Takeback Tuesdays
Ever since November 8, 2016, Tuesdays have made me wince. Evil things seem to happen on Tuesdays. 9/11 was a Tuesday. The ’89 quake happened on a Tuesday. Tuesday is named after the god of war; in Japanese it’s associated with fire; the Greeks and Spanish regard it as unlucky; the Thais—
Okay, I’m getting ridiculous. But the fact of the matter is, every Tuesday since November 8th I’ve felt that surely I ought to be Doing Something.
So here it is—with its own category tab, even:
Takeback Tuesday: moving forward in the new era
I’ll try and post every Tuesday about something I’m doing to maintain the energy of the Women’s March, some donation or telephone call that may counter the acts I anticipate will be coming out of Washington, DC. (And yes, again: I hope I’m wrong; I fear I’m not.) And I’ll urge you to join me, in the support and the commitment of energies.
One major victim of the past year has been balanced information. We’ve all gaped as we watched the truth manipulated, tainted, and run over with heavy machinery. Call it fake news, post-truth, “alternative facts” (dear God) or just plain lies, the only way to resuscitate this poor dying creature known as Truth is the application of balanced and fair reporting, through balanced media outlets and sites such as Fact-check.org.
So, which journalists get up in the face of power? The names of the New York Times and the Washington Post came up again and again in the past election cycle, because their journalists don’t stop digging. I’ve long been a subscriber to the San Francisco Chronicle, and I added the Guardian last year for its US and international coverage, but this week I’m adding the Times. Yes, these are all on the liberal side, but they deal with facts, not the alternative, and perhaps a trace of the left is reason enough to give them our subscription dollars.
So, friends, I recommend to you The New York Times, a thorn in the side of the powerful. Subscription as donation, and as political stand, and with a dose of entertainment to boot.
What about you? Where do you donate your subscription dollars?
***
But what can I do? A guide to being indivisible, by former Congressional staffers.
Six rules for survival: 1. Believe the autocrat; 2. Do not be taken in by small signs of normality; 3. Institutions will not save you; 4. Be outraged; 5. Don’t make compromises; 6. Remember the future.
Contact your elected representative.
Make your dollar speak: Rage against hate.
I’ve been a subscriber to NPR and my local public television channel all my adult life. I subscribe to our local paper. I became a subscriber to the NYT this fall ( I was a subscriber when I lived in NY years ago). And I added the Guardian last year and donated to support them.
The Guardian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Mother Jones all get my subscription or support. I also added Vanity Fair after the sitting president attacked them.
I’ve been a fact checker at my own level forever. I have listened to NPR since 1984. I keep up with news from other countries through my local public T. V. Station. And yes, I have memberships to both the radio and T.V. My money goes, also, to Planned Parenthood, a wonderful organization that has been hounded it’s whole life.
Dan Rather and his latest endeavor News and Guts.
I’m trying to have my rule be, read a summary of the news weekly or so to stay moderately informed, and any time anyone asks me to actually do something (call a senator, show up at a rally, donate money), I will try to do it. I probably should subscribe to NYT or NPR or whatever – but I can’t handle actually reading or listening to them that much – so it’s more like a charity. The current news just tends to induce a state somewhere between catatonia and despair.
Thank you for the suggestions. Got postcards and today I plan to send them to each person on the committee regarding Education Sectretary DeVoss appointment.
Because of the recent executive action, the US is unlikely to be able to fund any reproductive health care around the world (it’s not just about abortion, it’s about providing actual informed health care.) My takeback today is a donation to PATH (http://www.path.org/our-work/reproductive-health.php) for reproductive health funding.
I wish everyone the best of luck fighting in every way that is possible to peacefully resist all the problems we will be facing. Marching was wonderful but now we have to go forward, and I just hope we make the right choices. Information that is accurate is the best weapon we have!
Concrete facts are mandatory for rational action, but I think both President Obama’s campaigns and the most recent one prove that the best “weapons” appeal to our emotions. Those of us who think facts are of paramount importance tend to overlook the power of basic emotions to motivate. I include myself in this group. I frequently have to remind myself that many of my current actions are motivated by the fear this election has inspired. Mind you, I expect most people who love Russell and Holmes love them because of their insistence on fact as the basis for rational action.
Writing this has made me wonder if rational action is a weapon, or if it simply allows one to wield weapons more effectively…which means I may have travelled off into the land of Pedants. A dangerous land, that!
And astonishingly, Teen Vogue has been posting some of the most hard-hitting and insightful articles about the new administration. They deserve support and respect for encouraging young women in journalism.
You caught my attention with Teen Vogue. Thanks; I’ll check it out and share with my teenager daughter. We both campaigned for Bernie Sanders and she’s feeling shell-shocked these days.
Subscriber to the NYTimes for decades. Recently subscribed to the Washington Post. Contributor to The Guardian – may have to subscribe to them too. Small but monthly contributions to Planned Parenthood and to the national ACLU.
I am 69 and small and tired and still recovering from cancer treatment. There is a lot I cannot do. But I have done these things, and I will continue. I really like the idea of Tuesdays. I at least cannot face this every day. Tuesdays provide focus, and relief.
Yes! I also like the idea of designating a specific day for acting on and thinking about an enormously uncomfortable enormous problem. Thank you, Laurie for suggesting it!
Sending you positive vibes as you recover.
Once a week also resonates for me as a controlled method for responding to some of the ugly stains spreading across the landscape of my America.
The former Congressional staffer recommended by Laurie in this post says phone calls are best; I’m often too tired to hold conversations, but I think I’m going to try a few, testing the reception. Otherwise, it’s a letter campaign ahead for me.
Wonderful information Laurie! I have been numb and depressed since November 8, and feel like our country is 1930’s Germany and it was just handed to Lord Voldemort. I have contributed to all levels of worthy Democrats and have thought recently that was wasted money, and I am looking to support organizations that are against throwing us back into 1950’s pre-Civil Rights America, and a government of anti immigration, anti woman, anti gay, anti health care Climate Change deniers. I need to believe in someone once again.
Excellent ideas Mrs. King! Right now, I cannot subscribe to The New York Times although I would very much like to. I have people dunning me for money and I am trying to pay bills on a care giver’s salary. However,I will subscribe when I can afford to do so, I will indeed subscribe to The Times and Mother Jones and anybody else who does not traffic in alternative truths. I also intend to support the ACLU if I can stretch my money that far.
Barbara Kline
Denver, Colorado
Another useful fact-checking site is this one from the UK. It has some very well-respected people like David Spiegelhalter writing responses. https://fullfact.org/
NY Times, yes. NPR, ACLU, SPLC, and a few others. Postcards written for this week. I plan to alternate calls with letters and letters to the editor. Must not let up; this is going to be a hard slog, I fear.
Takeback Tuesday works for me. I can’t control what’s spewing out of the White House, but I certainly can direct my own responses once a week, particularly in the company of like-minded people.
Emily Ellsworth’s prioritization of phone calls over letters surprised me; however, I’ll give it a go. I’ve always been better with letters and as a participant in next month’s LetterMo (Month of Letters) and InCoWriMo (International Correspondence Writing Month), I took a small first step today by posting in the LetterMo forum: “Recent events in the U.S. have me thinking about the need to write letters to my elected representatives. Author Laurie R. King (Mary Russell series) this week launched “Takeback Tuesdays” with action steps/links that sparked a tiny flare of hope for me: https://laurierking.com/2017/01/takeback-tuesdays/”
Answering your query about news — For me, it’s NPR and ETV. I also find value in scanning international news reports via BBC and The Guardian; it’s vital to see how the rest of the world is responding to our American catastrophe. (My budget doesn’t extend to paid subscriptions; I’m saving up my allowance to cover annual health care deductibles and copays for my family’s medical and dental care in 2017. Yeah.)
Great ideas Laurie and readers. I am calling (short, polite and often). Also, thanks to your suggestion Laurie, a few friends and I are going to call additionally on Tuesdays (anytime we can) on a specific topic so more calls on that day about one thing.
Agnes, I have the same feelings about being overwhelmed with constant upsetting news. Now on calls I will state my name, that I am a constituent, and I oppose the nomination of ………, (or appropriate words on whatever topic). I was giving reasons but do not think that is necessary after reading Laurie’s “Contact your Elected Representative.”
We the People….may we be safe, may we be strong, and may we RESIST the loss of our democracy.
I’ve just read online that the Big Orange Thing has ordered The Wall to be built on the border. The Big Orange Thing is meeting very soon with the president of Mexico. I would really like to be a fly on the wall to listen in on that conversation. Oh, and before I forget- US taxpayers will be paying for The Wall. When The Big Orange Thing built his new golf course in Scotland, he also built a wall around it and then charged the people still living near the golf course for the wall.
I love the way you contrasted your hopes and fears for the future. I could hear Jeremy Brett (playing you-know-who) in my mind’s ear, saying “I’m talking about my hope, not my expectation.” I want to keep talking about my hopes.
Oh, well, I guess The Big Orange Thing won’t be meeting with the President of Mexico in regard to The Wall.