happening. I'm pondering some sort of project or org that will do that, probably through some sort of website and social media. Would be also good to have part of it as being support for the fight against in the US but I don't know what that would look like yet.

I'm also getting reconnected back into the climate change network because I know there will be work to do, mostly regarding pressuring our gov't to not kow tow to the US gov't over agreements.

If there are any Canadians that share the same sorts of concerns and want to touch base or have their own ideas contact me here.

Thanks all and do take care of yourself.
posted by Jalliah at 4:01 PM on November 16, 2016 [4 favorites]

I've never called any political representative's office before--but I used a variation of the script from showbiz_liz above and was able to get thru to 3 of the 5 offices of one of my US Senators.
posted by bookmammal at 4:13 PM on November 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

Called the Washington Offices of Senator Burr and Tillis yesterday and talked to staffers (and that is a very good idea about calling the local offices as well.) Called P. Ryan yesterday and left a message, called today the message box was full.

Bought one of these "I am holding your hand" pins, I like them better than the safety pin and the proceeds go to the ACLU.

I will be buying a box of formal stationary (all I have at the moment is flowery Thank You notes) and setting myself the task of three letters a week.

I'm wondering if Rev. Barber is still holding Moral Monday protests in Raleigh? It is something I always wanted to do but Mondays are complicated. Still, I will make the effort if that is still happening.

Also I don't have a personal FaceBook Acct but maybe I should get one so that I can see what is happening in the Raleigh area.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:20 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

Former ACLU Asst. Development Director here, and I wanted to share some giving info. Donations are shared between the local chapter and national, and we always preferred getting donations directly to our local office and sending national their share rather than waiting for national to send us our share. (There may have been other reasons that I'm forgetting, too.) Just something to consider. You can also specify that your donation go towards specific programs or projects.

Personally, at this time I'm unable to participate outside the home or phone bank so I've renewed my ACLU membership and given to PP in Pence's name. I don't have much more to spare but I'm looking to this thread to find another couple of groups to send a small donation to. I am able to do data entry-type work so I'm keeping an eye out for those opportunities.

This might sound dumb, but I'm also generally trying to send out good, welcoming vibes to people in vulnerable groups, like just giving a little smile if we make eye contact, that kind of thing.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:32 PM on November 16, 2016 [19 favorites]

I've long contributed financially to organizations that advocate for reproductive rights. This past week I've decided I'll also start donating to support immigrants.
posted by fuse theorem at 5:26 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm sending the email thing from lalex to everyone I know. Those are some great baby steps that anyone can do during the day. Thanks for posting that!
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 5:40 PM on November 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

Just wanted to report that up here in our little township our 'doing thing' has worked. MP felt it necessary to make a statement 'clarifying' his Trump talk. Social media and letters to local papers were cited as reasons. Not a perfect response(IMO), but he did disavow the worst aspects of Trump. Mainly it's good that he felt he needed too and has been put on notice at least.
posted by Jalliah at 5:49 PM on November 16, 2016 [14 favorites]

I bought some Black Lives Matter buttons

From where? I want to get buttons and a sign but I'd like to get them from a site where it makes a difference than just a random site on the internet.
posted by _Mona_ at 6:22 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm looking into what sort of sanctuary ordinances Louisville has, and getting together a coalition to strengthen and/or reaffirm them. NYC, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Portland have all made brave public commitments to keeping theirs in the face of federal sanctions, and a critical mass of resistance could throw a wrench into the proposed federal extortion.
posted by jackbishop at 6:24 PM on November 16, 2016 [2 favorites]

Jalliah: "Just wanted to report that up here in our little township our 'doing thing' has worked. MP felt it necessary to make a statement 'clarifying' his Trump talk. Social media and letters to local papers were cited as reasons. Not a perfect response(IMO), but he did disavow the worst aspects of Trump. Mainly it's good that he felt he needed too and has been put on notice at least."

Wow, nice! Doing this works.
posted by erratic meatsack at 6:26 PM on November 16, 2016 [8 favorites]

lalex, that's a great resource, thanks! I will try printing out selected actions and post them in my apartment building. (Ie, items 3 and 4 are relevant to many tenants and might not be seen as specifically partisan, so it might not get taken down right away.)
posted by Room 641-A at 6:34 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

From where? I want to get buttons and a sign but I'd like to get them from a site where it makes a difference than just a random site on the internet.

I've been wondering, too. The only remotely "official" source I saw was that ShowingUpForRacialJustice.org sells yard signs. But that's only yard signs. In lieu of that, I guess just look for Etsy sellers and poke around a bit to figure out if they're directly connected with the movement in some way or at least pledge to donate to groups that are. Give your money to (black) women, and all.
posted by tobascodagama at 6:42 PM on November 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

I cancelled my Hulu and Seeso subscriptions and set up a monthly donation to give that money to the ACLU instead. This weekend, I am attending an online volunteer orientation for the Trevor Project, which is a crisis hotline for LGBTQ youth. I will be calling my congresspeople tomorrow.
posted by coppermoss at 7:05 PM on November 16, 2016 [7 favorites]

I keep losing buttons off my bag because I'm kind of rough on it. I'm in the market for a BLM fabric patch--doesn't need to be iron-on, I'll be sewing it--from a reputable source. Plus anything else that seems relevant.

Started talks with someone I know locally about setting up a web project that would basically be a quick reference for people who want reputable sources for anti-Trump talking points. I'm not sure if everybody else is as into this as I am and I'm not lead on it, but it's still an interesting idea to at least start with and see where it goes.

I've been donating to the point where I might have run myself down to under $100 in the bank until Friday. Oops. Going to try to plan things out more in my budget from here on out.

I have not yet been making phone calls, but my voice is totally fried right now from coughing, so I'm hoping to be able to pick that up early next week.

I have been calling people out at work on the process of normalizing Trump into a funny oddball president-elect and "both sides are bad" kind of stuff. It's involved more work than usual to make sure that I'm still having other conversations with these people and staying "part of the group" while still calling them out. It's kind of exhausting, and that's where most of my voice has been going, but it's the part that feels like the most useful.
posted by Sequence at 7:24 PM on November 16, 2016 [8 favorites]

We donated to the ACLU, and yesterday I called both senators and our congressperson about Bannon during lunch. I also mentioned that I was doing it to my work colleagues and a few friends, because hey, maybe I can normalize "calling your senator" while not normalizing the rest of this shitshow. And now I've joined the re:act email list, which is just what I've been looking for.

I really appreciate this thread and everyone sharing concrete actions so far.
posted by deludingmyself at 7:26 PM on November 16, 2016 [5 favorites]

As a white dude, I'm lurking-with-ally-intent on the DC/MD/VA Pantsuit Nation group as well as the main group. My wife and I are also looking into becoming legal observers for the ACLU.
posted by emelenjr at 7:39 PM on November 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

From where? I want to get buttons and a sign but I'd like to get them from a site where it makes a difference than just a random site on the internet.

I also couldn't find an official source so just bought them cheapest on peacebuttons and added this link to my bookmarks bar for next month. I figure if the org is ultimately getting the money either way, I don't really mind throwing a facilitating shop a few bucks.
posted by phunniemee at 7:39 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have made it through a week without punching anyone.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:48 PM on November 16, 2016 [34 favorites]

Re: the re:act mailing list: Here's a link to it.
posted by ignignokt at 7:52 PM on November 16, 2016 [3 favorites]

Thank you for posting this! I was thinking of a similar post, really glad multiple people had the same idea.

Here's what I've done so far, in the spirit of sharing ideas, but I am looking forward to hearing more ideas from others here, and already found some of what's posted above really helpful. I like the script for what to say to elected officials. Anyway:

- Attended two demonstrations so far. It felt really important to see that there is a huge group of people who opposes this, and be with those people, vocally.
- Talking to everyone I know about this, especially coworkers and strangers on the street. I live in Oakland and work with a diverse group of (speaking broadly) left people, but there are a wide range of reactions, even if most everyone is generally anti-Trump. I feel like it's important to keep saying out loud that I oppose the racism of this administration, and that everyone must work together in coalition, and I am on the side of working together. I don't know, it feels important to vocalize that we are united against this. It feels important to normalize resistance and resist normalizing Trump.
- I am working on reaching out to some local Muslim community organizations. Step 1) I've gathered a group of friends who wants to do solidarity work (none of us are Muslim). Step 2) I am researching the local organizations that exist. Step 3) I will start calling some tomorrow and asking if they would be interested in solidarity and what sort of support they would like.

Thanks everyone who has posted here for what you've done and for sharing ideas.

I especially appreciate that no one is criticizing anyone's way of working on this, and instead we're focused on what we each can do in our own way.
posted by latkes at 9:19 PM on November 16, 2016 [11 favorites]

I also just wanted to share what my wife did this week: She called her Trump-voting Republican mom and told her what it meant to her that Trump had won. She was simply honest and heartfelt, and cried as she shared her fears about increased racists attacks, and rollbacks to her own reproductive and marriage rights. They talked for what seemed like 45 minutes, at first arguing, but then talking. Her mom, who is an immigrant herself, agreed to ask some of her relatives and close friends what they thought, and then after the call, her mom actually followed through and did ask, and learned that others in her community are afraid of this administration and think it can really harm them. It was a really deeply impactful conversation that seems to have made a true difference in how one Trump voter thinks, and I thought it was pretty brave of my wife to do this, so I am really proud and impressed that she did.
posted by latkes at 9:31 PM on November 16, 2016 [55 favorites]

Ya'll, DON'T FORGET YOUR STATE REPS AND SENATORS. Here in Texas PN just alerted me to a bunch of bullshit new bills being proposed that i need to call my state people about tomorrow. Bad shit starts at the state level, but your voice is even louder there.

(for example: forcing women to pay for a burial for abortion remains; copy of NC trans hate bathroom bill; attempt to cut early voting time. Bad shit).
posted by emjaybee at 10:20 PM on November 16, 2016 [16 favorites]

I'm not in the US, and can't afford to donate, so I thought long and hard and then started blogging about cybersecurity for the Trumped. First four post are up, talking about cybersecurity in general, what all you can do, e-mail providers, and browser hardening. Upcoming subjects: Facebook, Google, instant messaging, smartphones, password policy and more. These posts are public to all. Hope it helps someone.
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:47 AM on November 17, 2016 [13 favorites]

1. Going back go abortion clinic defense and other bread and butter liberal tasks that will still need to happen over the next four years as action diffuses out to specifically protest Trump's policies. My sense is that, for the last 8 years, there have been people enough to fill all the roles that need filling in your basic garden variety political activity. Now, though, it's all hands on deck. (I escort with L.A. For Choice, PM me for info if you're in SoCal and want to get involved.)

2. Refusing to play the innocent white girl anymore when it comes to racism. I refuse to pretend that people who voted for Trump didn't at least not give a fuck about racism and bad outcomes for people of color (among other groups). I refuse to search high and low for motivations and explanations that aren't racism, when it seems pretty clear that the answer is racism but I know it would be impolite to say so. I refuse to change the subject, or not bring up the elephant in the room, or alter the discourse to make white people more comfortable at the expense of telling the truth about racism. I refuse to ignore racism because I didn't want to make a scene or offend someone important.

3. Being a better ally in general.

4. Not sitting down and shutting up and going back to normal. Yes, my Facebook feed is almost 100% about Trump and Trump-adjacent concerns. Fucking deal with it. Yes, I am going to meetings and getting involved and calling my representatives and talking about all of it so that everybody knows I'm not going to just be a good German and look the other way.
posted by Sara C. at 1:44 AM on November 17, 2016 [11 favorites]

Reading, listening to as many diverse voices as possible, dissecting post-mortems and analyses. Trying to figure out how to never let this happen again. Self-analysis. Acknowledging my own faults and portion of the blame, and thinking critically about how I've behaved toward others throughout the election. Thinking about how to fight epistemic closure on the left, and how to reach across the aisle and understand and have conversations with people whose opinions I disagree with or even find abhorrent, and rather than judging and dismissing them, finding commonalities and getting at the root of their concerns, and figuring out how I can address those concerns in a more productive and beneficial way. Being more vocally outspoken, and opening up my social media accounts to more than just private circles. Learning how to think more critically and skeptically about the data and information I'm exposed to. Looking into how I can protect and physically defend myself and others if necessary, and preparing myself to be ready to intervene on behalf of the marginalized/oppressed at a moment's notice, instead of being a silent bystander. Attending workshops on encryption/privacy/device security and educating others. Researching the specific ways I can make my law degree useful to do needed volunteer and pro bono work that plays to my particular strengths and knowledge base.
posted by naju at 2:13 AM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I've called my congressional reps in both houses about Bannon. All three of them are staunch Democrats, and Elizabeth Warren in particular is well regarded, so they had already made statements about Bannon shortly after my call. I've also gotten my friends and my mom (!) to make calls.

I have donated to two Boston organizations, the MIRA Coalition and the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition, that work with particularly vulnerable populations (immigrants and prisoners).

On a more woo note...as many of you know, I busk on the Boston subways. I will be donating my tips for the rest of the year to the orgs mentioned above. In addition, I am organizing a ukulele flash mob for the day of the inauguration. MeMail me for details.
posted by pxe2000 at 3:54 AM on November 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

All of that said, I'm running into some resistance from my significant other. When I asked him to contact our senators and rep, he said that calling anyone he didn't know gave him anxiety (he's an introvert with social anxiety and has ended up in the emergency room with panic attacks). I asked him instead to send letters, but the letter he sent to Sen. Warren was about her letter to 🚽 and didn't mention Bannon. He said that asking Warren to oppose Bannon was "pointless" because (a) she knows what she's doing and (b) "if Bannon gets kicked out, there are others just as bad who will take his place".

Is there anything I can say to him to get him to be more socially active? He's a White guy, so he will probably survive the next four years. I'm worried that many people close to us will not.
posted by pxe2000 at 4:41 AM on November 17, 2016 [4 favorites]

pxe: look, people have their own thresholds of things that they can and can't do. Social anxiety is a big thing for some to overcome. Pushing someone to do something that their heart isn't in, is kind of counterproductive.

Take the long game, maybe. It doesn't all have to happen now; in fact, it can't. We're going to need people to contiue to speak up a year from now. He may not be able to be in the anti-Bannon wave of the battle, but maybe he'll be fired up to be part of the "release your damn tax returns dammit" wave in a few months. Or maybe his particular part to play is the "fuck the national government, let's do some outreach here in this community" game and he goes to volunteer at a soup kitchen or an after-school tutoring program, because we're gonna need those too. Or maybe there is another cause he'll rally for (my bestie who was too scared to reach out about Bannon then discovered that there was an aid program that cut funding to after-school child care, and that got her to call about seven people in both the state AND federal government).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:52 AM on November 17, 2016 [12 favorites]

So I spent a really long time working on a lengthy email for someone I know who is in general agreement with me that Trump is bad but maybe feels like I am being kind of melodramatic and is concerned about some aspects of the response to Trump. I sent it yesterday and figured I'd get somewhere between "I still think you're overreacting" and "I disagree but understand" and instead I got "I agree with all of this. I can't wait to talk over the holidays. Please let me know if you would like me to send this to anyone" which felt great! Really great!

But now it feels silly to have spent all that time working on the email so if anyone wants a slightly modified version let me know and I'll be happy to send it along (it's long enough that I'm not planning to paste it here unless people think that would be helpful). It's basically a list of things Donald Trump has done or said and things people connected to him have done or said with links to news sites and brief explanations of why they are so scary to me. I have no idea how effective it will be but I try really hard to emphasize all the things that aren't normal and why they are scary to me (plus bonus Letter from Birmingham Jail content) so if you're struggling with friends or family members who are well-meaning but think maybe you need to calm down a little this could maybe give you a starting point if you want to write to them.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:12 AM on November 17, 2016 [12 favorites]

pxe: If he is supporting you, and you are able to do more than you could without him, then that's a real contribution he's making. (I totally get where you are coming from, though.)
posted by amtho at 6:49 AM on November 17, 2016 [5 favorites]

Wrote my senators (Merkley WOOHOOOOOO and Wyden GO WYDEN) and my rep (DeFazio) who immediately got on that and I am so fucking proud to be Oregonian even if we're not perfect. Obviously I'm not the only one, loads of people phoned and that is awesome. It just feels good when you're outside the country all of a sudden feeling privileged to be at a distance, but wanting to help, and doing what you can... and it gets a real, actionable response.

DeFazio wrote me back; I've known him since I was a kid though, grew up in the same town. Long story but I write him at least once a year. Was really stinking proud to get a written response back from him that's not entirely a form letter.

As soon as I have money I plan to subscribe to the Washington Post, NYT, The Guardian, and up my donations to charities.

Will be participating in this Saturday's protest in Paris (MeFi IRL here) and absolutely plan to keep writing my senators and rep. Anything else that comes up, I'll likely participate in as well. Btw I always tell my representatives that I'm over here in France doing such-and-such and the impacts it has on the French people I know.

fraula, secretly making Oregon French since 1997
posted by fraula at 7:20 AM on November 17, 2016 [4 favorites]

I am organizing one or more buses for people to travel from Pittsburgh to DC for the Million Woman March.

My challenge is that much of my community (and myself) are observant Jews, so traveling on the day of the march is a no go (its Shabbat). I am trying to organize places to stay for people who are observant which are in walking distance of the mall (< 1 mile). The plan is that a bus would arrive in DC on the 20th before 5PM and leave on the 21st after 6PM.

WHAT I NEED: If you know of people or organizations who are helping to coordinate crash space for marchers the evening of the 21st please let me know by memail.
posted by Maastrictian at 7:31 AM on November 17, 2016 [9 favorites]

Donated funds to the march.
Called Gillibrand's dc office (nyc was busy).

The woman attacked by a neo-brownshirt in Brooklyn last weekend is a friend. The cops have downgraded it to harassment (!) and she's asked people to contact Mayor Deblasio.
posted by brujita at 7:44 AM on November 17, 2016 [4 favorites]

As has been mentioned, the senate race here in Louisiana is the last chance for Democrats to flip a senate seat this year. Any support for his campaign can really make a difference at this point. Atom Eyes linked this yesterday but I wanted to bump it again this morning, I hope that's ok. In addition, a friend of a friend is organizing phone banks for Campbell and I'll be doing that Saturday and next Tuesday. And calling my congressperson.

Other than that, I've been trying to be more overtly kind and helpful to my neighbors. Thanks for this post and all the great information and suggestions.
posted by CheeseLouise at 7:46 AM on November 17, 2016 [3 favorites]

The woman attacked by a neo-brownshirt in Brooklyn last weekend is a friend. The cops have downgraded it to harassment (!) and she's asked people to contact Mayor Deblasio.

Do you know who her rep is? Or what precinct, or any other details I could give to my rep?
posted by schadenfrau at 7:57 AM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm doing calls and letters to my representatives, whichever my anxiety levels allow on a given day. I've turned some of my annual donations to organizations doing good work into monthly donations to give them a little bit more money and a little more reliably.

I'm tentatively going to the March - just waiting on approval from my boss for the time off, but I don't think I'll have trouble getting it. She's sympathetic to the cause.

Tomorrow there's a local meetup for several folks from my neighborhood who met via Pantsuit Nation, and I'm going to that.

Mostly I'm trying to do a lot of listening and learning and providing support for my friends. I exist on some axes of marginalization but they are largely invisible ones, and I have some significant areas of privilege as well, so I'm scared but not as immediately in danger as some of my friends who are more visibly targets for harassment and worse things. So I'm trying to do what support work I can for them.
posted by Stacey at 8:00 AM on November 17, 2016 [3 favorites]

Learned that congressman Cummings from Maryland is calling for hearings about Trump's financial conflicts of interest so I called his Baltimore office and just said thank you.

I want to remember to give positive feedback to everyone and anyone who is working to fight this.
posted by latkes at 8:08 AM on November 17, 2016 [11 favorites]

I think it's Hakeem Jeffries. This was an Existing While Female incident, not a racist one.
posted by brujita at 8:20 AM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm doing free weddings, again.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:33 AM on November 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

I just posted about this on the blue because I forgot about this thread (sorry), but at congress.gov you can sign up for all kinds of email alerts & RSS feeds about what your reps and senators are doing, what's on the floor today, etc etc etc. It's a good way to stay current.

I currently have Member Activity email alerts for whenever my hometown's rep, Brian Higgins, cosponsors legislation. Sometimes I call the office to say, like, "I am a former constituent, I was proud to volunteer and vote for Brian Higgins when he first ran and this is the kind of leadership that makes me eager to move back home. Go Bills." I don't know if it make a difference or not but it's true (I wouldn't recommend doing that for random districts) and DC residents have really crap options for this sort of thing.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 8:47 AM on November 17, 2016 [8 favorites]

I don't know if it make a difference or not

We'll find out when we see if the Bills make the playoffs!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:51 AM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm on board for all of quiet coyote's list.

I also want to say again that it is key for all of us to either step up to run for local office ourselves or look for people who are acceptable to do it, and volunteer for/support them. We need a grass roots effort, beginning at the local level, to reverse the horrible things (gerrymandering, voter suppression, etc.) the Rs have pulled off by using this strategy. And we all need to start planning for 2018. We need good candidates, a big turnout, and determination, but it is certainly possible to turn at least one chamber if not both blue then. That will help lay the ground to end Trump in 2020.
posted by bearwife at 9:17 AM on November 17, 2016 [11 favorites]

I love this post and I love you all. I'm so proud.

My actions so far:

-Donated to Planned Parenthood (partially in the form of this "Make a Plan" bracelet, which is a nice talisman)
-Joined Dumbledore's Army
-Called Dianne Feinstein (only once - she released a statement later that same day), Nancy Pelosi (once to thank her), and Paul Ryan (three days in a row and counting) about Steve Bannon. Shared on Facebook that I did this - at least two of my friends followed suit.
-Shared scripts for these calls with Dumbledore's Army members (okay, coworkers, but that's not as fun to say)
-Emailed Mayor Ed Lee to thank him for ensuring San Francisco will remain a sanctuary city
-Emailed the chancellor of the California State University system to thank him for his statement that campus police will not cooperate with ICE
-Researched organizations that are eligible for my company match (Planned Parenthood is not eligible, sadly), shared my findings with coworkers and arranged to pool our donations.
-Followed a bunch of politicians and organizations (Dianne Feinstein, Kamala Harris, school board president Matt Haney, Council on American-Islamic Relations, ACLU, SPLC) on Facebook
-General kindness (I have thanked the driver of every bus I have been on since the election, for example. I'm not sure why this feels so important but it does.)
-Volunteered at a local homeless organization last night. This is something I already do and it hits several areas I want to focus on, mainly "be kind" and "resist the effects of the loss of federal funding for sanctuary cities." I always feel good about helping before and after I volunteer, but during the actual event, for two hours, I just joked around with my friends about stealing candy and tried to find the weirdest candy flavors as we sorted through donations of Halloween candy. For two hours I didn't even think about a Trump presidency. It was good for the soul.
-And finally, I feel a little corny even sharing this, but I've been turning to poetry as a coping method, and today I started an Instagram to share/save ones that are helping me. Instagram is probably a weird platform for it but I can't be arsed to learn a new social media platform right now. And I'm not generally a big poetry person so some of my picks might be kind of obvious. But it makes me happy so whatever. I'm trying to post one poem a day for now.
posted by sunset in snow country at 9:29 AM on November 17, 2016 [12 favorites]

I just called the offices of Stephen Lynch and Katherine Clark to encourage them to cosign Graham's letter. (I went with reps instead of senators because Lynch is on the oversight committee.) Rep. Lynch's secretary gave me a snotty, curse answer, but Katherine Clark's associate Susanna was respectful and willing to help.
posted by pxe2000 at 9:35 AM on November 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

Tonight I'm going with one of my former nursing school classmates to a volunteer open house for organizations in Philadelphia that serve refugees. Hopefully there will be someplace that needs people with nursing skills.

Doubling my efforts for the public health volunteer things I already do. The lefty social justice nurse group I'm involved with is starting to do nursing outreach in conjunction with a Sunday church dinner that serves upwards of 200 homeless people per week; I'll be committing to that for as many Sundays as I can. I'll keep going to the free nurse-led foot clinic, run on a shoestring by an awesome nurse practitioner. My friend down at the syringe exchange just encouraged me to go volunteer there again after a long break, and I think I'll take him up on it; lord knows they're gonna need help in a Trump administraton.

Donating what I can both to large organizations like Planned Parenthood, and to GoFundMes for food/rent/medical/legal expenses for marginzalized people in need.

Y'all may have inspired me to make some calls to my representatives.
posted by ActionPopulated at 9:43 AM on November 17, 2016 [7 favorites]

Rep. Lynch's secretary gave me a snotty, curse answer, but Katherine Clark's associate Susanna was respectful and willing to help.

Rep. Clark both signed the statement and currently has a pinned tweet (from Sunday) criticising the Bannon appointment, so good for her. Very, very disappointing about Lynch's secretary, but as I understand it the whole MA congressional delegation has signed the letter as well.
posted by tobascodagama at 10:08 AM on November 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

You know, one thing that I experienced when I was lobbying against welfare reform in 96 (and the votes were already baked into the cake when I was lobbying, so changing hearts and minds was impossible) was that people who were more sympathetic? Were more annoyed at us. I thought at the time it was because I was a shit lobbyist, which was true, I was shitty and undiplomatic, but now I'm thinking of the psychology of it. You (the people in power who are sympathetic) are boxed in and then you get these earnest constituents telling you you're doing something evil.

EC, you've got me blocked because we had a stupid fight about what I remember not eons ago, but if you unblock me I'll send you my NYU stuff. Sorry about the stupid fight.
posted by angrycat at 10:22 AM on November 17, 2016 [3 favorites]

NOt sure how to unblock. I see your real email there, I'll shoot you an email thither and you can reply there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:32 AM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

And thank you.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:32 AM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

You can unblock a Mefimail sender by going to "manage blocked senders" at the bottom of your contacts page.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:39 AM on November 17, 2016

Today is Give Miami Day. Normally, this is just a day of me being inundated with emails from all my friends in the Miami non-profit industry.

However, Planned Parenthood of South Florida has a match set up. So I've donated and I've set up a challenge for my friends in the rest of the non-profit world -- the first ask I see that says, "Give to us and we hope you give to Planned Parenthood" will get a donation from me to both groups.

It's pretty small, but it's making me feel good anyway.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 10:44 AM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

If anyone is a lawyer or works in the legal field, there's a FB group I can invite you to - PM me if you're interested
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:00 AM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm trying to poke my head back here; I've fallen into a vortex of do the thing and make organizing happen! over the past week and, ah, forgot to do literally anything else with my time. Including my actual job. So here's what I've done so far:

-organized a large effort to track down and collect names and contact information, as well as special interest information, from electoral delegates so they can be contacted directly
-asked my students (mostly not white dudes) to take care of themselves in a rough, rough week
-spoken with bi and black colleagues about our feelings on politics and encouraged them to contact local officials and get organizing
-thrown my weight behind several women of color in my local chapter of Pantsuit Nation, where I am doing other organizing
-done a lot of emotional labor trying to coax white women who have only just now realized the scope of the nation's problems to face on emotionally scary stuff and take responsibility anyway
-asked the admins in that online PSN chapter community if they have experience with moderating and running online communities, mentioning Metafilter's community as one positive example of community moderation, and offered to help
-marched in one peaceful Against Trump protest with home-made signs
-recruited at least two people to that protest who would not have marched without me there
-immediately identified black-bloc style masked anarchist white boy group in that peaceful protest for what they were
-made an effort to drown out their bullshit attempts to co-opt the protest, e.g. by yelling "NOT MY PRESIDENT" over their yells of "NO MORE PRESIDENTS"; starting up a chant of "SHOW US YOUR FACES" when they began to attempt to use the crowd's voices to amplify violent rhetoric; reacted quickly on my feet
-while people were making speeches after the protest, successfully helped an exhausted but eloquent young woman in hijab take the floor by encouraging her to take a microphone and shouting down people who tried to start a "Muslim Lives Matter" chant against her wishes before she had finished speaking, and then cheered her on when she finished; encouraged her to run for office if she wanted (she's busy, as it turns out, finishing college)
-discovered later that she had seen protesters with us--the masked black-bloc style folks, as it happens--attack a nonviolent pro-Trump counter-protester and had tried to physically shield him with her body before other people could intervene; publicized this as best I could
-chalked messages of love and support onto the sidewalk in front of my house
-spoken carefully to my mother about why I am afraid, and why this cannot be business as usual
-reached out to other family members to talk about this and make them know that I am terrified
-firmly told a cousin that he needs to not try to argue me out of my fear when he has far, far less context than I do
-donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center in exchange for ten "Y'ALL MEANS ALL" buttons, which friends and colleagues want to wear
-donated to the Satanic Temple and also become a member; we're going to need a religious movement who are willing to activate and insist that personal bodily integrity, free speech against bigotry, and scientific integrity are religious beliefs and as subject to federal protection as any evangelical's
-helped compile a list of books for people who haven't read about a lot of the things I'm aware of yet and want to read further

Tonight, I hope to contact my state and federal representatives and give them hell about some specific actual bills that are bothering me, like Texas SB 92 which aims to eradicate local and municipal protections for LGBTQ people. I am also trying to find the ability to take care of myself, since I haven't... really done things like "eat non-liquid meals" or "sleep for full eight-hour blocks" since the election came down. Fuck. Breathing is hard, guys; moving so I don't have to think or process is easier.

Hi. I'm back. Uh. Hi.
posted by sciatrix at 11:37 AM on November 17, 2016 [42 favorites]

Plans include "clean house so we can use it for meetings and, if necessary, offer sanctuary." Husband and I are ordained; I'm not sure what his official affiliation is (it far predates our meeting) and mine is through one of the local Pagan groups. I don't know what the precedents are for a home church (on a rental property) offering religious sanctuary, but a handful of incidents with local law enforcement are somewhat hopeful.

To people in other areas, that may sound bizarre. But around here, everyone knows there are "kook religions" that have legal rights, and cops don't want to figure out what those are. Won't help much if the cops are being violent racist thugs, but if they're thinking, "well, we've been told to pick these people up, which we think is bullshit but that's our job," they'll be happy to go back to their bosses with, "oh, couldn't do that, church something first amendment weirdo religions whadayagonnado."

However, "clean house" is a massive undertaking. The only reason we don't have clutter literally piled to the ceiling is that we live in a converted warehouse with 30' ceilings. But the whole family (5 adults here) wants this--we have a terrific (internal) space if we can get it organized, near public transit, wheelchair-accessible, in a multicultural neighborhood where people might be encouraged by seeing white people say "we like our neighbors."
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 11:44 AM on November 17, 2016 [4 favorites]

Aside from doing shit to, you know, try to help, I have also found myself doing things like scrub my kitchen floor and buy a nicer winter coat than I've ever had and set up a better work area for art projects and do all my laundry... not sure if I'm just trying to distract myself, or if I'm like "everything is terrible but at least there are some things I can control," or if it's more "well everything is going to shit soon so I might as well do good things for myself now." Probably all of the above.
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:47 AM on November 17, 2016 [6 favorites]

Thanks - Angrycat, you are unblocked.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:56 AM on November 17, 2016 [3 favorites]

In addition to the Ukelele Flash Mob mentioned upthread, there's another Metafilter IRL event being arranged in the Boston/Cambridge/Somerville area. It's entitled What is to be done? and it seems to be shaping up to be a meeting, possibly with coffee.
posted by pickles_have_souls at 12:04 PM on November 17, 2016

"well everything is going to shit soon so I might as well do good things for myself now."

This is a valid approach - the political shitshow is a marathon, not a sprint; prepare for long-term activism, and that means setting up creature comforts wherever possible to avoid burnout.

We need people to charge the front lines, call congressfolks, organize rallies, do detailed legal critiques, attend city council meetings, protest local race-baiting where they find it - but we also need people to put on a pot of tea for those people in the evenings, and remind them of the lifestyle they're trying to make sure everyone has access to.

When you're in a war, it's important to know what peace looks like so you don't get so caught up in "destroy the enemy" that you forget to leave space to rebuild a functional society. (Is why the other side has an easier time of it; destroying people's lives is much simpler and easier than building communities.) It's a dynamic balancing act and we're all going to feel like we're juggling chainsaws on a tightrope for a long while.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 12:04 PM on November 17, 2016 [15 favorites]

-helped compile a list of books for people who haven't read about a lot of the things I'm aware of yet and want to read further

I'm always happy to hear more book recommendations, and this thread seems like a fine place for them!
posted by DynamiteToast at 12:09 PM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh. Also, I adopted a cat. Or rather, I foster failed on a cat, bringing our Chez Sciatrix Feline Census up to three. (We've successfully adopted out nearly twenty fosters at this point since we started fostering cats this summer, including a litter of kittens named Alexander Hameowlton, Angelica Schuyfur, and Aaron Purr. Alexander's humans liked his name enough to keep it, even--good news, because that damn kitten never did learn when to stop.)

This is Ishka. Ishka is very fat and possessed of four short little legs and a three-inch bob tail. In such a rough time, she's also very good at making us all laugh and also at sauntering up to humans and making a braying mew to remind us all that we need to pet her, please. My partner and I decided that we needed that now and in the coming years, we'd need that laughter, so she's staying.

Of course in the best tradition of pets, she cost us $500 at the vets yesterday, three days after signing the papers. Turned out she was literally full of shit and needed to have said shit... physically removed. I gotta say, I find something darkly hilarious about that.
posted by sciatrix at 12:46 PM on November 17, 2016 [14 favorites]

I'm always happy to hear more book recommendations, and this thread seems like a fine place for them!

We've got a closed Goodreads group running, but so far here are some recommended titles (both from me and others):

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Greatest Migration; Isobel Wilkerson
Between the World and Me; Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Children; David Halberstam
The United States of Fear; Tom Engelhardt
Splinterlands; John Feffer
No One Is Illegal: Fighting Racism and State Violence on the US-Mexico Border; Justin Akers Chacon
The Democrats: A Critical History; Lance Selfa
Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire; Deepa Kumar
Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong; James W Loewen
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement; Angela Y. Davis
Hope in the Dark; Rebecca Solnit
The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap; Stephanie Coontz
Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference; Cordelia Fine
Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War Two; Allan Berube
Paying For the Party: How College Maintians Inequality; Elizabeth E. Armstrong
Brain Storm: The Flaws in the Science of Sex Differences; Rebecca M. Jordan-Young
Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab; Steve Inskeep
Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America; Linda Tirado
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism; Naomi Klein
Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America; Ari Berman
American Islam: The Struggle for the Soul of a Religion; Paul M. Barrett
The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America, George Packer
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right; Arlie Russell Hochschild
The Populist Explosion: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics by John B. Judis
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis; J. D. Vance
Listen, Liberal: Or, What Ever Happened to the Party of the People, Thomas Frank
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness; Michelle Alexander
posted by sciatrix at 12:58 PM on November 17, 2016 [26 favorites]

This is Ishka.

Does Ishka have an instagram and if not can she please?
Also, if anyone has pet-heavy instagrams, please link me. Seeing a constant parade of snoots and floofs on my phone throughout the day makes everything brighter.
posted by phunniemee at 1:02 PM on November 17, 2016 [3 favorites]

One book that has given me some guidance in these trying times is From the Fascist Bathroom by Greil Marcus. If you're not familiar, Marcus is a music writer with a poli-sci background, and he's written extensively about how art reflects politics and vice-versa. Fascist Bathroom is a collection of his Reagan-era writing. While there's no precedent for the Hairpiece Elect, learning about how we dealt with this in the past is one way forward. Plus, reading the book reminds me of my favorite albums, so there's that.
posted by pxe2000 at 1:03 PM on November 17, 2016 [3 favorites]

I wrote three letters yesterday, two about Bannon and one to POTUS about the SCOTUS. Today I'm writing 1 letter to Ryan about Bannon and reviewing the ADL's action center.
posted by bq at 1:10 PM on November 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

Just a heads up -- my brother and his girlfriend both use to work for the Senate and they said that, because the mail is screened so carefully because of terrorist threats, mail generally doesn't arrive for a VERY long time, like weeks or months.

Relatedly, anyone NOT in Congress to whom it's worth sending a letter? God I have never wished more than now that DC had voting representatives.

Finally, I have had someone ask me for the email I wrote (Yay! I worked really hard on it and would LOVE for it to be useful) and I'm thinking about posting it here but again it's pretty long so I won't if that would take up too much space.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 1:16 PM on November 17, 2016 [5 favorites]

Please post it.

Now I am sad about my letter. But the ADL website has email and fax capability. So there's that.
posted by bq at 1:31 PM on November 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

I was nervous about calling my senators to urge them to issue statements about Bannon, but I did it (first time caller, longtime listener). Thanked one of my other reps for her statement, via Twitter, and she retweeted it and followed me. Made a bunch of donations. Signed up to escort fellow New Yorkers on the subway in times of need. Going to use my organizing skills to hopefully help with the setup of a new neighborhood group. Oh, and I threw a meetup which seemed to maaaaybe improve some Mefites' morale a little bit. All this stuff makes me kind of anxious (except the donating, which is simple) but I'm trying to push myself to do more. I'm inspired by reading all of your efforts.
posted by ferret branca at 1:45 PM on November 17, 2016 [3 favorites]

Okay! I will post it! You don't have to ask me twice! Feel free to modify this as much as you would like for your intended audience (e.g. if they're pro-life take out the abortion section and change the list of organizations to whom you are donating). Please be warned that this is REALLY long! Here we go!
__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ ________________
Dear PERSON,

I’m writing because I wanted to talk to you a little bit about how I’m feeling in the wake of the election and why. I was not expecting this to be as long as it is (it's very long), and parts of it may be difficult to read, and I'm sorry about that, but I have a lot I want to say and very strong feelings about all of this.

When I was little and I learned about Nazi Germany I always thought that if I had lived there I would speak up and that it would be easy because everyone knows what bad guys they are, but it turns out it’s not easy because I would really, really like to believe that everything is okay and also because I don’t want to cause trouble. I would like to act like this is a normal, if disappointing, election, but I don’t think it is. One of the many dangers facing us is complacency; as time goes by, the unthinkable becomes normalized and we forget to be outraged. Meanwhile, people are already being attacked for being Muslim or Jewish or gay or Hispanic and our republic is facing threats to its existence. I hope this is being melodramatic, but I don't feel like I can take the risk. I’ve also been thinking about this section from Letter from the Birmingham Jail:

I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.”

I’ve collected some information, which I’m including below, to help support what I’m saying. I don’t expect you to agree with me on everything but I want you to understand why I feel this way and why it might seem like I’m being pushy or difficult and why I don't believe this is an ordinary time for our country.

Here are some things that are really happening right now and some background on important people within the Trump administration. The links go to a variety of sources (including many reputable organizations like the New York Times and the Washington Post -- these are not fringe publications) for this information. Please don't feel a need to read them, I just want you to know where I'm getting this information. There is a LOT here, but most of the issues fall into several big categories:

1) Racist/antisemitic/anti-Muslim sentiments
2) Authoritarian leanings and comfort with war crimes
3) Hatred of criticism and an attempt to silence people who speak against him
4) Corruption (both specific, using the government to enrich a small group of family and allies, and general, suppressing votes which undermines democracy):

Racism, Sexism and Anti-Semitism

-Donald Trump has selected Steve Bannon as his Chief Strategist. Steve Bannon is a white nationalist and an anti-Semite. He is the chairman of Brietbart News which he has described as the voice of the alt-right (fancy new word for white nationalists) which published headlines including “Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew”, “There’s No Hiring Bias Against Women in Tech, They Just Suck at Interviews”, and “Roger Stone: Huma Abedin ‘Most Likely a Saudi Spy’ with ‘Deep, Inarguable Connections’ to ‘Global Terrorist Entity’”. He is a known anti-Semite and misogynist.  White nationalists are praising this choice.  Per a Washington Post reporter, "Reince Priebus defends Steve Bannon, calling him 'a force for good' and a 'generous, hospitable, wise person to work with.'" which normalizes white nationalism.  Trump allies are defending him.  This man is being accepted by the Republican establishment.  This is not okay.
-Donald Trump has repeatedly retweeted white supremacists and those talking about "white genocide".
-There is also lots of evidence that Donald Trump is, himself, anti-Semitic or at least countenances antisemitism.
 
-As of yesterday, the Southern Poverty Law Center had documented 437 incidences of abuse or intimidation against minorities since the election, and the FBI reported a 67% increase in anti-Muslim bigotry last year.

-Donald Trump claimed he would deport citizens whose parents were here illegally.  This is illegal (it violates the 14th amendment) and very frightening.  You can't deport citizens.

-Donald Trump said women should be punished for having abortions.  Mike Pence has actually supported legislation punishing women for abortions. When he was governor, Indiana prosecuted a woman either for having a miscarriage or inducing an abortion (the facts are “murky”).

-This is old news but we all know he's a misogynist (the things he said about Megyn Kelly, "grab them by the pussy", a phrase I never wanted to have to email to anyone, much less a family member) and racist (remember when he said Judge Curiel couldn't be objective because he was of Mexican descent?  And everything about building the wall).
 
-He wants to create a database of Muslims in this country; it's not hyperbolic to compare forcing members of a religious minority to register with the government to Nazism.  He also wants to ban Muslim immigration.  He has defended these positions by saying they're no worse than Japanese internment camps which apparently he also supports.  These have already become normalized; we all want to believe it's okay so we discount these things pretty quickly.  None of these are okay and when we forget about them we open up the possibility of accepting more and worse.  (This was just updated today!  He wants to build a border wall and register immigrants from Muslim countries without congressional approval.  That ties in anti-immigrant hatred, Islamophobia, and autocracy).

Authoritarianism

-Donald Trump really likes authoritarian leaders, ranging from his obviously inappropriate relationship with Putin (he has already talked to Putin and he's not even President yet!  Meanwhile, his transition team has had no contact with the Pentagon) to his praise of Kim Jong-Un.  Donald Trump called Tienanmen Square a riot and referred to the Chinese government's "strength" in putting it down.   He thinks the world would be better if Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi were still in power.-Russia gave Wikileaks anti-Clinton materials to release.  Vladimir Putin interfered in this election on behalf of Donald Trump and now they're pals.  -People close to the incoming administration have referred to the departure of at least one staff member as part of a "Stalinesque purge" (their words!)

-Newt Gingrich has literally suggested creating a new House Unamerican Activities Committee.
 
-Some of Donald Trump's campaign positions were literally war crimes (killing the family members of terrorists, torture as punishment -- and he says he'd force the military to commit war crimes.

Silencing of Dissent

-Kellyanne Conway said Harry Reid should be "very careful" about how he criticized Trump and raised the possibility of legal action.  As Harry Reid's Deputy Chief of Staff said, "“It only took five days for President-elect Trump to try to silence his critics with the threat of legal action...This should shock and concern all Americans."  Of course, this probably shouldn't be a surprise because in February Donald Trump told people at his rallies to beat up protestors.  He does not like being criticized and banned a number of media outlets from covering him.  He also wants to change libel laws to make it easier to sue media companies covering him.  This is terrifying on a first amendment basis.

Corruption

-"Donald Trump will enter the White House with more potential conflicts of interest and less transparency about his finances than any recent president" (the Wall Street Journal, not exactly a liberal source).  Two former chief White House ethics lawyers, one under Obama and one under George W. Bush, have expressed serious concerns; Donald Trump has said he will put his assets into a blind trust but he knows what the assets are (many of them literally have his name on them) and it would be managed by his children (with whom he has a relationship and who are part of his transition team so still quasi-governmental) making it not a blind trust.  As President, he might consider how things will affect his businesses instead of the good of the country (there is nothing to indicate he wouldn't do that).  On top of all that, Donald Trump owes hundreds of millions of dollars to Deutsche Bank which is being sued by the DOJ of which Trump will be the head as President.

-Donald Trump used his campaign to funnel money to his businesses and businesses owned by his family.  There's no reason to think he won't do the same thing with taxpayer money that he did with campaign donations. Even beyond the fascism, there's a stench of just regular corruption, powerful people using the government to enrich themselves.

-Ivanka Trump used a 60 Minutes interview as a chance to promote a bracelet she sells.  People in Donald Trump's family are using his position as President to generate business and that's what happens in tinpot dictatorships.  It's not what this country is about.
-Donald Trump has asked that his son-in-law be given security clearance to join him in Presidential briefings and his children are part of his transition team.  This is another way in which he is handing power to his family members.  For people concerned about having a second Clinton presidency, this is what the creation of a dynasty might actually look like.
-Even conservative experts say Trump could add four to five trillion dollars to the debt.  His horrifying mismanagement could absolutely bankrupt us while he funnels money into his own pockets and those of his family.  Even neglect rather than outright malice could do irreparable damage.
-On the theme of erosion of democracy, an underreported aspect of this election is the voter suppression laws in force in various states. For example, in Wisconsin, about 300,000 registered voters were turned away from the polls based on the state’s draconian voter suppression laws; approximately 27,000 votes separate Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in this swing state. Additionally, poll workers in Michigan incorrectly told voters they need ID to vote, in Pennsylvania people tried to vote but were incorrectly told they need ID, and in Alabama, during the first presidential election in which they required voter IDs, the state closed thirty-one driver’s license offices, making it much harder to obtain an ID (many of these closures were in neighborhoods with a high proportion of low-income residents of color)
-This is just me but I'm afraid that in their zeal for deregulation they will defund the FDA and people I love will get sick.  This is not just Donald Trump, it includes the Republican establishment.  What if we can't trust the food supply?  What happens to us as a society then?  It's just one more potentially destabilizing policy.

These are all profound threats to our country and with Donald Trump as President-elect and people starting to figure out how to work with him, these are becoming normalized. I feel like I have to refuse to accept these things and part of refusing to accept them is talking about them when people act like everything is all right. The very real pain people are feeling and rights they are losing are why I support the people protesting. It's why I'm doing what I can to donate money and time to organizations like the ACLU, NAACP, and Planned Parenthood. I'm not going to criticize the people fighting against this administration when there is so much danger from it.I hope what I've shared above helps explain why I feel like this isn't acceptable and responding as if it were isn't something I can do.

As always, I care for you very deeply and I'm happy to talk to you about anything I've said. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope to check in with you soon.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 1:48 PM on November 17, 2016 [100 favorites]

That is one great email.
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:52 PM on November 17, 2016 [7 favorites]

I'm brainstorming ways to stop this from happening in Canada and ways to support community members in dealing with the trickle down effects of the US election.
- I've donated to the ACLU and US Planned Parenthood. I already donate regularly to my own local PP as well as any PP I hear about that's under attack.

Stuff I'm considering
-I am currently on the fence about joining the like-minded political party in Canada in order to have a say in their leadership vote so maybe they don't end up with an emulator (some candidates are interested in emulating, including one that tried to introduce a "barbaric practices" hotline during our own election). It's $15 and you only have to be a member for 30 days to vote in the leadership election. Some friends of mine brainstormed this idea and it's a good one, but I don't want that party having my contact information, which I'd have to provide to join.
posted by urbanlenny at 1:57 PM on November 17, 2016 [4 favorites]

Oh and I meant to write that I am trying to donate to any organisation that I hear of in my community that is attacked in this way, with a message that there is support and love out there in the community.

I'm just generally trying to keep my ear to the ground to know where and when I can get involved.
posted by urbanlenny at 1:58 PM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I am volunteering, donating to, and knitting winter clothing for two local refugee resettlement organizations!
posted by chainsofreedom at 3:34 PM on November 17, 2016 [4 favorites]

urbanlenny, I've been thinking along similar lines. I've already joined an Alberta provincial party which has an upcoming leadership election (delegated, but members vote on the delegates), on the basis that the leader has a non-zero chance on ending up as Premier. One of the candidates, certainly the best organised and funded, is not someone who I think should be in that position.

At the federal level, I'll find joining that party personally unpalatable, but I don't doubt that I'll do so. At least there's a while before i'll need to make a decision.
posted by figurant at 4:00 PM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have mostly been benefiting from the work and generosity of others, but if any of you are able and willing to donate towards trans people getting their passports and documentation in order before January 20, please get in touch with Trans Law Help. The work they're doing is real and awesome.

On a related thread, Texan MeFites can make a bunch of noise about SB 92 and SB 89, two bills filed by Sen. Bob Hall to ban local nondiscrimination protections and allow denial of marriage licenses, respectively. On the other hand, SB 165, which aims to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, could use some support.
posted by byanyothername at 4:09 PM on November 17, 2016 [6 favorites]

Here in the blue bubble that is the SF Bay Area I've been encountering a lot of "we'll make it through this" and "at least here in the Bay Area nothing really bad will happen." I've been trying to challenge the idea in a way that the people can hear. "It would be really nice to think we're safe here, wouldn't it? But did you hear about [incident in Berkeley]? Or [assault in San Francisco]? No? There have been several like that. It's scary, don't you think?"

At a work meeting today somebody said something about "what's even the point of these protests? what do these students think they're accomplishing by walking out of class?" Most of the people at our table were nodding along so I launched into a brief but impassioned explanation about how "it may not pass any legislation or veto any bill, but it's a way of saying to our neighbors, friends, and loved ones that this is NOT normal and we will NOT stand by passively while they're attacked." The people I was with seemed to get it and agreed that that was a useful purpose in itself ("but why can't they do it after class?").
posted by Lexica at 4:21 PM on November 17, 2016 [20 favorites]

I am trying to convince myself that Leslie Fish's Firestorm is not the playlist I should be working with. (Robbing the Poor and Teacher, Teacher are both spot-on, though.) She leans too much toward "burn it all down."

I plan on re-reading Starhawk's The Fifth Sacred Thing, which is a post-apoc novel set on the US west coast after a totalitarian Christian regime takes over most of the country - San Francisco & the rest of the bay area resist, and they set up a Pagan-based community (or rather, several of them). I love the mindset in the novel, which includes the growing realization that you can't defeat militaristic fascism with force, but that doesn't mean you have to give in to it.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 4:46 PM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Phunniemee: you sound like a person who could use some fluffy Highland coos. So here you go.
posted by notquitemaryann at 4:57 PM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm working a documentary that will follow women all over the US, all over the political spectrum, culminating with the March on Washington. Anyone who is interested in talking on-camera or who is involved with a group that's organizing any events that could be filmed, feel free to send me Metamail.
posted by Ideefixe at 5:19 PM on November 17, 2016 [7 favorites]

i'm starting an lgbtq group at my company. I posted a question about what other companies do, didn't get many responses - if anyone here has some thoughts i'd love to hear them
posted by rebent at 6:39 PM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I want to pass along an example of a business doing the right thing. I've talked about Penzey's here before; they are a Wisconsin-based spice company with brick and mortar stores as well as online ordering. They have a folksy catalog with customer recipes and stories and great coupons in their email newsletter. Today I received the new newsletter, which contained the following letter from Bill Penzey:

Racism Update: At Penzeys we believe it's not the use of tools that set us on a different path from the rest of the animal world; what has set humanity in motion is cooking. In our nearly a million years gathered together around the fire, cooking shaped our bodies and transformed our minds. Cooking unlocked our potential and gave birth to reason, to religion, and to politics and government. The kindness of tens of thousands of generations of cooks created our humanity, but racism, sexism, and homophobia can all very quickly unravel all the goodness cooking puts out into the world. As the voice of cooks, we will never sit idly by while that happens.

You may have read Tuesday Night's email. In it I said: "The open embrace of racism by the Republican Party in this election is now unleashing a wave of ugliness unseen in this country for decades. The American people are taking notice. Let's commit to giving the people a better choice. Our kindness really is our strength."

Since I ask you to read my emails, I feel it's only right that I read each of your replies. In sifting through those replies it was clear that, though not intended, a good number of people seemed to sincerely believe that in my statement I was calling all Republicans racists. In the emails of those Republicans who voted for someone other than the party's nominee, I sensed genuine pain at having the strength of character to not go along with what was happening, but nonetheless be grouped in with those who were. I apologize for writing something that caused you pain; that is not the person I want to be. You are your party's future, and you deserve my admiration and respect, and your country's as well.

For the rest of you, you just voted for an openly racist candidate for the presidency of the United States of America. In your defense, most of you did so without thinking of the consequences of your candidate's racism, because for most of you the heartbreaking destruction racism causes has never been anything you or your loved ones have had to experience. But the thing is elections have their consequences. This is no longer sixty years ago. Whether any of us like it or not, for the next four years the 80% of this country who did not just vote for an openly racist candidate are going to treat you like you are the kind of person who would vote for an openly racist candidate.

You can get angry at everyone else for treating you like you just did the thing you just did, or you can take responsibility for your actions and begin to make amends. If you are lucky and younger family members are still coming over for Thanksgiving, before it's too late, take a moment and honestly think about how your actions must look through their eyes. Simply saying "I never thought he'd win" might be enough. But if you have the means, leaving a receipt from a sizable donation to the ACLU or the SPLCaccidentally laying around where you carve the turkey, might go over even better.

Or, just do what you do best and volunteer. Through our customers' support, we've given away a lot of our Penzeys Pepper, the Pepper with heart. More often than not, those we meet cooking and serving food to feed those in need are Republicans. You really are a good bunch, but you just committed the biggest act of racism in American history since Wallace stood in the schoolhouse doorway 53 years ago. Make this right. Take ownership for what you have done and begin the pathway forward.

Thanks for reading,

Bill

posted by Room 641-A at 6:58 PM on November 17, 2016 [31 favorites]

Sorry for the dumb question but what does "PN" stand for?
posted by orrnyereg at 7:21 PM on November 17, 2016

"PN" = "Pantsuit Nation" is the name of a secret Facebook group started during the campaign. There are now local groups in addition to the huge main one.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:42 PM on November 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm impressed with all the people who are moving so quickly to action. The world is a better place for it.

We are still hunkered down, feeling unsettled, and trying to figure out next steps. It's not a situation I expected so it's not like I had any contingency plans at the ready.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:24 PM on November 17, 2016 [4 favorites]

Just to drop in two cents that the PN groups are great. There's both a lot of mental support stuff, and people organizing to take concrete action. It gives me at least some kind of hope.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:05 PM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm in Boston this lovely Friday morning. What should I be calling my reps about today>
posted by pxe2000 at 5:31 AM on November 18, 2016

That is one great email.

Thank you! I was getting ready to leave work so the formatting isn't perfect and something says "today" which is no longer true but I am really glad if it can be helpful to people. Thank you also to Bulgaroktonos who helped cut it down from when it was even ridiculously longer and also SUPER rambling.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:35 AM on November 18, 2016

I emailed a thank you to Penzeys.
posted by rabidsegue at 6:02 AM on November 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

pxe2000 I'm going to call the House Oversight Committee and ask for an inquiry into the president-elect's business holdings and potential conflicts of interest.
posted by clavicle at 6:52 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

Should we wait to call our senators about Sessions until the hearings begin?
posted by pxe2000 at 7:10 AM on November 18, 2016

Nope. Call them now. And every day until the hearing. Then maybe every other day after that.

Any issue I have with Trump - my senator is going to know about. There is no amount of calling that is too much. Im calling til they get a restraining order against me.
posted by melissasaurus at 7:25 AM on November 18, 2016 [8 favorites]

On the PN MA agenda today:

CALL THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
(202-225-5074)
Tell them "I support the call for a bipartisan review of Trump's financials and apparent conflicts of interest. I'm very concerned about this issue."
It takes two minutes, and they are absolutely tallying calls - the more they get, the more likely the Committee is to demand ALL of Trump’s financial information.
Today is the last day to do this, they are out of the office next week for Thanksgiving. And after that, they’re going to make a decision.
If you get a "mailbox is full" message, call back in a minute or so - that seems to be the message sent when lines are busy.
SECOND ON THE AGENDA
KEEP CALLING BAKER
Tweet him @MassGovernor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharlieBakerMA/
The hashtags are:
#blitzbaker + #keepmasssafe + #stopbannonnow + #bealeader + #speakupcharlie
Baker's numbers are (9am -5pm):
Boston office: 617.725.4005
Springfield office: 413.784.1200
DC office: 202.624.7713
posted by Miko at 7:47 AM on November 18, 2016 [5 favorites]

Did both (as a property owner in MA and resident of VT I can hassle two sets of elected leaders). And yeah Oversight mailbox is full. Will keep trying.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:56 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

Donated to Foster Campbell's campaign. Set up a monthly donation to my local ACLU. Hopped on board with Miko's project (which sounds great, btw!). I'm still trying to figure out where to focus my time/energy/money to do my best, as I don't want to scatter myself. What I want to do is get out the vote/turnout for the 2018 midterms. I've said it before in the election thread but I'll say it again - local is important, as that is how the Tea Party got its power.

And I'm focusing on self-care as well - making sure my diet, exercise, spiritual practice can sustain me through what is going to be a marathon, not a sprint.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:07 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

And yeah Oversight mailbox is full. Will keep trying.

Same here! I've called three times and not yet gotten through which I'm hoping is a good sign.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:23 AM on November 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Same here - I have called three times and not gotten through. I, too, hope this means that the phone lines are burning up.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:24 AM on November 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Anyone else we should be calling, mailing, or writing*? I'm really hoping for the chance to write letters because I got some tasteful new stationary to support the revolution.

*Reminder: DC lacks congressional representation so I am short of options.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 8:29 AM on November 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Oversight Committee's mailbox was full when I tried, so I called the offices of Chairman Jason Chaffetz [phone] and ranking Dem. member Elijah Cummings - [phone]. I'll keep trying the committee.
posted by Doktor Zed at 8:29 AM on November 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Today's call sheet:
-House oversight committee 202-225-5074 - re Trump financial info and conflicts of interest; if it's still full, I'm calling the individual members of the Subcommittee on Government Operations (Chairman is Mark Meadows, Republican from NC-11: 202-225-6401)

-Chuck Schumer 2022246542 - Stop trying to work with Trump; any plan we pass will be enforced by his terrifying executive branch

-Everyone on the Senate Judiciary Committee - oppose confirmation of Sessions

-My US Senators - publicly denounce Sessions and Flynn and vow to block confirmation of Sessions

-My US Rep - publicly denounce Sessions and Flynn

-NYTimes - [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] - what is this trash?

-Bill de Blasio - don't cooperate with Trump's plan to live part time in the city (212-NEW-YORK or 311 w/in the city)

Does anyone know of any lawyers' groups that are putting together a petition/letter opposing Sessions? I'd like to sign on.
posted by melissasaurus at 8:41 AM on November 18, 2016 [10 favorites]

I just called Jason Chaffetz's office and the receptionist interrupted me and asked "are you reading a script?" Lovely.
posted by pxe2000 at 9:13 AM on November 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

Okay I left a message! No one is going to worry I was reading from a script based on the rambling nonsense that ended up in the recording but I think I got my point across.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 9:54 AM on November 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

Additional call for today:

Ford investor relations (1-800-555-5259): "Hi, I'm a shareholder* - I recently read that Ford was planning to move its Kentucky production to Mexico, but decided not to based on a conversation with Donald Trump. I was wondering whether these plans have been disclosed in the company's SEC filings and, if so, can you direct me to that disclosure?"

*ish - through an index fund, but they don't need to know that

If they're nonresponsive, then: SEC Complaint
posted by melissasaurus at 9:57 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

Huzzah! I got through to the House Oversight committee and left a message!
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:03 AM on November 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

I don't know if this should be a Meta in its own right, but

Since the (now post-)Election threads appear to be becoming the oldest established permanent floating crap game in the Blue, has there been any thought of making a new sub-Filter for them?

(I realize that mod/dev resources are pretty constrained at the moment as I ask this.)
posted by murphy slaw at 10:09 AM on November 18, 2016

murphy slaw: has there been any thought of making a new sub-Filter for them?

Yes.
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:17 AM on November 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

There ought to be a new thread to discuss this. I'm not going to elaborate here since it seems like the wrong place.
posted by selfnoise at 10:29 AM on November 18, 2016

Ford investor relations (1-800-555-5259): "Hi, I'm a shareholder* - I recently read that Ford was planning to move its Kentucky production to Mexico, but decided not to based on a conversation with Donald Trump. I was wondering whether these plans have been disclosed in the company's SEC filings and, if so, can you direct me to that disclosure?"

It's bullshit, and Ford has maintained that stance.
posted by Etrigan at 10:37 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

Etrigan, that's a different plant in Ohio. This is Ford's press release from this morning:

On Thursday, we confirmed with the President-elect that, with his support, our small Lincoln utility vehicle made at the Louisville Assembly Plant will stay in Kentucky. We are encouraged that President-elect Trump and the new Congress will pursue policies that will improve U.S. competitiveness and make it possible to keep production of this vehicle here in the United States.

I reached a nice man named Nigel at Ford investor relations (1-800-555-5259). He could not direct me to any disclosure of the Kentucky/Lincoln potential-production move (prior to Trump's tweet). I asked him to pass on a comment that this matter affects people's investment decisions and should have been disclosed in its filings, not in a tweet by the President-Elect.

I'm now filing an SEC complaint.
posted by melissasaurus at 10:46 AM on November 18, 2016 [12 favorites]

I also want to point out that Ford is under federal investigation for a faulty break issue. I wonder what the CEO and Trump talked about on the phone.....
posted by melissasaurus at 10:56 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

Just wanted to say I got a lot of MeMails about the civics project and will be replying soon. Things are happening at quite a rate, need a little catch up time but will be in touch!
posted by Miko at 11:02 AM on November 18, 2016

I was just able to leave a message at the House Oversight Committee number; maybe the blockage has cleared.

Today’s the first time I’ve felt awake & alert & non-dismal enough to look at this thread. I knew there’d be a lot here. Good on you all for acting so quickly and thoroughly, and for sharing links & numbers & words so others can do the same. I’m grateful for the immediate & practical suggestions.

I’m now working through a good to-do list by Magda Pecsenye, who runs a parenting blog called askmoxie and has shown up on the blue in a very different context. She’s started something called PostTrump.help, with lots of practical suggestions. One thing she says there that’s really prodded me to get out of my funk & denial and to get up & moving: “Make sure your children see you fighting for them and for other people.” It’s been like an alarm bell for me.
posted by miles per flower at 11:15 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

Here's what I've done so far: Set up a monthly ACLU donation; I wrote a thank you letter to Hillary because I needed to do that for some emotional closure; donated to Foster Campbell's campaign; started a WaPost subscription; called my governor (Charlie Baker, MA) to ask for a stronger statement condemning Bannon; wrote to our awesome state AG to thank her office for their strong post-Trump efforts; called my Rep to ask for his support on Katherine Clark's Presidential Accountability Act, and have been trying to get through to the House Oversight Committee all day.

I also signed up to volunteer for the Boston Families for Refugee Assistance group, because I'm fired up and I have to do something positive with this energy. I've got a plan made and hotel room booked to go to DC in January with a car full of women for the Women's March. Oh, and earlier this week I showed up to my neighborhood association meeting, and will be going regularly from now on, as well as regularly going to our city Democrats meetings.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 11:40 AM on November 18, 2016 [4 favorites]

I give monthly to my local abortion fund but I threw them an extra $25 today, just because. Support your local abortion fund.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 11:43 AM on November 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Yeah, just as a mod note: we've had some thoughts and inquiries about subsite-or-whatever stuff, and there's a MeTa in the queue on the subject that I hope to put through today once I get finished swimming upstream on a few other things.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:45 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

So I'm insufficiently Jewish to add this to my call list, but this (via some rando on my facebook) might be a good thing for Jewish people to try:

"I just called the RJC (Republican Jewish Coalition) to register my displeasure as an American Jew at their support of the appointment of Stephen Bannon as Trump's advisor.

I asked if they were still supporting him. She said they were.
I asked if they were proud of that appointment. She said she had no comment.
I asked the staffer if they support white supremacy. She said no.
I asked if they supported people who supported white supremacy. She said she wouldn't comment on that either.
I asked if they supported anti-semitism. She said, "Ma'am."
I asked if they supported the appointment of anti-semites. She said, "I will forward your comments. Have a great day." and hung up on me.

The RJC's number is [phone]. If you're Jewish, and you do not support white supremacy, please light up their switchboard and let them know."
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 12:26 PM on November 18, 2016 [23 favorites]

I'm starting to feel burned out. I've been calling my reps every day, and today I stepped out of my comfort zone and reached out to Jason Chaffetz...only to get a rude, snarky aide taking my call. I got up to the Lilla article and the comment on the Blue about how America and Europe are on a slide rightward, and I keep wondering "so what? The hairpiece is going to do what he wants." I'm so scared and I don't know what to do.
posted by pxe2000 at 12:29 PM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

Fighting authoritarianism is an marathon (really, an ultramarathon), not a sprint. if you've hit burnout, take a few days off.

If the weather were warmer, I'd go on a camping trip right now. as stands I'm hoping to spend as much time this weekend hiking as I possibly can. Getting out into nature is by all accounts the most reliable way to alleviate some of the terror caused by dealing with our horrifying culture.

I'm trying to limit my internet activity to checking in on this thread to get new marching orders w/r/t civic engagement, and nothing else.

but, well, I haven't yet managed to break myself of the political threads on the blue or of my facebook. but if you're smarter than me, maybe you'll be able to implement my plan better than I can.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 12:42 PM on November 18, 2016 [6 favorites]

People looking for other constructive projects who like working with wikis could add some updates and look through the resources we have available on the ThereIsHelp Wiki. Also if you don't know about this page, it's a collaborative resource list put together by MeFites to give people concrete links to mental health support resources. If you're not sure where to go and feeling really terrible, you might want to check it out.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 12:52 PM on November 18, 2016 [8 favorites]

I went to my union meeting and signed up to talk to union members and fair-share payers about why it's important that we stay strong as a union, and how that relates to impending Supreme Court changes. This is new for me as I hate talking to people and have hitherto avoided it.

I'm going to some kind of commie socialist organizing thing tomorrow.
posted by Frowner at 1:32 PM on November 18, 2016 [7 favorites]

I made my morning call to Paul Ryan (4 days in a row now, 2 since I started hitting that model minority angle), and I had printed out numbers and scripts for three more calls I wanted to make, but I had just about decided to chicken out because I'm on my period and just feeling sucked into a black hole of despair right now. However, my addiction to social media ended up bolstering me - I checked my new Instagram to see if I had any likes and ended up rereading the poem I posted yesterday, which is about work and doing what needs to be done, and I was like Okay okay okay and I got my phone. I couldn't get through to the House Oversight Committee but I called Dianne Feinstein to thank her for her statement on Steve Bannon and to ask her to oppose confirmation of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, and then I called Jeff Flake for the same reason, only in light of his statement, my tone was more "shame on you." I said something about being shocked that it was OK to consider someone who was rejected for a federal judgeship for racist behavior because he was "well-liked."

Then I got back to my desk to see that my Japanese American coworker had responded to my last email to our company match donation pool, agreeing with my suggestion of CAIR in light of yesterday's bullshit about internment camp "precedent", and I replied "They will regret the day an office donation pool was formed with two pissed off Japanese Americans! NOT TODAY, SATAN!" and now we're sending a total of $800 their way and I am all shaky excited.
posted by sunset in snow country at 1:44 PM on November 18, 2016 [22 favorites]

While home sick today, I started a FB group and a blog called Five Things. I'm challenging myself, and others, to do five things a day to make the world a better place. Anything from random acts of kindness (to counteract all the open hatred) to making calls to elected officials and everything in between. I have a folder of links people have posted here to put on the blog, so I thank you all for that.

I asked Kid Ruki what scares them most about the Trump presidency and they said LGBTQA rights (Kid Ruki is genderqueer). So tonight we're researching organizations and tomorrow we're cashing in our tzedakah box.
posted by Ruki at 3:25 PM on November 18, 2016 [5 favorites]

Set up a monthly donation to the ACLU.
Bought a Black Lives Matter Pin
Made calls. I haven't been able to ge6t through to Paul Ryan today at all. The phone doesn't even ring.

I also looked up my state reps: NC congress and Senate. I have those numbers on my call sheet now.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:51 PM on November 18, 2016

There are some democratic socialist and socialist groups that are planning actions against Trump's agenda...

DSA
ISO
SAlt
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 4:23 PM on November 18, 2016

Oh, oh, my HRC hating mom just texted me for Hanukkah ideas for the kid. I was bold enough to tell her to make a donation to a LGBTQA org in kid's name. That is one of my five things for today.
posted by Ruki at 4:39 PM on November 18, 2016 [14 favorites]

This is where I admit that I haven't been diligent about calling Ryan today:

I haven't been diligent about calling Ryan today.

However, a friend who was diligent about calling Ryan today said that the systems are broken across most of his offices, BUT that the Kenosha office is still taking calls.
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 4:52 PM on November 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

Yeah, I tried calling Ryan today and it was totally borked. (I should have said earlier, it's a closed, but not private FB group so search Five Things if you'd like to join. The blog, very much a work in progress, is fivethings2016.wordpress.com.)
posted by Ruki at 5:20 PM on November 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

I got my dad, who supported the loser of the popular vote, a Metafilter membership.
posted by sideofwry at 6:25 PM on November 18, 2016 [6 favorites]

Like others here, we've increased some monthly donations and added some new ones. I also want to spend more money supporting real journalism, but I'm still mulling over where my money is best spent. (Candidates include Mother Jones, the Washington Post, and my local daily.)

I added my local, state, and national elected officials to my email and phone contacts, and got some practice by calling some of them to thank and/or ask them for opposition to various incoming White House appointees, and others (at the state level) for opposition to that stupid anti-protest proposal. Verdict: If you have your legislators on quick-dial and a little practice talking to their staff, it becomes very easy to get heard.

I'm also trying to read more history books instead of more think pieces.
posted by mbrubeck at 8:03 PM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

My best friend just texted me that she booked a hotel room in DC, so now Kid and I are joining the Million Women March. We were planning on going to the Boston march, but the universe smiled kindly on us.
posted by Ruki at 8:31 PM on November 18, 2016 [6 favorites]

Set up a monthly donation to the ACLU. Signed up for my community's new Standing Up for Racial Justice group, which meets for the first time Monday. Wrote letters to all my state and US senators, reps, and assemblymembers, and my governor, thanking them for their work so far (California, so strong Dems) and urging them to continue working to support equality and justice. Sent a thank you card to Secretary Clinton for her positive impact on the world. Left a voicemail for my US rep thanking him for publicly opposing Bannon (during which I burst into tears, so I'm hoping it was audible). Left a voicemail at the Oversight Committee asking them to look into Trump's financial conflicts of interest. Left a voicemail at Sen. Feinstein's office asking her to oppose Sessions. Thanked the owner of a local shop who posted a sign with a safety pin declaring her store a safe space for victims of harassment, and posted about it to my local Pantsuit Nation page, hoping to send more business her way. Volunteered at a conference for rural trans people and made sure, when I was helping with check in, that each and every one of the attendees felt welcome. Continued doing my paid work, helping people with severe mental illness who are on Medi-Cal/Medicaid. Continued doing the part of my paid work that's also helping train other people to do that work in effective and compassionate ways. Tried, with very varying success, to keep up self-care so that I can keep doing that work. Am continually trying to forgive myself for not being perfect with self-care.
posted by lazuli at 9:07 PM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

OH! Also sent a letter to my county supervisor, thanking her for her work and asking that she do whatever she can to help protect county residents from suffering from the effects of programs losing federal funding.
posted by lazuli at 9:12 PM on November 18, 2016 [4 favorites]

Also, I've had Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" stuck in my head since his death, and it's become a total rallying cry. I've seen your flag on the marble arch, love is not a victory march, it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah. Doing what's right is easy when there's no opposition. Doing what's right when it's hard, and when it might not win right now, when it's likely to hurt and break you but you go on anyway, is what matters. I know that might not be the framing that helps everyone, but it's helping me right now.
posted by lazuli at 9:20 PM on November 18, 2016 [10 favorites]

Wrt the oversight committee, I sent a message on their whistle-blower page when I was unable to get through by phone.
posted by brujita at 11:49 PM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

I donated tiny amounts to the ACLU, the NAACP, Foster Campbell's campaign, and my alma mater, a Seven Sisters' school.

I called my Representative, accidentally called the other representative for my state, and both my senators to protest the appointment of Steve Bannon.

I called the House Oversight Committee to ask that they pursue an inquiry into Trump's financials. I called Paul Ryan about Trump's financials, and then I called again to express my opinion on the ACA.

I went to a protest march sponsored by my local socialist's chapter. I went to a Hillary Volunteer Appreciation Night to find out more about what the local Democrats are planning.

I signed up for that "daily action" newsletter. I expressed interest in volunteering for the Girl Scouts.

I will keep you posted.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 6:02 AM on November 19, 2016 [2 favorites]

Slowly figuring out what's to be done from abroad, other than collecting and circulating amongst local friends the best articles linked in the threads on the blue, so as to cut through the inevitable media-normalisation that's happening at any remove from ground zero. (Any further suggestions for/from non-USians around the globe greatly welcome!)
posted by progosk at 6:56 AM on November 19, 2016

I just tried calling many politicians. All the voice mailboxes were full, which I guess is a good thing but it's frustrating. Ryan's number just flat out wouldn't connect though I tried several times, and McConnell's and a couple of others didn't offer any option to leave a message. I've been feeling overwhelmed about figuring out what actions to take since there are so many ideas, but Ruki's idea of doing five things a day makes it seems more manageable. Maybe I'll start with three a day and work my way up. And I've decided not to go back on Facebook for at least two weeks, as it makes me so angry and so sad to see the vile things posted by people I used to respect. I felt I just had to respond to a couple so now I've probably lost a friend I've had for over fifty years, but I'm not going to keep quiet any longer.
posted by a fish out of water at 8:27 AM on November 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

I set up a monthly donation to the ACLU and joined a local organization in Newark. There is also a meeting in Montclair tomorrow that i'll be attending. I don't have a social media presence and post maybe a couple times a year so not many connections. I've decided to start posting more to at least provide factual accurate information. There is so much bad information out there. I'm mixing up my posts so that it's not all doom and gloom. I'm also reading more civil rights, feminists etc. My worthless liberal arts education is finally coming through for me.

Some ideas I'd like to throw out: I haven't seen anyone explain very explicitly what some of this stuff might look like. I've seen video clips on the "precedent" for internment and people have reacted appropriately horrified but does everyone really understand what that might look like? Shit I don't think that was even discussed when I was in school and I'm 36. The horrors of what we are imagining needs to be discussed in detail. Knowing that something is bad is not the same as having a very clear understanding of why it's bad. I'm not sure how to do this but it is worth examining.
posted by mokeydraws at 10:46 AM on November 19, 2016

I haven't seen anyone explain very explicitly what some of this stuff might look like. I've seen video clips on the "precedent" for internment and people have reacted appropriately horrified but does everyone really understand what that might look like? Shit I don't think that was even discussed when I was in school and I'm 36. The horrors of what we are imagining needs to be discussed in detail. Knowing that something is bad is not the same as having a very clear understanding of why it's bad. I'm not sure how to do this but it is worth examining.

We basically already have internment camps in the US, they're called prisons. Compared to the way pretty much every other country in the world uses prisons, ours are completely insane. We have over 2,200,000 people in prison - next highest are China (1,650,000) and Russia (640,000). No one else even comes close to us. We also have the highest PROPORTION of imprisoned people after Seychelles - about 0.7% of the US population. Over 160,000 of those people are serving life sentences. Only ten countries on earth have TOTAL prison populations over 160,000.

I haven't really thought of it in these terms before recently. But what I could see happening, instead of straight-up internment camps, is a dramatic increase in prisons, probably private prisons, and then sweeping 'anti-terror' laws targeting Muslims and undocumented people and black people and others to put them in those prisons. That's already what we do with undesirables - how many people would even notice or care if 'a few more bad guys' got arrested? The optics aren't as bad as camps. It's just 'law and order.'
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:58 AM on November 19, 2016 [15 favorites]

Called Paul Ryan at [phone] to oppose Steve Bannon; was actually able to leave a message (wow, didn't think I'd get through to even a machine) Mitch McConnell's service doesn't take messages so I emailed, but if you can manage to get through, it's [phone]. His email form is here. Also contacted state senators on same issue. Will call and send letters about medicare and climate change as well, also whatever comes up and I'm sure it will be a repeated ritual.

Paul Ryan's office address:

Office of the Speaker
H-232 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
website for email

McConnell's address:
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510

Miko's advice on at least one phone call a day is good; as I'm sure yours is, my head is spinning from problems to keep up with and it's hard not to get overwhelmed. FWIW, I'm doing more FB posting on issues and actions, but that seems like a spit in the wind, but...something vs. nothing...

I'm also feeling really guilty that I'm too broke to donate, and I'm trying to find & decide on which org to volunteer at. Most seem to need money more than volunteers.
posted by GospelofWesleyWillis at 1:16 PM on November 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

Most seem to need money more than volunteers.

This isn't true - it's just that most of them need staff to wrangle volunteers and may not know how best to utilize them, and money is easy, so that's what they ask for on their website. If you call them, you'll get a much better idea of whether they need volunteers or not. Most do.

MIND YOU some of this volunteering may seem mind numbingly boring. They might need you to address envelopes for fundraisers, or staple pamphlets together, or a ton of stuff that doesn't seem exciting. But every time you do that, you are freeing up an organizing staffer to do what they do best. It's still noble work.
posted by corb at 2:10 PM on November 19, 2016 [13 favorites]

But every time you do that, you are freeing up an organizing staffer to do what they do best.

They also serve who only sit and staple.
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:21 PM on November 19, 2016 [9 favorites]

Corb, I think you're right. So far all I've found is sites that ask for donations, like ACLU but I guess I'll just call. Mind-numbing stapling and letter stuffing is cool with me. That was my plan anyway as I'm not in a real cognitive capacity to do any real strategizing. Not to be self-deprecating, just stating where my head is at due to mental illness so stapling rocks my world.
posted by GospelofWesleyWillis at 2:34 PM on November 19, 2016 [4 favorites]

The tzedakah box money came out to just under $100. So I cashed it in for a gift card that I can used later and donated $100 to the Trevor Project, and my company will match that donation. Next on the list is contacting the PVD chapter of PFLAG to see how we can volunteer.
posted by Ruki at 4:40 PM on November 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

I guess I'll just call

Do do this. They might have something. But don't be discouraged if they don't have something right away. Charities have professionalized just like everything else. Computers and printers with mail-merge address our envelopes now, and copiers can auto-staple. and printing houses can collate - or we outsource to mailing houses that employ developmentally disabled people for this work, which is good for everybody. There isn't all that much any more that relatively unspecialized volunteers can do, aside from event work, or phone banking, or visibility. If you have a special skill of any kind - copyediting, volunteer management, research, whatever - be sure to offer it when you call., IF you don't hit the right person right away, call someone else in the org. If you keep hitting a wall, find another org, maybe a smaller/grassroots one that can really use the hands-on, unpaid help. But please don't be alienated by the fact that a lot of strong charities/nonprofits are just no longer set up to run on volunteer help -- they've found it's more efficient to handle these functions in a stable, budgeted, planned manner and not to depend on sudden influxes of volunteers who eventually wane and lose interest and move on, to be followed by the next sudden ifnluence. Sustained good work requires budgeting and planning for year-round, utterly reliable consistency, and most of the larger-budget orgs have gone that way.
posted by Miko at 9:08 PM on November 19, 2016 [9 favorites]

I called my Rep and Senators to urge them to condemn Bannon. Tried calling McConnell and Ryan with the same but couldn't get through.

I donated to Foster Campbell's campaign and have set up monthly donations for a Planned Parenthood and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

I've been to one organizing meeting related to my professional network and plan to attend one next week for my local Pantsuit Nation chapter. There's another local feminist org I've joined through Facebook and a meeting is in the works.

I bought a subscription to the Washington Post and signed the petition for electors to vote for Clinton

Also called stores I shop at on the #grabyourwallet list to tell them I won't be back until they stop carrying Trump family products.

This is all so new for me, but I can't stop. I'm your typical please-don't-make-me-talk-to-people introvert and now I'm calling strangers without a second thought. I've got this hyper-focused alertness that comes out when I'm in emergency situations.
posted by fozzie_bear at 10:28 PM on November 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

On climate change: I've called the California Energy Commission about what's going on with renewables. Got the wrong person, then got a machine. I'm a shy guy, but it was not as difficult as I found since I wrote a script. I'm looking at what local organizations I can join, donate to, or otherwise support.

Have a post here in the Arctic ice thread with more on what I'm researching / doing. Feel free to MeMail me if you want to discuss.
posted by Mister Cheese at 10:47 PM on November 19, 2016 [4 favorites]

Set up a donation for Planned Parenthood.
Tried to do the same for ACLU but their web form is wonky for people outside US, it autopopulates the State field with Not Required, or something, which screws with my credit card trying to verify my address. Will drop them a line.
Still need to work out where and how I can be politically active, e.g. can't call senators, don't want to sign petitions that should really be for US residents. Can't legally donate to certain causes (e.g. Louisiana Senate).
Trying to be less of a dick on Facebook etc. Use white privilege to try to talk around even one person if I can.

Slightly related: threw a one-time donation at Alexander Van der Bellen (fighting the far-right candidate in the coin-flip Austrian presidential election). Apparently it's all legal for foreigners to donate.
posted by Pink Frost at 12:47 AM on November 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

Just saw this posted to Facebook:

Paul Ryan is currently conducting a phone survey on who supports Obama's Affordable Care Act. You don't have to speak directly to anyone, just call and after the message press a number to indicate your support.

202-225-0600 (it may take a moment to connect)

Press 2 to hear the survey. You have to listen to a 1-min message about how Speaker Ryan wants to dismantle the ACA--be patient and wait for the survey.

Even if you do not use the ACA (I don't), please take the time to call and express how important it is. It is an imperfect plan, but it is better than no plan. The flaws are fixable. We do not need to start from zero. And for many people, it is literally a matter of life or death that this insurance option is not repealed.
posted by miorita at 8:00 AM on November 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

Miko is 100% right. If you're looking to volunteer, small orgs - I would say with an annual budget under about $1 million - are the place to go. These orgs often can't afford to farm everything out and still strongly need volunteers.
posted by corb at 8:10 AM on November 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

Even if you do not use the ACA (I don't)

It's worth reminding everyone who posts this that if you have any kind of long term health issue or have ever been in possession of female reproductive organs, you use the ACA.
posted by phunniemee at 8:13 AM on November 20, 2016 [23 favorites]

Just saw this posted to Facebook:

Paul Ryan is currently conducting a phone survey on who supports Obama's Affordable Care Act. You don't have to speak directly to anyone, just call and after the message press a number to indicate your support.

202-225-0600 (it may take a moment to connect)

Press 2 to hear the survey. You have to listen to a 1-min message about how Speaker Ryan wants to dismantle the ACA--be patient and wait for the survey.

Even if you do not use the ACA (I don't), please take the time to call and express how important it is. It is an imperfect plan, but it is better than no plan. The flaws are fixable. We do not need to start from zero. And for many people, it is literally a matter of life or death that this insurance option is not repealed.


You know what he's looking for - lots of people to say they hate the ACA so he can justify taking it down. This is probably being spread around right wing sites as we speak to create a false consensus via "survey" - we need to call in and tell people to call in so that they can't, ahem, rig this poll.
posted by Frowner at 8:13 AM on November 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

I think this poll seems old, FYI.
posted by corb at 8:27 AM on November 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

It would be super helpful if people who have concerns could back them up with information. I went to a few blog posts about this which seem to be indicating that it's a live poll (it's being changed frequently, the voicemail box is full and then not full) though maybe more for push polling Ryan's base and not actually tabulating data. In any case, his direct line is [phone]. You can call there if that pleases you.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 9:08 AM on November 20, 2016 [4 favorites]

My sense that it was old was because the message you had to listen to was referencing the bill that was passed to defeat the ACA, seemed kind of like "well we tried guys" and it seemed to be focusing on Obama, with nothing about the election of Trump. Nothing about "under a new administration, we have a chance." I think it was definitely created some time ago. It may certainly be live - my comment was more that I don't think this was a specific new thing post-Trump created to give cover for a new change in direction.
posted by corb at 9:20 AM on November 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Ryan "poll" is definitely a push poll and not worth our time. These are often outsourced to marketing firms and there's no guarantee responses are being tabulated - it's purely for outbound propaganda messaging. As jessamyn notes, calling his direct line is the way to go.
posted by Miko at 9:27 AM on November 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

Miko is 100% right. If you're looking to volunteer, small orgs - I would say with an annual budget under about $1 million - are the place to go. These orgs often can't afford to farm everything out and still strongly need volunteers.

Another suggestion: I imagine that in this atmosphere, many organizations are screening volunteers more stringently than they may have in the past. Perhaps connecting with them on Facebook would also be helpful.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:07 AM on November 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

Stuff I've done:
- Been working on setting up volunteering with a local women's center, providing tech support and tech training, because I feel pretty strongly that more information, more ways to learn things, information evaluation skills, and so on, are a thing there should be more of. And also because it seemed like a great community to hear about other kinds of community support, activism, etc. going forward.

- Pulling together resources on a Pinboard account (attached to the username I use for non-legal-name things) to share with friends and more broadly, and also so when someone says "What should I know about X?" or "There was a thing about resources for Y and I can't find it now." I can grab a link fast. (If you want a link, send MeMail)

- Sorting out my budget for December and forward so I can make regular donations both to a bunch of useful orgs, and have some money set aside for individual needs from people I know, FOAF, etc. because I fully expect the emergency-expenses type needs are going to go up.

- Being an ear for friends who are having hard times with both post-election related stuff and general life stuff.
posted by modernhypatia at 10:43 AM on November 20, 2016

I made my way through all the weekly phone calls to my reps, Paul Ryan, and the House Oversight Committee. Then, I started calling down the list of Republican representatives in Congress and leaving the following message. I know it's probably a waste of my time. I know Pence comes with his own ten thousand issues. I don't even know if I believe what I'm saying about the Republican party, but I do want to believe in people's better natures and this is a way to try and keep faith with that. It's not concerted political action. It's a kind of praying.

My name is X. I’m calling with a message for Representative X. I just want to say that, for as long as I can remember, the Republican party has stood for respect for the rule of law, for respect for traditions, and for family values, and for doing the right thing even when it’s unpopular. I know those are values we share. I also believe that if you look into your heart, you know that the President Elect, Donald Trump, does not share those values. His financial entanglements, his relationships with foreign powers, his willingness to put his children in positions of power – all of these show a profound disdain for our country, for our traditions and for the office of President, that none of us should be willing to accept.

I believe that the American people had a right to elect him, but I also believe that Congress has a duty to enforce the laws of the land. I’m asking you, as an American, on the day he takes office, to look at what he’s done, to ask yourself honestly if you would accept this behavior from any other elected official, and then, if not, to begin the impeachment process as soon as you can.

I know this isn’t easy, but I’m asking you to be brave, to do the right thing, and to live up to the trust the American people have placed in you. Impeach Donald Trump. Thank you.

posted by pretentious illiterate at 11:24 AM on November 20, 2016 [5 favorites]

Thanks very much for that e-mail link, lalex. I signed up for a couple of things in my local community right after the election and then just felt lost. I don't have the time or the emotional resources to read as much news coverage as I did during the election -- I thought this was a sprint and it's turned into a marathon.

Having someone send me a manageable list of the things I need to be doing something about every week is going to be very helpful I think.
posted by gerstle at 6:59 PM on November 20, 2016 [4 favorites]

"It's worth reminding everyone who posts this that if you have any kind of long term health issue or have ever been in possession of female reproductive organs, you use the ACA.,"

Or if you have children, as their preventative vaccines are now free.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 4:17 AM on November 21, 2016 [6 favorites]

I'm in Texas and I was initially calling my reps using the "We're His Problem Now" sheet, but in this state it seems completely useless and demoralizing. Instead, I want to put together a Texas specific sheet, so we can organize around things like SB 92 or the fetal remains bill. If anyone in Texas would like to help out or just get a link to the sheet, please memail me!
posted by tofu_crouton at 6:15 AM on November 21, 2016 [6 favorites]

Another Facebook find, described not as actions, but as lessons from history. Hence, it mostly does not come with instructions, but it still is a list of very valuable imperatives at this time. Here are his points (discussed in more detail in the FB link above):

1. Do not obey in advance.
2. Defend an institution.
3. Recall professional ethics.
4. When listening to politicians, distinguish certain words.
5. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
6. Be kind to our language.
7. Stand out. Someone has to.
8. Believe in truth.
9. Investigate.
10. Practice corporeal politics.
11. Make eye contact and small talk.
12. Take responsibility for the face of the world.
13. Hinder the one-party state.
14. Give regularly to good causes, if you can.
15. Establish a private life.
16. Learn from others in other countries.
17. Watch out for the paramilitaries.
18. Be reflective if you must be armed.
19. Be as courageous as you can.
20. Be a patriot.

The full list is worth reading, though.
posted by miorita at 7:41 AM on November 21, 2016 [5 favorites]

After a known white supremacist dinner was schedued at a DC-area chain this weekend, the restaurant faced controversial protests (WaPo), public criticism, and boycotts. Management then defended the decision to accept the reservation in a regrettable Facebook post they've since deleted.

BUT... after coming under fire via phone and social networking all weekend, they have since reconsidered, apologized, and promised to donate the $10,000 proceeds to the Anti-Defamation league!
posted by juliplease at 8:14 AM on November 21, 2016 [10 favorites]

If you get one number wrong on the Ryan ACA poll phone number, you get some poor guy's personal VM. He must be going crazy.

Currently I am getting a busy signal on the ACA poll. Over the past week, I have:
1. Written my R senator (Lindsay Graham) to thank him for denouncing Trump throughout the election and ask him to continue to hold him accountable
2. Written thank you notes to Obama and HRC
3. Set up recurring donation to EarthJustice
and am currently:
1. Researching for two other orgs for recurring donations - probably SPLC and one working with refugees in Atlanta
2. Thinking about the best way to ask my state government to follow the goals of the Paris climate agreement (inspired by this article) -- a futile request in my red little state, but I think it is important to say something.
posted by frobozz at 10:37 AM on November 21, 2016 [3 favorites]

To local Somerville/Cambridge/Boston residents: We're phonebanking for Foster Campbell (Dem running for Louisiana senator as if you didn't know that already) tomorrow night, as well as other Tuesdays and Thursdays until the runoff. Canopy City in Davis Square, 6:30 - 9:00. Yours truly, having grown up in Louisiana, will be phone captaining tomorrow and probably other nights as well. Further deets.

Please come.
posted by athenasbanquet at 3:05 PM on November 21, 2016 [5 favorites]

Here's an article about what sociologists have to say about successful protest movements.

"The general advice I heard from researchers, over and over again, all fit in the same general category: Make the barrier to entry as low as possible; make the protests as inclusive as possible."

Don't focus too much on Trump personally: "So if the protest movements arising now are all anti-Trump, all the time, Heaney said, there’s a heightened risk “they never achieve the policy changes they were aiming to achieve,” because once Trump leaves office it saps the movement’s energy. ... There also appears to be a tendency, among lefty protesters, to bundle together all sorts of disparate causes — Black Lives Matter is paired with climate justice is paired with freeing Palestine, and so on. From the point of view of a potential newcomer, it can be daunting. “There’s this strong tendency in these protest groups to want to be ideologically pure,” said Heaney. “They’re much more concerned that they say their own piece and that they believe that they are right — that’s more important to them than actually achieving policy changes.”"

"Munson took that critique even further. “This has historically been one of the differences between the left and the right,” he said, “and it’s one of the things the left can learn from the right. What my research has found is that the right has far fewer ideological purity tests for activism than the left does. So they’re taking all comers and they’re converting people in action. Just come, and just do it. By contrast, there’s a whole language you need to know from some of the left groups — your ability to be involved often depends on already having a healthy résumé of doing other lefty things. I think that that basically makes it a kind of echo chamber, and it doesn’t allow you to bring in new blood.”"

Find small, frequent involvement: "The best bet for ramping up her involvement in the movement, he explained, would be for organizers to offer her some ways to stay involved afterward. Maybe there’s a way for her to volunteer for just an hour a week as an abortion-clinic escort when she gets home. This is a pretty straightforward first step toward further involvement in the movement, and involves neither a huge amount of time and effort, nor any sort of ideological commitment — it’s a sign along the lines of, We need help, and you can help."
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 6:15 PM on November 21, 2016 [32 favorites]

Eyebrows, that's what I definitely see changing right now with left-wing activism (though it's also possible that it's just that my bubbles have shifted). There's a lot more "entry-level activism" being asked for and encouraged, it seems.

Also: I called the White House this morning and asked that President Obama (I may try to keep typing that as many times as I can until January) block DAPL and step in to prevent the brutality that local law enforcement is using against the protestors. I am proud of this call both because it's the first time in my protest calling that I reached an actual person (it seems the White House comment line doesn't do voicemail), and because it's the first time I wasn't working from a script. The fact that those two things corresponded and yet I felt confident and proud of what I said is a minor miracle, given my phone phobia.
posted by lazuli at 7:25 PM on November 21, 2016 [6 favorites]

www.mycivicworkout.com
posted by ob1quixote at 9:01 PM on November 21, 2016 [4 favorites]

I think....I'm kind of souring on the Pantsuit Nation thing on Facebook. I never really fit in - it seems like it started as more of a "I want to be around people where I feel safe to say I vote for Hillary", and I never felt unsafe (mainly because when I feel strongly about something I say it and I don't give a shit what people think), and since the election it's turning into more of a confessional. There's post after post starting "I never told anyone this, but when I was thirteen...." or "Thanks to this group I had the courage to respond to this today...." or something. Meanwhile, a post I started trying to drum up signers for a letter protesting some hate crimes at NYU never got approved by the mods there.

There are the occasional posts of "here's how to call your senators", but they are quickly becoming the minority. I'm also starting to see some internal tension over the volume of "here's how I stepped in and saved this person" posts. The fact that so man women who needed a safe space now have one is great, but I'm....not their audience any more, I think. The fact that i nearly commented on the latest "I never told anyone" post that "don't tell US, go tell THE POLICE" is probably a sign I should bail.

If anyone knows of a similar group on Facebook that is much heavier on the "here's action you can take" options, can you memail me, so I can give you the facebook deets and I can get in on that?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:37 AM on November 22, 2016 [7 favorites]

I'm finding that the local city/county level PN groups are a bit more action focused, at least for me, but yeah, I was just joking that apparently my activist role with PN is assuring white women that yes, their white husbands are in fact being insensitive jerks right now.

Does your community have a Standing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) group? That might be a place to start.
posted by lazuli at 5:40 AM on November 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

2nding that the more local PN groups are more action oriented. Also, just ask your own network. There are a lot of groups rolling around out there doing stuff.

Oh by the way, I also started a secret, smallish Facebook group called #SustainedOutrage, designed for people to keep one another accountable over the long haul by maintaining focus, support and enthusiasm for action. I can add you if you're on FB, if you'd like to just check in on some regular basis to keep engaged. Right now I'm trying to lead off a post daily, but I recognize it might become more of a weekly-ish check in future. PM me your email/handle if you'd like in.
posted by Miko at 7:02 AM on November 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

Another vote for leaving the overall PN group, but looking for the one for your city/town. The one for my town has not been focusing on personal stories but has instead been doing all kinds of committees, organizing support for hijabis, local Islamic center, Planned Parenthood, promoted a march at the university, promoted the local Slut Walk last weekend, etc. They're still trying to get better organized and figure out how to use Facebook most efficiently, but I've used them to find out about some stuff that sounds up my alley. I'm going to a volunteer opportunities fair this weekend that I found out through them, and they have an upcoming meetup at a local garden that I'm going to try to overcome my accute social anxiety to attend.
posted by Squeak Attack at 7:20 AM on November 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

I made a Thanksgiving donation to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
posted by Ruki at 2:14 PM on November 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I had a small victory. A local small-town school board (all Republicans, incidentally) got targeted by a right-wing Christian "Defenders of Liberty" sort of shit legal group, who had apparently heard through the fundie church grapevine that this tiny, conservative district had a trans student and the group "helpfully" provided a proposed policy that would "protect" cis students from a variety of bathroom-panic nonsense. Two of the board members were part of this general religious group, three were pro-LGBT, and two were conservative but relatively indifferent. So the initial reading was 4-3 to adopt the horrible, illegal policy that the group was clearly using to bait the district into being sued to challenge Obama DoE regulations as a test case. This is a small enough district they don't have full-time legal counsel. Anyway, after hundreds of community members came out to scream at each other, one of the board members remembered I had dealt with a similar issue on my board and managed to pass a unanimous trans protection policy with all three GOP members on board, and reached out for my help. I was able to provide a bunch of strategic planning, advice, advocacy language, local resources, and so on. Anyway, we managed to flip one of the uncommitted board members, drive off the predatory legal group, and pass a policy 4-3 that protects the trans student's rights.

It was still an ugly shitshow, but it was an ugly shitshow that we managed to win. They said the language and arguments I was able to provide, from my prior local experience on the same issue with persuading local conservatives, was very helpful in getting through to people.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 2:36 PM on November 23, 2016 [42 favorites]

You go, girlcounselor!
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 2:52 PM on November 23, 2016

Corb, are there any Republicans working to stop him also? I would appreciate being able to support that effort also - and to give those resources to my friends and family who are not liberal but did not support him.

There are Republicans working to stop him, but it's mostly quiet and in secret groups. Republicans - other than the Tea Party, which is fucking over the moon, sadly - just don't really see mass protest, marches, etc, in the light of anything productive. So there's a lot of "aha we will quietly take over the party leadership of this state and then fight him from here" and "aha we will influence these legislators through xyz" and "aha we will strengthen this network" rather than Big Front And Center causes.
posted by corb at 2:59 PM on November 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Eyebrows, that's amazing. Also, I don't know if this is quite the platform for this, but I will say over the past few weeks that I've checked your comments regularly hoping to get your take on the situation, feeling like whatever I heard you were doing was something I would want to be a part of.

Around the third or fourth time I checked your comment log, asking myself - who does Eyebrows McGee think I should donate to? Who does Eyebrows McGee think I should call? Should we push for a recount or would that be a terrible idea? I realized that I thought of you not just as 'a smart person whose comments I read on the internet,' but genuinely as a leader - someone who's political knowledge and judgment I absolutely and implicitly trust. I've felt a real lack of those voices over the past few weeks, both online and in-person at the meetings and rallies I've shown up to. I know you got burned badly the last time you were involved in politics, so I hope this isn't an awkward or uncomfortable thing to say, but if you ever considered easing back into those waters again, you would have at least one person who would be really, really happy to make some phone calls for you, and grateful to have you doing that work.

//end of slightly too intense bout of flattery from an internet stranger. Thanks for everything you do.
posted by pretentious illiterate at 5:30 PM on November 23, 2016 [10 favorites]

Late to the game, but I wanted to share that the Legal Aid Society in Louisville offered free donuts and coffee to everyone in district court the Thursday after the election. Criminal court is a really really really depressing place - full of people of color, poor people, people who lack adequate nutrition and hygiene resources, small children and mothers, and people with serious medical issues. And it was the same as it ever was after the election -- full of desperate people trying to get their loved ones out of jail, begging for more time to pay court fees or restitution, or trying to get redress or closure for something terrible that happened to them. Coffee, donuts, and a smile was a really small thing to offer but I think it helped a little bit.
posted by likeatoaster at 5:33 PM on November 23, 2016 [4 favorites]

Eyebrows, *hugs* or *high fives* or whatever gesture of solidarity works for you. That's awesome.

likeatoaster, that is also awesome. I'm working to more consciously cultivate a mindset that is kind to people who need kindness, and that's a wonderful example.
posted by lazuli at 6:54 PM on November 23, 2016

"I realized that I thought of you not just as 'a smart person whose comments I read on the internet,' but genuinely as a leader - someone who's political knowledge and judgment I absolutely and implicitly trust. I've felt a real lack of those voices over the past few weeks, both online and in-person at the meetings and rallies I've shown up to."

That is so kind of you! I have been really struggling since the election, partly because I have a four-month-old baby girl so I'm a) full of hormones and b) have parent-fears and c) have the special parent-of-a-girl horror that goes with this election, and I have been thinking a lot about what to do and how to handle it. I'm already pretty involved in my local democratic party, and literally all of my reps are now Democrats (Duckworth and Durbin, Bustos, and both of my statehouse reps). I've campaigned for all of them, know my statehouse people personally and as friends, and I've met my federal reps and know some of their office people. So I continue to be like "oppose this terrible thing! support this awesome thing!" but I know they do already and it's not as helpful as putting pressure on GOP reps right now. Also of course supporting local Democratic candidates and building relationships with local government officials on both sides of the aisle as an advocate for issues I care about. I've also been networking with my local progressives and Pantsuit Nation people as they're re-organizing for the Trump era, and kind-of waiting for marching orders.

Since the election I've been thinking a lot about my values and what I'd like to leave as a legacy (which is maybe a bit maudlin but I am full of post-partum hormones), and I think that what's probably most important to me is leaving a better world for our children, which (after much thought) I believe translates into action on education, the environment, and assorted specific child-welfare issues. I think "children" is probably the thread that brings together most of my long-term advocacy interests over the years -- marriage equality, the environment, educational equity, bullying, urban sustainability, special education, etc. -- and that is a focus I think I can pursue and sustain without feeling totally beaten down by the struggle. I also think, having had quite some time to think about my prior electoral service and its successes and failures and excitements and frustrations, that I am probably better-suited to issue advocacy than personal elected office. (I can't back out of a fight when I know the other person is morally wrong even when I know it's going to be too politically costly and I won't win, so it's probably better if I pick my battles by the issue rather than take all issues as an elected official has to.)

So I've been thinking a lot about where I can spend my energy and talents (and currently quite limited time, but babies grow), and I'm starting to reach out to people I know and organizations whose work I respect to see what there is that I can do. (Like, I'm going to reach out to some Chicago-based LGBT organizations I've worked with in the past and be like, "Hey, we've had a couple of successes on school issues for trans students downstate, can we like organize some downstate-specific resources and if you need to work with a family or a school district downstate maybe I can help facilitate that?") I'm starting to talk locally to people and groups involved in urban sustainability, anti-bullying work, various environmental activism, foster-child advocacy, and similar things. I think I want to focus my energy on local and state issues, where it's easier to have an effect and where a lot of policy that affects a lot of people gets made, but there isn't nearly as much attention (especially with the hollowing out of local media).

Anyway, those are my still-kind-of-nebulous thoughts about how I personally think I will fight and advocate going forward. I'm still a bit turtle-hiding-in-shell about the horrors of a Trump presidency because me and my breastfeeding hormones can only take so much, so I'm actually self-protectively hiding from the national news a little bit (I'm trying to read a very curated newsstream for a little while so I keep up on major developments but I don't lose my mind) and I'm trying to not get sucked in to the (literally endless) outrage bait but to respond to calls-to-action from my local Democratic leaders so I can save my outrage-energy for where I can help and not fall into total despair. I also keep reminding myself that I don't have to do All The Things; I can be in a good network of people working on many different important issues so that I can help when I'm needed, but focus my own energies primarily on issues I care a lot about and understand well and can advocate effectively for. (Like, my understanding of DAPL is relatively hazy and that's okay, I can take my cues from trusted friends who are involved and knowledgeable about it.)

I will also say, I've had really good luck reaching out to nearby GOP statehouse reps particularly when they're working on an issue that's important to me (state museum funding, off the top of my head, and some specific education funding issues) to say "Hey, I'm not a constituent, I live nearby, but as a resident of the state this matters a lot to me and I know that you're on the committee for this/working on this legislation/etc.," double-especially when they actually do something I like. "Thank you for speaking up for foster children" or "Thank you for the work you put in on the museum bill and I think it's great" and saying, "While I'm a Democrat and I know there are many issues we don't agree on, I know there's a lot we do agree on and we both want what's best for Illinois, and I really appreciate the hard work you put in on this [often-overlooked!] issue that matters a lot to me and a citizen and a parent" to just let them know it's noticed and appreciated by people on the other side of politics and their work isn't reflexively opposed. Once I got an e-mail back from a nearby GOP statehouse rep (after I thanked him for his really very diligent work on a totally obscure issue that's important, but I think probably six people outside the statehouse know about) that said, "Wow, you're the only person who's sent me a nice e-mail all day." Now he frequently talks to me at events and I think we might be semi-friends? Anyway, state politics: Literally a thankless task, and I think by saying thanks I've built a little bridge where in the future maybe he'll listen to me more seriously if I get in touch about a similar issue.

Oh, PPS -- journalists also really like it when you get in touch to say, "Hey, great story, you're doing good work with your coverage on X." Because mostly journalists get complaints from crazy people, and it's heartening to know that people are reading what you wrote and caring about it and learning things from it, especially if you're on relatively thankless beats like statehouse committees or local police or city council, which are really important but also kind-of unglamorous.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 9:35 PM on November 23, 2016 [24 favorites]

Thank you, Eyebrows! This is so, so good and helpful, and gives me so much to think about. I'll be coming back to it a lot over the next few days. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
posted by pretentious illiterate at 6:36 AM on November 24, 2016

The Saturday after the election, I deposited my paycheck, came home & did a little math, then got online & set up $20.00 monthly recurring donations to the ACLU & Planned Parenthood. This means essentially I need to cook at home twice more a month - I can handle that.

I'm also tossing a little cash haphazardly at the Oceti Sakowin camp up at the Dakota Access Pipeline, Standing Rock standoff/debacle. Winter is settling in & it's going to get rough out there for them.
posted by Devils Rancher at 11:08 AM on November 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

This is fantastic. Thank you. I wonder about actions towards corporations in addition to politicians. There's a few mentions here (a courageous spice company, Ford, media organizations, a couple of boycotts) but I naively (e.g,. without any grounding) wonder/wish if voting with our wallets - supporting or withdrawing support - can be a path for me, as well as advocating to companies which path we want them to take.
posted by stevil at 6:13 PM on November 25, 2016

corb- that's a damn shame, because the only truly visible Republicans in the media right now are insane fascists. It might be nice if some more Republicans were willing to actually go on record as opposing Trump.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:36 PM on November 25, 2016 [4 favorites]

So I just started my application for ASU's Master's in Nonprofit Leadership and Management. Last month, I got my five year memento for my cushy corporate finance job, which has amazing benefits, but I don't feel good about it. I want to do something better with my life, and I'll happily take a paycut to do it.
posted by Ruki at 8:05 PM on November 26, 2016 [4 favorites]

corb- that's a damn shame, because the only truly visible Republicans in the media right now are insane fascists. It might be nice if some more Republicans were willing to actually go on record as opposing Trump.

Yeah, I get why it's frustrating. It seems to be - from what I'm seeing, anyway - this weird and baffling cultural difference almost? For example, right now the anti-Trump forces from the convention are all banded together and are trying to force a re-organization within the state party, voting everyone - including the RNC committeepeople - out. It's serious work. But the lack of desire for notice isn't just a tactical "secrecy until we win" consideration, it seems to be this just...lack of awareness that it might matter to other people? Almost an inward looking focus, where if it goes well they'll tell people but feel like it would be self-aggrandizement to call attention to an attempt that might fail?
posted by corb at 10:04 AM on November 28, 2016

After reading House Majority Leader: Repeal Obamacare First Then Replace Later ("My personal belief and nothing has been decided yet. I would [move through] and repeal and then go to work on replacing," McCarthy said. "I think once it is repealed you will have, hopefully, fewer people playing politics."), I called up both his DC and Bakersfield offices to object - [phone] and [phone], respectively. I swear, these assholes.
posted by Doktor Zed at 2:01 PM on November 29, 2016 [3 favorites]

If I might suggest - calling your reps to express your strong opposition to ending Medicare is a very good idea. We were able to block the same kind of assault on Social Security under W, but people need to speak up.
posted by Chrysostom at 5:46 PM on November 29, 2016 [6 favorites]

Good suggestion, Chrysotom. On top of that, now that Nancy Pelosi is confirmed as House Democratic Leader, we can call her to ask that she make special effort to rally the Democratic opposition to ending Medicare and repealing the ACA - her office numbers are [phone] for California and [phone] for D.C.
posted by Doktor Zed at 6:49 AM on December 1, 2016 [3 favorites]

I had mentioned in some earlier thread (OMG, don't make me go look for it) about the needs of independent abortion clinics. The context was that whenever abortion is threatened, everyone donates to Planned Parenthood. But 60% of abortions are done by independent clinics, and they don't have nearly the infrastructure or tangible support that PP gets. Lots of folks were very much interested in how to support those indie clinics.

Here's a great article about ways to support those clinics directly. The organization that I work with, Lady Parts Justice League is also planning (and fundraising) to do an eight week tour directly support and do counter-protest for the most besieged clinics across the nation. There will be opportunities for folks to join us on the road for activism and volunteerism. You can join (on the side bar) our email list for info .
posted by kimdog at 2:19 PM on December 2, 2016 [6 favorites]

I'm recommending this great summary/overview by Scott Berkun: 2016 POST-ELECTION SANITY GUIDE - 10 simple questions with thoughtful answers
posted by stevil at 8:43 PM on December 2, 2016 [4 favorites]

So now that it's in progress, the #NeverTrump coup of our local RNC members seems to be going well. I don't know how it's going on a national scale, and it's kind of like closing the barn door after the horse has already left, but, you know, it's something.
posted by corb at 9:09 AM on December 3, 2016 [7 favorites]

you know, corb, despite our political differences I am really impressed with your dedication to reclaiming your party. I'm personally saddened and shocked by the number of GOP leaders who seem to have no trouble rolling over and becoming DT supporters. I did think they at least had an ideology, but it seems clear that most are thinking more about their re-elections and personal benefits. It's disappointing. I want to believe there is a reasonable, patriotic right wing that cares about the fate of the country and the world, and it scares me to realize that many leaders are thinking of other things entirely. Good luck with your movement.
posted by Miko at 4:20 PM on December 3, 2016 [17 favorites]

Well, with the backing of my local PN group, I've found myself in talks with the state Dem party chairman to revive our women's caucus. While RI is a solidly blue state, we have a lot of conservative Democrats. The President of the State Senate is anti-SSM and pro-life, for example. The women I've recruited for the caucus are more progressive. Bottom up.
posted by Ruki at 9:04 PM on December 3, 2016 [10 favorites]

Great idea to get involved in the state women's caucus. Will see if that avenue would work for me in my new state (I'm moving).
posted by Miko at 6:59 AM on December 4, 2016 [2 favorites]

I'm writing a lightweight distributed private USENET system, because it looks like we're going to need online communities without a central point of failure. (My inspiration was this post.) Whether or not this will actually be useful remains to be seen, but I'd rather it exist and not be used than the reverse.

And also, working on it makes me feel better.

It's currently not public, but if anyone wants to join in, feel free to memail me.
posted by suetanvil at 9:15 PM on December 9, 2016 [4 favorites]

Right.

I have had a strange amount of trouble locating advocacy groups that focus on First Amendment Protection (and some of the ones I've found seem overly-focused on the issue of "striking down safe space zones at colleges", which suggest that they're more sympathetic to Trump).

This is the front I wanna move towards. I know about the ALA and the Freedom of the Press Foundation - who else is out there?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:30 AM on December 10, 2016

some of the ones I've found seem overly-focused on the issue of "striking down safe space zones at colleges", which suggest that they're more sympathetic to Trump).

I would suggest the ACLU, but even the ACLU takes that general stance (though they don't push it aggressively and are certainly sensitive to context and actionability) - it's fair to say that it's a 1st-amendment purist- but-nonpartisan stance, more civil-libertarian than Trumpian. Though of course, Trumpians will us the 1st to their ends when, and only when, it's convenient for their current obsession. But given that campus speech codes and such are not completely consistent with the 1st, I am not trying to be mean or anything when I say that if this is uncomfortable or impossible for you to defend then perhaps this isn't, or isn't exactly, your cause?

Another to check out: the PEN American Center.
posted by Miko at 6:16 AM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

It doesn't look like they have any current campaigns, but keep an eye on People For The American Way.

I know about the ALA

Does that include their list of First Amendement advocates?
posted by Room 641-A at 9:21 AM on December 11, 2016

What I'm doing. First, since there might be a decimation or worse of Social Security and Medicare, I am trying to get in better shape. I may be working extra years into retirement.

Secondly, on my blogsite, where I get several hundred hits per post, I've tried putting up some posts that address relevant issues.

One of these involves attacking the matter of white supremacy. I don't suppose I can convince a white supremacist, but I can offer info to counter their positions for those whose minds are not locked in.

I hope to continue in this series.

I wrote a fact/fiction hybrid "The Strange Case of Donald Trump and Mr. Hyde."
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:09 PM on December 11, 2016

It's only just surfaced from my subconscious that seeing the title of this thread has been reminding me of this television commercial. (Which probably won't make sense to anyone who hasn't seen it before, as it's a self-parody by the ad campaign of its own already-stupid "Whassup?" gimmick.)
posted by XMLicious at 2:49 PM on December 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

So, I posted 499 [real] times in the national election threads between the RNC and November 10th. And then I went dark. I basically lost my entire blood family during that time as I stated I couldn't spend time this month with people that voted for that man and the rest have since labeled me as childish and selfish. Whatever. I've also since had surgery on my hand which makes it very difficult to type and I'm desperately sad.

Thankfully, I'm also powerfully angry.

I'm working on a large community meeting the week of January 9th (probably either Tuesday or Thursday) in the Hollywood area for any Los Angeles folks who would like to attend. We're going to need everyone. It doesn't matter that you (or your mom) has never done activism before. We still need you. We need graphic designers, artists and people who can write copy. We need lawyers and people who want to make calls. We need fundraisers and people who know how to get signs made. Everyone will be welcome. I'm going to post it in IRL when I have all the deets.

I've also been reading a lot of Sarah Kendzior, Michelle Alexander and I'm going to start Octavia Butler Xenogenesis series next week.

I've had my husband, who is HIV+ start hoarding meds and I'm recommending it for anyone who takes meds of any kind. If you can refill a prescription early, do so. You may never need extra, but someone might.

If you're not in California and you have a chronic health condition, you may want to consider a move. We have a better than most healthcare system that will last a lot longer than almost anyone else's. Also, folks here in California are aware that we will probably getting people to move here. We have sanctuary cities all up and down the state and a supermajority in the legislature. While it's important for those who are healthy and safe to stay and fight, if you are sick or unsafe, now would be the time to make your way to the coast.

I've got more, but my hand is worn out and I'll be back.
posted by Sophie1 at 11:20 AM on December 12, 2016 [38 favorites]

Basically, radical self-care: I speeded up my transition, and I'm back on Testosterone. I'm a transguy.

You may recall from an Ask Me that T made me really REALLY uncontrollably anxious, and caused my Panic Disorder to return. Two bouts with T, same effect, and I swore off of it. "I don't need it; I can get Top Surgery (removal of my breasts) on Obamacare without it", I thought.

But then, two things happened:

1. My body got easily fatigued, as it now wanted the T to function.
2. Trump got elected. I'm on Medicaid now, WA State Medicaid will pay for Top Surgery - but only if I'm on T, or if HRT is medically contraindicated. Medicaid also pays for T. Since I was in neither of these states, I had to fix something, and fast, whilst Medicaid still existed.

So, the week after the election I met with my Psychiatrist, he doubled my anti-anxiety med, and after consulting with my Endo (which took a while), I'm back on Testosterone for a third time - with strict orders to follow up with Psych if my brain goes haywire again. It's been nearly two weeks now, and so far so good!
posted by spinifex23 at 12:30 PM on December 12, 2016 [10 favorites]

I've been using callgov.us a lot.
posted by bq at 1:05 PM on December 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

I tried posting a question in AskMeFi this morning about whether this proposal would work to stop Trump. It got deleted because it was too chatty and not enough question-y.

Through crowd-sourcing, we could check over each of the electoral college members in states that went for Trump for eligibility and fitness. Challenge those who do not meet the specified qualifications.

The specified qualifications are both Constitutional (not that many) and individualized by state. For example, in Texas "To be eligible to serve as a presidential elector, a person must: be a qualified voter of this state; and not hold the office of United States senator, United States representative, or any other federal office of profit or trust. To be eligible to serve as a presidential elector for a political party, a person must be affiliated with the party."

The electors could be looked at as to whether they are qualified voters in Texas and party-affiliated.

I also wrote out pros and cons of the idea in the deleted question.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 9:39 AM on December 14, 2016 [1 favorite]