Unfortunately, I’m in the middle of a perfect storm of mope:

  • The election, well obviously.
  • I’ve had more kidney stone surgery. This time they cut up a large badly placed stone with a laser! The second time I’ve been shot with a laser — silver lining! But, it required three surgeries: (1) Put in the stent. (2) Cut up the stone. And (3) remove the stent. From one to three is two months. The stent is driving me absolutely bonkers as my body fights having some foreign object in it using all the tools it has: fever, frequent elimination — all hydration is being routed to the kidneys — and muscle contractions.
  • Report cards are due. The reports were the least of my problems, but they have to get done. There is a longer list of absolute BS going on around the Psy, but this is enough.

So, just to keep up the pretense of being a part-time blogger in a time-and-a-half life, I offer this gem of an article from Democracy Docket by Marc Elias, 10 Things We Can All Do to Protect Democracy.

There are three of his recommendations that I’d like to promote:

2. Help Democrats

The success of any opposition movement rests on the opposing party taking power. This is not a minor detail; in our system of government, it is the essential goal. Next time you want to attack a Democrat for being too much of this or too little of that, realize that you are only helping the GOP. Instead, find a Democrat you support and volunteer or contribute to their campaign.

How unbelievably important it is. All too often the left finds itself nitpicking each other apart because we haven’t done or said something that is completely aligned with whatever view we have, but there is a bigger picture here — the climate is very quickly moving towards being unable to support the eight billion human lives it does now.

For those who may not be able to think that statement through to its logical conclusion, millions are gonna die in climate events where thousands if not millions die at a time. Stymying Trump’s active promotion of climate change is our only hope at coming close to preventing the absolute worst global outcomes. We need Democrats to do that because the Greens and other alternative parties aren’t going to come close. We’re stuck in a two-horse race, so for Trump not to succeed in wrecking the environment, Democrats have to win.

Apply the same logic to every other issue from Gaza to abortion to trans rights.

7. Support independent media

The legacy media is failing our democracy. Every day brings more news of another billionaire owner or corporate overlord bowing down to Trump. The solution is found in independent news outlets that have no incentive to make nice with the Republican Party. Some of these are broad-based news operations, some are issue specific. Pick a few and subscribe for free. Find one or two that you pay to support. It will go a long way to ensure a vibrant media ecosystem willing to stand up for democracy.

It is clear that the for-profit media is all in on supporting Trump and his agenda. It’s where their profits flow from, so of course they are. It is unbelievable to me that so many CEOs shrug their shoulders and pony up the bribe to Trump as the cost of doing business.

The problem with media doing so is that we no longer get factual reporting. We get waffling on whether Musk flashed his Nazi underpants at the world with his right arm instead of honest reporting. They can be relied upon to amplify outrage over trivial matters to keep us all confused and fighting over nonsense and ignore the important issues, like Trump’s issuance of a cryptocurrency that he can be bribed using.

The only way out of that trap is to support independent media. Stand alone platforms like Democracy Docket are great because parent companies, say like WordPress, don’t exist for them so that even if a source like the Psy of Life isn’t willing to knuckle under, WordPress sure might could.

We’re going to need our independent news sources and hope that Substack and WordPress don’t start censoring their users.

8. Use your town square

Every one of us has a town square. It may include our social media accounts, our local book club or dinner table. Use your town square to speak out in favor of democracy and against what Republicans are doing. Do not shy away from difficult conversations; seek them out. Engage the curious. Educate those who seek information. We all have a role to play, so don’t assume your voice is too faint or your platform too small.

One of my favorite theories is Prejudiced Norm Theory. Those of us harboring bias against specific groups seek out signs that others do, too. One way to do so is through off-color prejudiced jokes. If you don’t get any push back, then you know you’re among friends and allies.

Right now, we live in a moment when open bigotry, racism, and misogyny are more and more acceptable. One of the few ways to fight it is to publicly push back against it. Call out those off-color jokes. Point out that others will take it as tacit approval for the harmful and cruel position. Rehearse it in your head. It will make it more likely that you’ll do it when the time comes round again, and it is coming round again, and again, and again.

On a related note, if you encounter someone being targeted with verbal harassment for who they are. Do not take on the bullies. Talk to the target. Give them a complement. Chat with them as you lead them away from the situation. It actually works.

Marc Elias is an incredible person to have on our side. He is indefatigable. He seems to be everywhere at once, always doing the right thing, and winning his court cases. Don’t let me further muddy his waters. Go on and read his post yourself and let me know what you think are the things you will be doing or the most important ways we can defend democracy in the comments.

10 Things We Can All Do to Protect Democracy

By Marc Elias on 25 January 2025

The most common question I receive is how everyday citizens can help in the fight for democracy. My advice, take the first step, start with something small and see what works for you. Here are ten things all of us can do.

1. Stay engaged

When all the news is about Trump and pardons and lies, it is easy to want to retreat and stop paying attention. Don’t. It is precisely when things are hard that we must all lean into remaining vigilant and informed.

2. Help Democrats

The success of any opposition movement rests on the opposing party taking power. This is not a minor detail; in our system of government, it is the essential goal. Next time you want to attack a Democrat for being too much of this or too little of that, realize that you are only helping the GOP. Instead, find a Democrat you support and volunteer or contribute to their campaign.

3. Don’t do Trump’s work

This is more than simply resisting Trump’s actions; it is refusing to accept his false assumptions. When he says he wants to abolish birthright citizenship, do not accept the premise that he has the power to do so. Stay grounded in the truth: The U.S. Constitution is clear, Trump is powerless and the courts will reject his efforts.

Image Attribution

The image was found on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Flickr page using a DuckDuckGo Creative Commons search.