OMG, WTF IS HAPPENING?

Like many of you, I have been feeling overwhelmed, sad, paralyzed and exhausted by what has been going on in the US over the last few weeks. Living in Washington DC, a city that I love, and knowing all of this chaos is happening right here, and not knowing when the powers that be will turn their sights on us, is especially stressful. 

One of the best things that I've done for my sanity was to watch the Instagram live that AOC did on February 3rd. In it she outlined the issues as she sees them, shared information about what is being done so far and gave some practical advice on how to move forward. 

 She made a lot of great points but there were 5 that resonated with me. She asked that we also share information with each other, so in that spirit, I'm sharing this information with you. I hope you find it helpful!

 

We can't help others or be of help in this fight if we are panicked and depressed. When you feel overwhelmed, everything seems insurmountable and it feels like the only option is to give in. This is a strategy called 'flood the zone'. 

Do what you have to do to take care of yourself and when it gets to be too much, step away, take deep breaths and self-regulate. This is going to be a long fight and we all need to do what we can to make sure we have the strength to see it to the end.

 

You may, like me, be wondering why all of this is happening. It seems like so many actions this administration is taking make no sense and will hurt people who pose no threat or will lead to chaos. Their destructive glee, callousness and disregard for decency can make it seem like the people in charge are a kind of evil empire when in reality, this is all about greed.

Underneath it all, the motivation for eliminating whole government departments, firing workers and cutting life saving benefits is because they need to find a way to cut 4 trillion dollars (yes, trillion, with a T) from the government spending in order to permanently codify Trump's 2017 tax breaks into law. It's as simple as that. The billionaires that worked so hard to get Trump elected, largely did so because they are selfish, greedy men who don't want to have to pay more in taxes. It would be funny if it wasn't so enraging.

 

I think we all have had moments over the last 3 weeks where we've been horrified but have felt powerless. Again (see point #1) this is by design. The truth is that small actions can have a big impact. Calling your congressperson's office, going to a protest, providing resources to those in need, sharing information, are all ways to help show that we are not going to roll over and accept what is happening. 

A lot of politicians, for better or worse, are motivated by what they think is public sentiment and what they think is best for their election chances. We each need to find a way to let our elected representatives know that if they are not willing to fight for us, we will replace them with someone who will. Again, this is going to be a long fight but we can and are already making a difference. 

 

"Flood the Zone" is so effective as a strategy because it not only encourages people to feel overwhelmed but it make it seem like the worst case scenario is inevitable and that the smart thing to do is to give in. This is complying in advance. Resist the urge to do this as much as possible.

Stay safe, of course, but remember a lot of the power they are wielding now, they have because it was freely given. They expect people to fold and hand over the keys. They are not expecting, and often don't know how to deal with, people who refuse to comply or refuse to be intimidated. Know your rights and use them to protect yourself and your community. 

There is a free download of a "Know Your Rights Card" available here on my website. Feel free to print and share. 

 

 

Finally, and most importantly, remember, there are many more of us than there are of them. We may (questionable) have lost the election but this administration does not represent a majority of Americans. Trump's margin of victory, against a candidate that had less than 100 days to build a campaign, was the smallest seen in a presidential election in almost 60 years. Depending on where you live, the vast majority of your neighbors may be feeling the same way that you do about the people in charge and about what's happening to our country. 

They are loud, wave flags and post bullshit relentlessly on social media because they want us to feel isolated and to think that our hopes for the future of our country is not what most people want. One look at the long lines at Costco stores in every state vs. the empty aisles at Target to know this isn't true. We are a the majority and we have power.