Small things
Jul. 6th, 2017 05:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kate_schaeferSince the election last fall, there have been some small things I've been doing and intend to continue to do. I expect that most of the people who read my journal do most of those things, too, as well as a number of other things, but I don't mind preaching to the choir.
Glenn and I increased our donations to organizations that we expect to address some of the situations that are bound to get worse under a Trump administration: Planned Parenthood, Doctors Without Borders, the ACLU, our local food bank. We held our donations to other organizations that we support steady; humans continue to need art and various kinds of education even –- especially -- during a political emergency.
I call my representatives from time to time. I do not call them every day, though there are issues that bother me every day, because I don't want to become one of the people that the staff discounts every time they call.
I retweet things that make me indignant. I don't think this has any political effect, but I feel solidarity with the original tweeter for a moment, which means I feel less alone. I try not to mistake this emotion for doing something useful.
The other small thing I do is awkward. I speak to people I don't know who seem to me to be immigrants and tell them that even in the current political climate, they are welcome and wanted in America. I do this even though I know it's a bit patronizing and even though I'm nervous about it.
The reactions have almost all been positive; the reactions that weren't positive were neutral bafflement about why I would be saying this. I've been hugged by women in hijabs. I've heard quick life stories from people from Nepal, China, Mexico, Lebanon, India, Turkey, stories mostly of immigration for education or jobs, but also for political asylum. I've talked to legal immigrants, illegal immigrants, citizens, people with green cards, people waiting for green cards.
I don't think this has any political effect. I know that most of what it does is make me feel good about being a decent human being. The rest of what it does is make some other people feel seen and accepted by the country in which they live, even if it's just for a moment.
Glenn and I increased our donations to organizations that we expect to address some of the situations that are bound to get worse under a Trump administration: Planned Parenthood, Doctors Without Borders, the ACLU, our local food bank. We held our donations to other organizations that we support steady; humans continue to need art and various kinds of education even –- especially -- during a political emergency.
I call my representatives from time to time. I do not call them every day, though there are issues that bother me every day, because I don't want to become one of the people that the staff discounts every time they call.
I retweet things that make me indignant. I don't think this has any political effect, but I feel solidarity with the original tweeter for a moment, which means I feel less alone. I try not to mistake this emotion for doing something useful.
The other small thing I do is awkward. I speak to people I don't know who seem to me to be immigrants and tell them that even in the current political climate, they are welcome and wanted in America. I do this even though I know it's a bit patronizing and even though I'm nervous about it.
The reactions have almost all been positive; the reactions that weren't positive were neutral bafflement about why I would be saying this. I've been hugged by women in hijabs. I've heard quick life stories from people from Nepal, China, Mexico, Lebanon, India, Turkey, stories mostly of immigration for education or jobs, but also for political asylum. I've talked to legal immigrants, illegal immigrants, citizens, people with green cards, people waiting for green cards.
I don't think this has any political effect. I know that most of what it does is make me feel good about being a decent human being. The rest of what it does is make some other people feel seen and accepted by the country in which they live, even if it's just for a moment.
*hugs*
Date: 2017-07-07 10:25 pm (UTC)I try to do my part to make the library a welcoming place for all people, but I do take a bit more pleasure than usual if I can be especially welcoming to immigrants and people of color, given our current political climate.
Re: *hugs*
Date: 2017-07-08 06:40 am (UTC)