By Taylor Tracy
The resistance is forming in response to President Donald Trump and his club of privileged advisors who are biased and unqualified at best, tyrannical at worst. Merriam Webster Dictionary, Teen Vogue and the National Park Service have been on the front lines against the current political shitstorm. Additionally, resistance is growing against the confirmation of Trump’s cabinet appointees who also lack the moral centers and relevant experience necessary to act in the highest offices of public servitude.
DeVos. Sessions. Elizabeth Warren being told not to read a letter from Coretta Scott King about why Sessions was rejected a federal position in the past. Each of these moments feels like a battle. Each of them feels like a loss. However, we, the resistance, can still win the war.
The first thing people have to do if they want these endless political shenanigans and systematic white male privilege to end is care. American citizens need to stop caring about issues that only affect them.
People need to stand up for each other, need to stand up for diverse issues and support one another in a way that is radically empathetic and compassionate. Over the next four years, we must learn to take care of not just ourselves, but our neighbors in the broadest sense of the word.
The next thing that people need to do to resist is call their representatives. If you don’t know who your senators and representatives from the House are, look them up online, find out their party and add the phone numbers of their offices to your phone. You are a constituent. You have the power and the right to call them and let them know how you think they should vote on legislation.
Call them up and leave brief messages saying which issues you think they should support. The staff members at the office are almost always kind and helpful. Let them know what you think they are doing wrong. Let them know what they are doing right. But no matter what, keep calling. Keep staying active. Make them listen to you. You can also vote and protest. Just be safe and know your rights.
Another thing you can do is to build up your media literacy. With what feels like a constant barrage of bad news from mainstream media, it’s important to stay on your toes and think critically about the messages you are receiving. Do not take anything you read online at face value. Try to identify possible biases. Read the headline. Look up the journalist who wrote it. Count how many sources they used. Read critically and if it seems legit, spread the word.
Care. Call. Check. Be a part of the solution. Be a part of the resistance.
Taylor is a senior Art History and English double major with a French minor.
