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Despair is NOT an Option

Get More Informed

Authoritarianism threat in our country

  • Read just these 4 paragraphs from the foreward of Heather Cox Richardson’s new book Democracy Awakening. 

  • Watch this video from Ian Bassin of www.ProtectDemocracy.org that talks about the threat but, most importantly, how it has been successfully combated in other countries.

  • Charlie Sykes in The Bulwark: The Case Against Despair is then a must read. He says  “Alarm is justified, but despair is not a winning tactic”.

  • Follow substacks that summarize and comment on the news. Take your pick from those in the Additional Resources.

Elections - safe and secure

On the critical importance of assuring that each state’s election procedures are safe and secure so that all votes are properly counted. This is the best way to build trust in our elections and help defeat election denialism.

  • Brennan Center for Justice’s Election Protection Unit works with state and local officials on election laws and procedures to protect election workers, defend voters of color and keep polling places safe. Pay attention to what the threats and defenses  are in your state.

  • Verified Voting promotes democracy by working to assure that each vote is counted as cast. Elections can be made secure through the use of paper ballots (ideally hand marked) and rigorous post-election ballot audits to validate the tabulation.  You can get contact information for your state and local election officials and see how your state is doing  here.

  • These organizations focus on access to voting and protection at polling places: Election Protection Coalition; All Voting is Local.

Biden-Harris administration successes

  • Lowered prices for prescription drugs so that seniors with diabetes now pay only $35/mo. Intends to cap senior costs per year at $2,000 and to reduce costs of prescription drugs for all. 

  • Enacted tax credits that save $800 per person per year for health care premiums for millions of working families.

  • Provided student debt relief for 4 million Americans including nurses, firefighters and others in public service.

  •  Reduced credit card late fees from $32 to $8/mo.

  • Signed a law that requires big corporations to pay a minimum 15% income tax and, if elected, will raise that to 21%.

  • Signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, the largest sum in decades, resulting in the expansion of high speed internet, repair of roads and bridges, replacement of unhealthy water systems.

  • Increased manufacturing jobs by almost 800,000, a level higher than at any time in the past 15 years. 

  • Signed the Inflation Reduction Act deploying $369 billion to incentivize renewable energy and other low-carbon technologies, creating tens of thousands of additional jobs.

  • Reproductive Rights

For more information on this and future plans click here and watch this great video.

Fight disinformation

Disinformation poses an unprecedented threat to democracy in the United States in 2024, according to researchers,  political experts and technologists. Learn about organizations that work to reduce and protect against that threat. 

Important political considerations

  • Beware of the temptation to sit out the election or to vote for a third party candidate. Doing so, is effectively a vote for Trump. 

  • Be sure that you recognize the importance of voting all the way down the ballot.

  • The reality is that more aspects of your life are controlled by your state or local government than by the federal government.

    • States control voting and delegates to the electoral college, education, gun control, marriage and reproductive rights, air and water quality.

    • Local governments control police, schools, libraries and more.

    • Sister District and The States Project focus on winning governing majorities in the states by supporting state legislative campaigns to make them more effective and better-funded. Sister District supports candidates directly and also offers volunteer opportunities. The States Project offers giving circles. 

  • Importantly, both state and local governments groom officials for higher office.

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