If they follow through, then good.
Not that I want the arrests, but people need to do more than put on hats and go for a walk with signs at this point.
If you can’t risk arrest (a lot of us can’t), you can still do things. Pass on the word. Volunteer to help out someone who might get arrested. If you have the cash, be willing to post bail. Offer childcare for protest days with the understanding that it may last a while. Make arrangements to drive people to the polls in November, especially those who are going to be disadvantaged by the system. Help people check to see if they’re registered to vote, and if they’re not, help them get registered. Teach your children why what’s going on isn’t acceptable.
Time is running out. There’s no room for “I’ll get around to it later.” Prepare for a long and hard fight, and prepare to fight it any way you can. DO. NOT. GIVE. UP. Grab hold of the arc of history and yank hard.
Oh, and if you’re a white, cis, heterosexual, and/or political neophyte (like many of us are)? Listen¹ to POCs and those in the LGBT+ community – don’t talk, listen. They are the veterans in these wars. The reason we’re here is because we haven’t been listening. Don’t just hear, listen. Learn. Support.
This is only the beginning.
¹This does not mean badgering POCs or someone in the LGBT+ community. It simply means listening to those who are speaking and genuinely considering what they have to say. Because they have been doing this a long time – generations, even – and have learned more than a few things in the process.
