Democracy Out Loud #406 1/2:Power

We need to step into our individual and collective power now. We have been preparing for this all our lives, and we can meet this moment with a strong determination to protect those who are most vulnerable and to fight like hell for democracy and freedom.

Like many of you, I have spent the last few days on zoom calls, and I finally accept the results of this election. It was not a landslide. Harris would have won had there been a 1% shift in votes in three battleground states. The problem is, the Democratic Party has been weakened by many things including global trends. In our rigid two-party system, when one party is weakened, the other party benefits.

Many of us are exhausted and tired of fighting, and some of us are feeling broken in body and spirit. That’s okay. Take time to rest, and take time to ground and heal and feel all the feelings and to engage above all in self care. We will have to return to grief, self-care, and rest many times in the coming years, and “when one person takes a breath, the choir keeps singing.” The choir is very strong right now, and is continuing to build power.

If you have felt like you have been a bit on the sidelines, now is the time to go deep inside and figure out what you are good at and what you are willing to fight for. Then when you are ready, find the others who are prepared to fight for the same things. If you feel like you have been fighting for a long time, figure out how you can continue in a sustainable, enjoyable way, with people you respect and trust.

A second Trump term will be more dangerous for many reasons. Since 2016, there has been a breakdown in the existing order of things because of growing economic inequality, racial and gender reckoning and backlash, the climate crisis, and global trends. Trump is a demagogue who is riding the wave of popular resentment.

Please do not waste time consuming excessive news/social media or trying to make it make sense, all of which spin us deeper into the web of delusion and discouragement. Instead, find ways to balance worry with gratitude and joy. A key part of our work has always been to “nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the dominant culture around us.” This gives us a radical freedom to make the choices we need to make now.

Trump and MAGA do not have anything to offer the people who voted for him. Their policies are deeply unpopular, and we are poised to harness the inevitable backlash to our benefit. Our work in this moment is to strengthen ourselves and strengthen our relationships and coalitions so we can take strategic action.

Below is the Block/Break/Bridge/Build strategy of a very broad coalition. Study it and see where you feel called. Let the specifics emerge with time.

Above all, do not give up your power and do not give MAGA or Trump any power that they do not and will not have. They do not have the power to end elections. They do not have the power to make us betray ourselves or others.

Consider how powerfully Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock interrupted the narrative of business as usual. Consider how both these movements, and many others, have revealed both the deep magic and beauty of people who have spent their lives fighting for freedom and the joy of well-organized, strategic mass protest.

Please share this letter if you know people who might benefit from it. And everyone is invited to our Tuesday zoom from 11:30 to 12:30 pm every week, as well as our meditation every Thursday at 10 am. If you need the zoom link, email Jewel at DemocracyOutLoud@gmail.com.

Usually I give a lot of suggestions about things to do. Today I will just offer two actions. Go to Hayti Heritage Center in Durham if you can and be with Bishop William Barber tonight at 7 pm. Look at the WeAreWorthFightingFor.org website if you want to, watch the call from last night if you missed it, and sign up to stay in touch with these seasoned and wise organizers.

All evidence to the contrary, we are on the rise. Ultimately, we are not going back. Ultimately, when we fight we win.

love, Karen

"When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace becomes a circus." - Turkish proverb

“Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.” - Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny

"This is how we win.  Not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love." - Rose Tico in The Last Jedi

poem by Chelin Harkin, sent by Susan A