Feature Photo by T. Chick McLure
“As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time.”
– E. B. White
By Andrea Loewen
@ms.andreajoy
A monthly round up of Resistance Research, including quotes, news, analysis, inspiration, and action items. Let’s break this regime down into actionable items and take it down, bit by bit!
This Month’s Action:
If you are American, prepare for the coming midterm elections by signing up for Voter Buddy! It’s a service that pairs those who might struggle to get registered as a voter and then vote (senior citizens, students, people without proper ID) with those who can help them overcome the barriers keeping them from voting.
If you are anyone, donate your frequent flyer miles to help reunite parents and children separated at the US border. (Or money, if you have that instead of miles.)
This Month’s Reading:
WTF List (Keeping Up With the News):
What the Fuck Just Happened Today: Still the best place for daily updates on the declarations, bills, and other actions made by the White House.
Both Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen have been convicted of crimes related to Trump’s campaign. Manafort of financial crimes and Cohen for paying off two women who had affairs with Trump – at his request. But don’t get too excited – this likely won’t lead to an indictment for Trump, and may wind up playing in his favour with his base.
Don McGahn, White House legal counsel, may have incriminated Trump during his interviews with Mueller and is stepping down from his position.
ICE Arrests in Courtrooms: Courtrooms, schools, and hospitals are supposed to be “safe zones” where illegal immigrants cannot be arrested. And yet – ICE is stepping in and arresting people as they leave courtrooms for unrelated reasons.
Trump Accuses Google of Rigging Search Results in Favour of Bad Coverage: It may seem like petty ranting, but he is threatening to take control of our primary method of accessing information.
NRA Says New York Blacklisting Campaign is Driving it Out of Business: This was possibly the most joyous news of the month, although there have been no updates since it broke, which might indicate that the sarcastic thoughts and prayers sent via Twitter worked for once?
Action Inspo and Instructionals:
Let these alternate guides and examples of resistance inspire you!
The Best Writing: Hopefully this tweet will bring a smile to your face. (Another great example here.)
Treespond: This website allows you to pay to plant a tree every time Trump says something dumb about the environment.
A Swedish Student’s Plane Protest Stops Afghan Man’s Deportation to ‘Hell’: This young woman refused to sit down on a plane (so that it couldn’t take off) until a man being deported was removed from the flight. Amazing.
Analysis, Opinion, and Enrichment:
These will help you better understand how what’s feeding the madness and expose you to perspectives different from your own (regardless of their direct connection to Trump’s madness).
How Trump’s Abortion Gag Rule Impacts the Global AIDS Crisis: While people should be able to talk about (and access!) abortion for any reason they want, there are serious global health implications to restricting it that are not just related to dangerous pregnancies and unwanted children.
Making it Political: Read Seth Godin’s wonderful reflection on the difference between an actual conversation (that seeks the right or best answer) and a political one, and ask yourself what kind of evidence you would need to see to change your mind. Ask those who disagree with you the same question.
Time Magazine’s Latest Trump Cover Shows President Drowning in Oval Office: It’s getting stormy up in here.
Who is the Biggest Threat to Trump’s Presidency?: A roundtable discussion.
No One Who Works for Trump Ever Wins in the End: No rest for the wicked.
Andrea is a Vancouver-based writer, theatre producer and promoter, choreographer, and yoga instructor with a big dose of love for sci fi/fantasy, her cat, green tea, riding her bike no matter the weather, and using a robot to vacuum her floors so she doesn’t have to. She covers dance for Vancouver Presents, as well as writing for her own blog, The Receptionist and co-producing and co-hosting the podcast Life, Right? www.andrealoewen.com
