When Do We Stop Acting Like Things Are Normal?
There's a video out this month of a Tennessee preacher hollering that Democratic voters are demons and butchers. With the audience cheering and whooping to that.
VOTERS. He’s saying that about VOTERS.
Since the video went viral, it sounds like the church might could have lost its tax-free status. To use the local parlance. In other words, that there church done got ruint. Okay that’s enough Tennessean.
There are thousands of stories like these. Thousands. Not exactly the same, but close enough.
So when do we stop acting like everything can possibly be normal?
Seriously.
When do we decide to get fired up?
When do Democratic leaders decide to raise hell?
When do Democrats all around realize that the rules changed years ago and it's time to catch up... or pull ahead?
We have a serious threat of violent extremism up in this country.
Our own US intelligence community has said that domestic violent extremism (DVE) is likely our greatest threat to national security.
We don't have to take their word for it though because we already had an insurrection. We have active shooters targeting specific groups of humans and having success.
What are we even doing about it?
Nothing.
YET.
Certainly nothing visible and huge... like at the collective level.
Is this how we reacted after 9/11?
^^ That's what we call a rhetorical question.
It's absolutely not how we reacted after 9/11.
So what are we going to do?
Are we going to counter this extremism by doing the same things we've always done? By hoping someone's going to lead? By hoping some savior shows up?
My thinking is that we put our collective heads together and figure this out. Save ourselves.
Like post-haste. Like any minute now. Like pronto.
Here's my idea.
We create the space to get some people together. We come up with ideas and solutions.
Things we can do where we live. All kinds of things. Things of service. Things of action. Things that raise a ruckus. Things that can get media coverage. Things that can do some good. Things that help humans.
We get ourselves some teams and some partnerships and some crews. Groups. Coalitions. Alliances. Friends.
We start doing the things.
Then we get out our moral courage and we talk about the things.
Or maybe we do some yelling.
We tell the stories. We share our pain. We share our loss. We share our struggles. We share our dreams.
We champion the high road. We champion the vision of what we want this country to be and what we think it can be. We tell how we're going to go about getting there.
And we say what we think is right. We say what's not okay. Big time. Because there's a whole hell of a lot that's not okay right now. And it hasn't been for a long time.
We get out front and we get loud and we get persistent and we talk about how we need to take care of other humans no matter what we look like or what our abilities are or how much money we have or who we love or what our health problems are or what our politics are.
And then we get media coverage for all of it.
And if we're not getting media coverage... then we find more ways to get some.
And then we do more of the same.
We get more partners. We get more people. We get more loud. We get more coverage.
We celebrate democracy. We demand rights. We demand that democracy work. We demand freedoms.
We get out in the communities where we live in all of the places and we raise a ruckus and we do some good and we get coverage on all of it.
We make art and we make music and we tell stories and we get to humans together for community and connection.
And then we do more.
We get businesses involved in all of the pieces and parts. We get them to tell us if they support democracy. If they support rights. If they support women. If they support freedom. If they support diversity. If they support people loving whoever they love.
And then we do more.
And then we do more.
We keep doing more. All of the things. All of the attention.
We draw the attention away from the violent extremists and haters and democracy-underminers.
We drive the narrative.
And we freaking keep at it until we have energized hundreds and thousands and millions of voters to understand what's at stake and why voting matters.
Because how much good could be done for millions of voters if the actual majority were able to run the government the way democracy is supposed to work?
So let's make that shift happen.
Let's get the majority fired up enough so we can actually have the majority win this democracy.
WE. ARE. THE. MAJORITY.
LET'S. ACT. LIKE. IT.
Let's help get that majority their voice.
In all of the places.
Right now.
So we can have a voice in running this massive superpower of a country.
So we can champion the kind of future we need - for all of us, and for the stability of the whole world order.
That's what I think we can do.
I'm convinced it can work.
We're going to need good people to help. We'll need a few other things... but one thing at a time.
We've already got a bit of a shift crew put together. We've got a teeny tiny bit of money.
We're going to start videos and group activities and a community here in early June. I'm slightly panicked and not sure exactly what day we'll be ready but we're getting there.
I'm damn serious about this.
That's an understatement. The crap that I have done to get this far is ridiculous. Those stories are for way later.
Because here we are. This is the right moment.
We're going to need all of the things, and we're going to need them in all of the places.
So get your ideas together.
If you want to get involved with this, see what you might need to do now in your own life to be more available soon for helping grow a movement.
And then do some breathing. And then enjoy life a bit. See some of your people.
And then let's get going.
We intend to dream big... and then we intend to go about making those dreams into reality.
Fast.
So get your anger and get your passion and get your ideas and get ready to get together. We've got shift to make up.
Whatever it turns out to be, it's going to be pretty damn cool.
Keep the faith.
And here we go.
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This was originally posted on Facebook on May 21, 2022.