Passive Resistance

It's difficult to feel like there is anything one can effectively do in this political climate right now.  The Parkland Teens have been Ah-MAZING and brave and they give me hope for the future.

I mentioned during the Christmas shopping post that I considered relocating the biographies of He Who Shan't Be Named to the trash bin aisle but just turned the covers inward instead.  Well, I've been methodically doing the same with a certain tabloid-publication-that-only-old ladies-buy-that-is-located-at the-checkout-stands.  I without fail, even if people are standing there, will flip it so the covers face inward.  It's a tiny thing but it makes me happy.

This morning I was waiting in the grocery store checkout and I scanned for that tabloid.  I didn't see it so I figured I was just on an aisle that didn't have it.  Then I noticed something:

The lovely Pacific Northwest is pot friendly so the presence of the magazine isn't a big deal. It's what it is on top of.  I LOVE whoever did this and they have given me inspiration.

Social media can be dicey these days.  I have close friends and family with very differing opinions so we have strayed away from making political posts out of respect.  But it's getting more difficult to do because that same respect isn't accorded to me and I'm getting pretty tired of being bashed.  Instead I will like all the "liberal" posts so I know they probably pop up on people's feeds.  They can block me or whatever, I don't care.  At this point, I don't know that I need friends who are standing behind what is going on right now.

So, I post on the facebook silly memes and puppy photos.  I use the insta for photography only. But my twitter has become semi-political, using retweets mostly.  I try to offset that with nonsense like Allison Winn Scotch's White House cabinet comprised solely of dogs. 

I signed up for Resistbot.  It sends texts to remind you to contact your legislators, either state or federal and helps you with topics.  It auto generates emails to said legislators.  I've received responses from my congresspeople so it does appear to work.

I sign petitions from MoveOn, Everytown, Human Rights Campaign, etc.  It is a little thing but it feels like you're doing something.  I will warn you: it blows up your email a little bit so a clever person (not me) might create a blind email box just for these. 

I've called Congress but that is a little intimidating and not for everyone. But once you're done, it feels pretty cool.  You just called CONGRESS.  The trick is to find a script online and then you don't have to worry about what you're going to say.  Believe it or not, FAXING is also a thing. You can fax Congress!

These are passive ways to resist that I mention because Marching isn't for everyone (but I fear we may be forced to) so this might help a little. 

What really kicked my ass was a tweet from a few months ago.  If this doesn't motivate and possible scare a person just a little...