The Resistance Needs to Get Organized
The people want unity and partnerships. Organizations, let's do this.
Morning Dissenters,
On Saturday after the protest, my daughter asked what difference we made. She’s nine and she could not understand how a crowd of 100 gathered at a park could change our nation. I told her that when millions of us do small things together it becomes a big thing.
It’s time to become a big thing—we must unite.
To keep this movement growing, the community of grassroots organizations and nonprofits must collaborate. Organization is key.
So, I, on behalf of thousands, maybe millions of everyday Americans, am calling on nonprofits and grassroots groups to unite. It is what the people want. It is what our nation needs.
We are not asking any group to forfeit their work. Each group has a mission to accomplish—keep going. However, the resistance will not be effective so long as it’s scattered. It is time to organize.
From my followers and friends, I daily hear calls for the following…
A unified Economic Blackout every Friday
A national protest calendar: All groups marching for their mission on one day. Bi-weekly on weekends or holidays would be effective. For March, I propose 4, 8, and 15.
Collaboration among groups.
A unified goal: What’s the over-arching message?
If you, dear dissenters, agree, you can help in three ways:
Contact organizations and urge them to come together. Until an organization rises to take the lead, you can send them to me on Substack or at hellofriend@authorkstarling.com. I will facilitate connections.
I have created a social media graphic and a printable flier listing the March movements. Share them.
Connect me to places where this is already happening. I know some groups are already working together. Connect them to me so I can amplify their work.
Remember, together, we can make big changes.
PRINTABLE POSTER
I understand why this call is going out but I can't help recalling how such efforts led to rancor and strife within the Anti-War movement during the run-up to the second war on Iraq. So much energy goes into creating and supporting a hierarchy and it just replicates the same old top-down structures. Yes, a one-stop site to find actions seems like a good idea, but if it's hacked and gets taken down, what then? Small and dispersed networks who share info are less vulnerable, they whack one down, pop up again somewhere else. Bird-dogging like VT did to Vance, let's do more. Protests with specific theme, like the National Parks one, are easy to organize, involve more people when long-distance travel isn't involved, pull in people for whom the issue is near and dear to their hearts, and can even be unifying rather than divisive.
Regarding unity of resistance resources, I received this today from Jess Craven at Chop Wood, Carry Water: "A group of wonderful wonderful organizers and volunteers, including the stellar Rebecca Solnit, have launched the Resist List, a list of all the forms of resistance planned and going on across the country." Here's the link to the Resist List: https://choosedemocracy.us/resist-list/