Another Way to Resist

 

 

While the Indivisible Download is a wonderful document, it is just a beginning.  Yes, it does give people an effective means by which they can impact a legislative body.  Yes it helps people to organize and best utilize the resources to make their voices heard.  Yes, the methodology has proven to be effective with movements like the Tea Party of the recent past, but there are many more things to consider here than just what can be found in this particular document.  

Indivisible Front Range Resistance recognizes what so many of us already know in our hearts, that we are all unique and we all bring different and valuable skill sets to the table. Case in point:  while I am certain all of our letters and phone calls are making a difference and I would not want any of us to stop that endeavor, I am reminded of the time I saw a part of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. It literally took my breath away. That was what regular people who had been touched by the AIDS epidemic did to make their stories heard, and believe me it was a thunderous representation of grief.

When Katie Kelly asked the membership for what talents they could bring to the table, I knew that she was on to something bigger and more profound than just writing postcards. In my opinion she understands that this is a restructuring of the progressive ideals on which this country was founded.  

We all have 20/20 hindsight in the Age of Trump.  We are all aware that, had we been more connected with each other and more in tune with each other's values, that this situation might never have happened. Because we lost touch with the values that have made this country the envy of world for the last 100 years or more and because we became complacent, we are in large part responsible for the rise of the snake oil salesman.  It is not good enough for any to say, "I didn't vote for him."

IFRR needs to be prepared to be doing this for many years to come.  Katie understands that we not only have to turn back the clock to last November in the days before the election, but turn the hands of time back to a period when citizens were valued more than corporations.  All of those in Indivisible leadership positions across this nation need to widen the apertures on the lenses of these to allow as much light in as possible.  Indivisible has a much larger job than to just oust Trump.  They know that if we are successful in ridding ourselves of him and then making the mistake of disbanding as if the job were finished, then we would have made the same huge mistake that brought us this huckster in the first place.  Be honest with yourself, would Ted Cruz, Chris Christy or Marco Rubio been that much better choice had they risen to the presidency?  That is who is in the line of ascendancy if we do not unite and embrace the power of our diversity.

 

Musicians, poets, artists and yes even comedians have played a huge part throughout history of protesting and moving the message of freedom to every quarter of the globe.  If you did not take the time to fill out the survey by Katie Kelly, I hope you will reconsider. It was posted a few days ago on the IFRR Facebook page.  It is important to know our stories.  It is important to bring a familial attitude toward our neighbors and heal the  divides that separate us.  We have just now come to realize that as a nation, we are much easier to control when we are polarized and where anything less than ideological purity is recognized as a weakness.  This disdain for "the other" is a political construct of authoritarianism.  We must value each other if we ever hope to live in harmony.

Take the time to "like" people's comments on Indivisible Front Range Resistance when you read them.  IM people and thank them if you feel they have contributed in a positive way to improving our cause.  Take the time to read carefully the words of the comments and try to understand a responder's motivation for speaking their mind.  Do not be afraid to disagree, but do it in a voice that allows for reconciliation and fosters a chance for growth through a broader perspective.  Be kind.

Never lose sight of the fact that this is a movement to restore ourselves to a less divided and more tolerant America.  This is something that will take years and will be woven back into the fabric of what it means to be an American.  Pass this on to your children and grandchildren.  Civic responsibility is a skill taught out of the knowledge that comes with growing up and surviving adversity.  Education is the key.  Let us reverse the trend of political revisionism, selfishness and ignorance.  We must be brutally honest about our shortcomings if we are ever to realize a brighter future.  

Thank you for reading my heartfelt diatribe penned by a retired educator who is hell-bent on practicing what he taught for so many years.  We all have succumbed to complacency in our pasts. Let it end here.