1. Happy New Year seems inappropriate as we enter 2025. Yes, enter, like we are going into a different space. Where the traditional rules of engagement are ignored by the incoming president of the united states. The rest of us can no longer depend on the rules to protect us. And by taking the high road and simply following the rules, we will be buried.
We're still in this place where people are going about their lives almost normally, when in 20 days we get a broken human as our new president and he's surrounded by similarly afflicted people. That normality is going to change. Rapidly for some, more slowly for others. The unhoused have been living in that world already. LGBTQ+ and immigrants and people of color have also been feeling it, and it will quickly get worse.
The rest of us have to help protect them, because it's the right thing to do. But for those who need a more personal reason, well, eventually it will be you with a target on your back.
There are times when following the rules can get you killed. Like packing your suitcase and quietly following the directions of the Nazis to get on the train. Times where acts of resistance and sabotage are the morally correct actions. It's time to reread Saul Alinsky.
"In his theory of means and ends, Alinsky puts across a question, which states whether the ends justify the means. According to the theory, the ends entail what individuals want, or goal, while means entail the activities of how to get what they want or to achieve the goal. In his discussion, Alinsky thought that the morality of actions did not require to be judged in itself, but rather be weighed against the morality of inaction. In the chapter on the means and ends, Alinsky stated that the issue of means and ends is usually viewed in a strategic and pragmatic manner by the man of action. In his arguments, he pointed out that the man of action only gets to ask of ends when they can be achieved and of means whether they will work for his plans."
Morally balancing ends and means is not a simple task and many have and will do it poorly. Start with actions whose ends are not major violations to practice before taking more consequential actions. Remember, many of our incoming President's supporters are rabid supporters of their interpretation of the Second Amendment, and they have and intend to use their guns.
Examine your values. List them. Prioritize them. Know which ones are most important. Then use your values to actively guide your actions.
2. Small But Vocal
United Against Book Bans offers an important lesson:
A small but vocal group is driving the current flood of book bans in school and public libraries across the country.Every resistance group, almost by definition, comes from a very small group that is dedicated to their cause. We don't all have to fight every battle. We each need to focus on one or two issues (while also supporting people fighting other battles as we can). Here's United Against Book Bans tools:
"It's important to counter those voices by uniting in support of the freedom to read in your local community. How can you and your community unite against book bans? We've put together this action toolkit to help you get started.
Are you part of an organization? You can find additional resources to amplify and support the Unite Against Book Bans campaign in the UABB Toolkit PDF.
3. Focus
We took the grandkids to Cirque du Soleil yesterday. (An example of how we are still living what seems like a normal life.) All the performers break the rules of what normal people can do. This woman, wrapped in a long red cloth found ways to seemingly defy gravity. They are able to do these amazing feats by focusing on their skills, building the appropriate body and mind muscles, and then, during their acts, focusing on perfection.
I challenge my readers to keep this image in mind as you focus on keeping our democracy alive.
4. My New Years Resolution
My resolution is to perform at least one act of resistance every day of 2025. I realize 'resistance' seems to be 'against' and I want to also include acts of affirmation, of strengthening democracy, but haven't figured out the right word yet.
This can be as basic as speaking up to racists, misogynists, homophobes. You don't have to save the world each day. Just plugging a hole in the dyke is resistance. in Reading Alinsky's books and other books that give you tools for your spirit and for action. Reading the United Against Book Banning group's Tool Kit to take action and applying them to your most cherished causes is a first step. Go to all the links in this post and read. Those are acts of resistance and building your resources. Find other good resources and prescriptions for action and leave them in the comments.
