Protesting is more than hitting the streets with a sign. Be safe, be prepared, be helpful every day, not just one.
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Millions of people around the country came together for No Kings Day protests. Intended to compete with President Donald Trump’s birthday military parade, the protests showed strength through peaceful exercising of First Amendment rights.
There are small daily ways we can do our part, including showing up on the streets. Here is a list of things you can do this week to fight against the powers that be and help make this democracy even stronger.
1. Send letters to your congresspeople to strengthen, not defund, Medicare.
Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ has sections that set the stage for significant cuts to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, SNAP, and even Medicare — the latter being something he said he would not touch. Hospital access to Medicare reimbursement has long been insufficient, and this bill will do even more damage.
I sent this prefab letter to my congresspeople, which talks about the critical and life-saving care that hospitals currently provide on already bare-bones resources. The letter asks our legislators to strengthen access to health care, not put up barriers to it. Here it is if you’d like to write to your lawmakers, too.
2. Help people with medical bills when our government fails them.
With US health care a continuing disaster, many people are facing harder times now than ever before. Health, food, and money sources are drying up — and this leads to bad health outcomes. People are taking to GoFundMe and social media to ask their networks for help covering bills they are suddenly on the hook for when their insurance no longer covers a medication or the costs of their care skyrocket without warning. All too often, the amounts are so large that I can’t help wondering, “How much is the $25 I can afford to give really gonna do?”
That $25 just feels like a drop in a bottomless bucket. I can only hope that if other people can give something, maybe a procedure gets paid for or a grocery bill is covered. Case in point: A friend of mine lost access to programs that were helping her cover $1,000-a-month for medications. I learned that an organization called Help Hope Live can assist with medical expense payments in such cases. So that’s where I sent my $25. By pooling your contribution with others, even a few dollars can go a long way.
3. Prepare for more protests like No Kings Day.
Right now MoveOn is focused on Pride Month, and you can download a free “Pride is a Protest” digital kit here. It included stickers, photo frames, backgrounds, and graphics so you can signal your alignment. But remember, without action behind it — like marching with like-minded protesters and supporting front-line groups — virtue signaling is worthless at best and extremely irritating to those in danger at worst.
4. Prepare for protests… in a different way.
Florida officialdom went all-in for the No Kings Day protests. We were informed by our governor that cars could run us over in the street if the drivers chose to. We were informed by our president that taking a stand for our First Amendment rights would be met with “very big force.” We were informed by our police departments that violence could equal jail time. We were warned by our friends in Los Angeles that what police consider violence is often manufactured by law enforcement agents.
As we have seen, protesting is not all kumbaya sign-holding and polite chanting while waiting for a Walk signal to allow you to cross the street. So, in preparation for No Kings Day, I bought pepper gel for myself and my two daughters. When you’re out protesting or find yourself at risk of being overpowered, pepper gel is safer than pepper spray for a last-line defense. The gel allows for more targeted use, and it won’t be carried back to you or friends by the wind. If a counterprotester puts your life in danger, this is what you want to use.
Also: If a police officer tries to detain you, do the following: Ask if you are under arrest, and if you’re not, calmly walk away. If you are under arrest, say nothing other than to loudly and repeatedly request a lawyer, so that not only the arresting officer can hear you, but those around you are alerted to try to help get representation immediately.
Thankfully, here in Gainesville, FL, the No Kings protests remained peaceful, and even joyous, with speakers, music, and street demonstrations that obeyed traffic laws. Across the United States, it is estimated that 5 to 11 million people protested at more than 2,000 events. Although some 200,000 people were expected to attend Trump’s military parade in Washington, DC, objective estimates halve that number to no more than 100,000.
Showing up is doing the work.
5. Continue to meet with activist leaders locally and network.
As I get more involved locally, it’s becoming really important to understand who runs this “leaderless coalition” of organizations, and who is in which organization and why. The left, as we often see, can very easily turn on itself in fruitless policy squabbles instead of moving forward arm in arm. Trying to respond to so many different needs, rights, and motives leaves us open to infighting, and as someone trying to be a helpful conduit, I need to know whose egos to protect and when. Focusing on these background issues sounds counterproductive, but I’ve learned that it is, alas, pretty important.
To help me in this mission, I met a woman who has been active in the resistance scene in Gainesville for decades. I explained who I am, why I popped up seemingly out of nowhere, and why I should be trusted. Once we understood each other, she gave me a frank introduction to the lay of the land here, and how our local factions are set up and work.
Her husband (who is a commissioner in town and a union organizer) asked me to give a presentation on media literacy to his electricians. In addition, she’s setting me up with more nonprofits. Connections are literally the small things that get bigger. Coffee can be more than coffee right now.
6. Devote time to organizations.
Typically your small things will lead you to more regular engagement with specific groups. This is the natural order of things, and you may find it allows you to get more significant work done.
I’m starting a long-term commitment with our local League of Women Voters (LWV). They focus on nonpartisan issues that face voters in every election; as a legacy organization, they have deep roots in their communities. Honestly, for all the excitement generated by the newer groups, I have found the LWV refreshingly action-oriented and well-organized, from their user-friendly website to their broad-based outreach.
Drawing on my media experience, I can help keep their website updated, and also engage in the action items they promote… because I believe in them. To start, I rewrote the mission statement for the communications arm of our local league. In time, my hope is to help them reach bigger audiences with steps they can easily take in the moment. Much as I try to do here.
7. Follow up with actions you start.
Last week’s “One Small Thing” concentrated solely on immigration issues and ICE in our schools. I worked on tips and information from our immigration neighbor network and connected that information to the regional press.
Since then, I’ve followed up with those reporters who showed interest. You have to follow up but only at appropriate times. Reporters have no obligation to cover a story you alert them to, and they have no obligation to keep you updated about what they’re doing. So when following up, be gentle and helpful. You want to find out if the story is moving forward or is being dropped. Your goal is to get the information out to the public. If one media outlet will not cover it, it’s time to try to find one that will.
With the Elon Musk-Trump breakup, a tax bill with multiple unconstitutional power grabs, and a president who can be goaded to change policy by the latest internet meme, the fate of our country may seem like it’s hanging by a thread. But that thread is democracy, and it is stronger than the current administration suspects. See you next week.
Past weeks of “One Small Thing” can be found here.
