Taking Action.

What’s next? What do we do now? I’m not talking about trying to win the next elections. That will matter, but not yet. First we have two years in which we must protect our national institutions from assault. And protect our neighbors from, well, our other neighbors. What can we do?

I wrote yesterday that the time will come when we with privilege and means need to step forward and make some sacrifices. Financial, personal. Yesterday I gave $510 to impoverished classrooms around the state that I live in, through Donors Choose. A person I know set up monthly recurring donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The ACLU is appealing for donations. They will be fighting the imposition of anti-constitutional, and anti-civil rights actions tooth and nail. Despite the fact that the ACLU is a charity, donations to the ACLU are not tax-deductible so I don’t know what that means.

Do what you can. Don’t be silent. Don’t be meek. And don’t be stingy. Make donations. Help those in need. Protect our freedoms. And protect the vulnerable. I know many of my readers are recovering drunks with little means and few dollars to spare. That’s ok. I also know many of my readers are people with wealth and privilege. That’s ok too. Do what you can.

I am doing what I can. I generally think it’s gauche to “brag” about charity. But don’t be silent about this. Show the world that the response to hate is love. The response to eroding freedoms is vigilance. The response to fear is courage. The response to shame is pride. The response to disgust is tolerance.

And the response to defeat is rise bloodied from our knees resolute to fight again for what we may lose. If I have a tooth left to bite with, the fight isn’t over.