Today, one of my close friends, China @stylerepublik on Snap and IG, took to the digital airwaves and spoke her peace about her thoughts on what are we going to do now that Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom are now in control of the United States. She asked a lot of thought provoking questions and I decided to answer as many of her questions as possible. Check her out!!
SR: What are we gonna do? Not that we are in a state of emergency, but what really are we gonna do?
This is the most pressing question at the moment. This is the first time, in recent years, that so many Americans, from all walks of life, feel unsafe and targeted in our own country. My ancestry can be traced back at least six or seven generations minimum of people born and raised in America. I am American. I am tired of comments telling people that they can leave if they don’t like something. No, that is not the foundation America was based on. If we don’t like the way something is, we face it head on and change it. Whether that is by protesting, petitioning, organizing, writing, replacing, or speaking out, we have always been a country based on resisting injustice. (See: Britain)
The short answer to the question is survive and resist.
SR: Are we going to research our candidates? For local or presidential elections? Are we going to sign petitions and meet state or town representative?
We must learn who our candidates are. Who are they? What do they stand for? Do they actually vote in the direction that they promise to? If these candidates don’t stand on their word, we need to get rid of them.
However, to do that, that means we must know where to look to learn about our representatives. Is there a town newsletter that gives you the results of the votes? Is it a place online to follow the outcomes of meetings? Is there a local news station? You may not be able to attend these meetings, but we MUST not be ignorant of the choices being made that affect us daily.
That also means that we must know how to contact our representatives. Where is their office located? Do you have their emails and phone numbers? We cannot afford to idly sit by and not at least make out representatives think twice about their decisions.
Finally, if all else fails, we must replace them. Keep track of election days and term limits. If you don’t like the way someone is representing you, find someone that will do a better job. That means find people that would take on that burden, and if it bothers you enough, don’t be afraid to do the same. Why not you? To be placed on a ballot typically takes a few thousand signatures. This varies by position and location, but that’s nothing Google can’t fix.
SR: How are we going to better our communities? Are we going to start libraries? Are we going to start child or adult book clubs?
Education is one of the most vital forms of resistance we can have. The GOP is spending a lot of money and time trying to dismantle the education system in America and there is a reason why. Universities are more likely to produce pockets of liberal thought and are more likely to be open to diversity. All of the major movements in history were supported primarily by college students, not the workers with families.
Frankly, we need to read more. Reading forces the use of imagination and higher level thinking. I love Sherlock as much as the next guy but you get more out of reading than watching. Reading a book makes information easier to recall and creates a continuous memory. I can’t tell you how many movies I’ve watched that I couldn’t tell you the title of. Yet, every book I’ve finished in my adult life seemed like a victory and I savored it that much more.
On a deeper level, 14 percent of the American population can’t read and 21 percent of Americans read below a 5th grade level. I know we are a prideful people but we gotta help each other out. It’s not funny because ever since No Child Left Behind there is a generation of students that we pushed to advancement and never developed the skills needed to be successful. I know adults with a college education that can’t read well and barely can do basic math. Book clubs, adult and child with support is necessary for the success of our people. We must help others read.
This post is ending up plenty lengthy, I want to share some of my views on improving communities and more of China’s questions in Part 2.
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