People in record numbers are reaching out to their members of Congress about our outrage with what is happening in Washington, D.C. and demanding town hall meetings. We are calling and emailing our State Representatives and Senators. Some of us are even submitting testimony — some in person in Columbus — to committee chairs and writing letters to the editor. Yet the bad bills go forward, the response letters from Congress — if there are any — make clear that our facts and reasoning are not having impact. These people may be hearing us, but they are committed to their agenda and either don’t understand that huge numbers of their constituents passionately oppose their direction or, more likely, they don’t care. Is it worth it to continue? How is this a good use of time?
Experts — U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, historian Heather Cox Richardson, and many others — say that even if it seems like it is not making a difference, even though our calls go to voicemail, and even if they have no plans to hold town hall meetings, we need to keep calling. Their offices keep records of calls, letters and emails, and it is critical that they are aware that their constituents expect accountability.
The opportunities for connections and grassroots engagement are popping up everywhere. It would be difficult to assess and prioritize all of them. You may want to do more than our recent Calls to Action (SB 1, Fair School Funding Plan . . .) There are many options, like tapping into How Things Run at the Ohio Statehouse and their resource list or the 5 Calls app or website to reach members of Congress. You can explore grassroots organizations like Indivisible.
The possibilities and avenues for engaging and fighting for our democracy are abundant. It is easy to become overwhelmed. But as Joyce Vance said in the latest episode of the Sisters-in-Law podcast, “giving up is unforgivable.” And there is not one superior way to fight. This post by clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Fields resonates today:
Resistance is NOT a one lane highway. Maybe your lane is protesting, maybe your lane is organizing, maybe your lane is counseling, maybe your lane is art activism, maybe your lane is surviving the day. Do NOT feel guilty for not occupying every lane. We need all of them.
