Fighting fascism every day

(This was the original blog I wrote the day after the inauguration. To go to the most recent blog, scroll down)

The slippery slope towards fascism became considerably steeper yesterday (the day of the inauguration). The new American administration intends to constrain civil liberties, freedom of speech, and opposition. It will remove economic opportunities for those who are not already rich and protections for minorities. It plans to undermine the nation’s education system, health care system, social safety net, and other institutions that provide support and reassurance to the average person. It will try to reverse efforts to protect the environment. It will “deregulate” or, in other words, remove guardrails that prevent the greedy from further ravaging our land, people, and spirit. It seeks to orient the justice system to protect the interests of the few rather than everyone and to weaken the rule of law. It will more readily resort to violence. It will try to undermine our democracy. It will try to stay in power forever. This is fascism.

What should we do about this? Fighting fascism requires a combination of awareness, activism, and community engagement. Resistance to fascism is most effective when it is organized, inclusive, and consistent. I propose a simple strategy to start: conduct an act of anti-fascism every day, no matter how big or small. Write a letter to a government representative or news outlet or sign a petition or contribute to an organization that is fighting fascism or attend a meeting of a group dedicated to making something happen differently at a local, regional, national or international level or go to a demonstration or engage in a boycott or carry out an act of civil disobedience.

It will depend on your comfort zone, time, resources, interest in a particular topic, passion, and energy level. The important thing is to do something every day. It does not mean spending your whole day fIighting fascism (of course if you can, why not? But most people have to do laundry). Spending even ten minutes a day (well, maybe twenty) may be enough for you to keep the pressure on.

Communication is key. The best weapon that the fascists have is to make you feel that you live in an isolated bubble and that you are a helpless individual: that you are alone. By conducting an act of anti-fascism every day, you join others who are similarly engaged and together we make a difference. Make new friends!

I will provide suggestions of anti-fascist acts every day. You would be surprised how easy it is to find things to do. Send me ideas and I’ll post them as well. At the end of this blog, there are links to a few organizations that are currently fighting fascism and that suggest actions you can take. Sending your friends a link to this blog might be enough to fight fascism for today! Earlier, I called the office of the Governor of Maryland office to demand that he take a stand against deportation (see 5calls.org). It took me just a few minutes. Also, send me any suggestions you may have on how to improve this initiative.

I am committed to the values and principles that define our nation and am distressed by what is happening and what might happen. I cannot just experience this distress silently. That is why I am sharing this simple strategy with you. I encourage you to think about adopting it, if for no other reason than so I just don’t feel so alone!

Several organizations in the U.S. actively fight fascism, promote democracy, and oppose authoritarianism. Here are a few groups. I will list others in subsequent blogs. These organizations often provide resources, organize protests, and advocate for policies that counter authoritarian movements and defend democracy. Many also welcome volunteers and donations to support their causes. Each also regularly proposes actions that can be taken to fight fascism.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – Defends constitutional rights and fights against government overreach, discrimination, and authoritarian policies. There’s a “TAKE ACTION” button on their main web page. (www.aclu.org).

Media Matters for America – Monitors misinformation and far-right propaganda, promoting accountability in media. There’s a “TAKE ACTION” button on their main web page. (www.mediamatters.org).

Common Cause – Focuses on protecting voting rights, fighting corruption, and strengthening democracy. There’s a “TAKE ACTION” button on their main web page. (www.commoncause.org).

Five Calls – An easy-to-use site that guides you to make calls to government representatives (congresspersons, state delegates, etc.) to voice your concern and demand action on a selection of key issues. (www.5calls.org)

 

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