Protesting and marching aren't the only way to get the word out about what you believe in. If we all stopped after marching everything the march did would fall apart. Now, more than ever, people need to do more than just march. Here are some simple things you can do to help.
1. Educate yourself, then educate others. Know why you protest when people ask you. Think about others, your reason for protesting are not the only reason for protesting. Think about those whose voice aren't as powerful as yours. If you have privlage, educate yourself about how to properly use it. Learn how to be an ally and learn how to talk about these things with people who don’t want to talk about it with you. If you need a starting point take the Dakota Access Pipeline. Protestors were there for months and just when we thought progress was being made Donald Trump supports it. More people need to get out there and talk about it, they can’t do it on their own.
2. Call or write your senator.
If you live in Virginia like I do, your senators are Tim Kaine and Mark R. Warner. Call, write, contact them in anyway to get your voice out there. If enough people call about the same issue then they are more likely to pay attention to it. So if you can get a group togther or start a facebook group to make your message louder.
3. Partake in the 10 actions/100 days campaign
Every 10 days there will be a new issue to action on, starting the day after the women’s march which was this past Sunday/Monday. The first action goes along with the second point, write a postcard to your senator. The Women’s March website provides postcards to send, all you have to do is print them off, personalize them with a message, and then send them off. There’s even a spot to enter your zip code so you can find your senator. Then check back this coming week to see what the next step is.
4. Prepare for 2018.
The presidential election is not the only election in 2018 there will be an election for Senate seats which is very important. Right now the Senate is majority Republican and we have a Republican President, 2018 is a chance for Democrats to gain the majority in the Senate which is desperately needed right now.
5. Donate to non-profit organizations.
I talk about donating a lot because I know that sometimes people may not have the time to dedicate to some of the other ways to help (even though I believe everyone has time to stay informed) and donation is a quick and easy way to help.Here is the link to an old article I wrote with a list of charities and there's many more out there.
These 5 points are only the beginning of what you can do to make a difference. Donald Trump has already done so much in the first week and a half he has been president, people need to take action now more than ever.
