STAND - One American's Fight for America

“The thought that we might die knowing in our hearts that we didn’t really go for it is actually scarier than the thought that they might actually kill us if we do.” 

– Marianne Williamson in “Healing the Soul of America”

I met a woman the other day – a smart, well-educated woman who doesn’t really like Trump (aka: My kind of people). As I was gaining excitement about the conversations we could have and all the good we could do, I was hit with an all too familiar reply – the oh-so-popular “I don’t like to pay attention to politics. It’s nasty, corrupt and negative. There’s not much we can do about it except argue with strangers/bots on social media while having no effect on the stories we’re discussing. I don’t like what’s happening but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

I can agree with some of that…. Practices such as name-calling someone of a differing opinion on social media is a surefire way to solidify their point, kill the conversation, soil your argument and do nothing to heal the divide. Similarly, the popular practice of reposting articles that one has not read strictly because the headline sounds good is a great way to spread propaganda and not much else. I also agree that it is a pretty nasty, corrupt and negative time in our Nation’s history. That’s where my concurrence ends. While I often feel smaller than a grain of sand when it comes to what’s happening in our country and world, I am hell-bent that I will be a super annoying grain of sand in the shoe of whomever I need to be until my voice is heard… and I have a lot to say.

I’ll state in this first “blog-ish” (or whatever this is) that I have no background in politics and my greatest exposure to law comes from being the daughter and sister of attorneys. I don’t speak from a place of political prowess nor exceptional constitutional knowledge. I am simply a self-taught, feet on the streets, justice-seeking, passionate girl from Colorado who believes that we all deserve better.

Now that I have qualified myself as someone who is no more equipped than anyone else to make a difference, I am going to say something audacious. If you choose to refrain from the political conversation – if you have not (first and foremost) formed your opinions on the issues at hand followed by calling your congressmen, showing up at marches, signing petitions, attending forums on important issues – if you have decided that there’s nothing you can do, you are unequivocally wrong. And you’re copping out.

I plan to continue to write about my opinions, not because I believe that I am any more important than anyone else but because I am willing to go into the lion’s den of politics. I also hope to continue to write because as stated above, there are non-helpful forms of involvement that often give the illusion of participation. I don’t want to argue on obscure posts… I want to have a conversation. I want to inspire.  

We don’t have to do it all and we certainly can’t do it all in one day. However, thanks to individuals, the majority of whom have no background in politics or law stepping up to the political plate this past year, we have made a difference.

We stopped the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (even if our not-so-dear POTUS decided to executive order it away piece by piece like the poor “politician” he is), brought a spotlight to the inhumane treatment of immigrants and people of color in our country and stood up to police brutality. We have sent DREAMers and allies to Washington DC to let Customs and Border Patrol as well as the Trump administration know that immigrants are welcome here. We packed airports with only hours of notice when Trump decided to implement a Muslim ban and saw a massive turnout of attorneys offering free legal help.

We stopped Trump from prohibiting transgender individuals from serving in the armed forces and actually became informed about what we as a nation are doing in other parts of the world.

We have protested dangerous pipelines that threaten our water supply and camped out for weeks to stop the creation of those pipelines. We have become powerfully aware of the existence and dangers of Global Warming and have made a real, scientific case backed by an abundance of research that cannot be refuted by opinion alone. We have even seen a group of middle/high school students sue the government over the negligent treatment of a planet that they will inherit.  

 We raised money for candidates who stand for the right things, stood up for education and caused promise-breaking politicians to sneak out the backdoor of town halls because they could not face the constituents who showed up to say “No! Not in our house!”

We composed the largest march in American history, told the rest of the world that Donald Trump is not America, and completely out-shined his inauguration.

We (thanks in most part to Black women voters in Alabama) kept a pedophile out of congress and elected a democrat to a seat in Alabama for the first time in over 20 years. We brought exposure to sexual harassment and started shaming the perpetrators, not the victims.

We became more cognizant of the homeless epidemic and dehumanization and have begun working towards ways to help end homelessness.

We stood for our public lands, body-blocked cars attempting to deport good, contributing Americans and have pounded the pavement in an attempt to reach those who might actually be living under a rock.

We have learned about net neutrality and are making a lot of noise about it, boycotted brands while praising others, depending on their level of compassion over greed, and demanded that “proudly gentrifying” businesses meet with us.

We have convinced more “laymen/women” to run for office than ever before, challenged “fake news,” and “gone high when they’ve gone low.”  

We have accomplished a lot this year. I know I am not even touching the surface of the creative and tireless ways in which people have put on their walking shoes and gotten to work to be the change. And still, there is SO much work to do! However, I believe we are up to the challenge. In the coming weeks, I will be posting info regarding movements, volunteer opportunities, 2018 political candidate information, and hopefully facilitating real, productive conversations.

There’s no shortage of work to be done but if we don’t do it, I believe there will be no work to do because our country will not survive. I know this is a bold statement but I believe it with every fiber of my being.

If you want to get involved, like RIGHT NOW (and I hope you do!), email me – hersh.kristin303@gmail.com. I would be more than happy to help connect you with a cause and means to a solution for whatever it is you are passionate about. If we all do that, I have no doubt that America can and will be great.

Thanks for reading – I hope to see everyone at the Women’s March on Denver (if you live in CO) or at one of the many sister marches across the country on January 20^th, 2018.

Feet on the ground, not backing down. Let’s do this.