Let me just say this at the beginning, do I hope that President-Elect Trump surprises me and is hugely successful? YES! That would mean that the country as a whole is successful.
Does that mean that I have to say "let's give him a chance!" and let him do this thing? No. Because that means we just let him enact policy that could have massive, long-lasting effects on the country. And not good ones.
What does that mean for us?
That means we have to get involved.
And I'm not talking about just posting on Facebook or Twitter. (Although, feel free to do so as well.)
I'm talking about getting involved in organizations that matter to you. If you don't have time in your schedule, donate money. If you can, make a monthly donation. There are many organizations that need your help. Especially now.
Get involved in the process. Let your voice be heard! Write letters to your senators and congress men and women. Better yet, start a letter writing campaign for issues you care about. Volunteer at the office of someone who is running in mid-term elections.
Read newspapers. Join advocacy groups.
Just ACT!!!
- NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 85.56/100
- The Trevor Project - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 91.51/100
- Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 87.27/100
Women's Organizations:
- Planned Parenthood - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 90.41/100
- Center for Reproductive Rights - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 93.25/100
- National Women's Law Center - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 95.23/100
LGBTQ:
Climate Change/Environment:
- The Point Foundation - DONATE
- Charity Navigator - 94.42
- Human Rights Campaign - DONATE
- Charity Navigator - 89.36
Climate Change/Environment:
- National Resources Defense Council - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 96.35/100
- Environmental Defense Fund - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 94.48/100
- Environmental and Energy Study Institute - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 94.24/100
Refugee Assistance:
- Mercy Corps - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 88.48/100
- American Refugee Committee - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 95.47/100
Rural Community Growth:
- Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 91.98/100
- Farm Aid - DONATE
- Charity Navigator: 91.07/100
Newspapers:
In addition, there is a growing dependence on blogs and websites like Twitter and Facebook. This is INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS!!! Is this statement ironic since this is, in fact, a blog? Yes. But any blog, mine included, is full of opinion pieces. I am stating my opinion. What we need is accurate reporting by professionals. But make sure to fact check any article the you read or see on TV, or especially the internet.
There was an interesting article about the importance of print media and how reading actual newspapers informs the public in a way that is almost impossible online. (Thank you Jennifer Rossa for passing along this article!) Upset About the Election? Here’s Something You Can Actually Do
Consider subscribing to :
Look for your local and state papers!
- My hometown paper: The Jonesboro Sun - SUBSCRIPTION
- One state paper: The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - SUBSCRIPTION
Political Involvement:
Last, but not least, you can get involved politically. Now, I know that this can be stressful and you may not want to. That's okay!
It can be as simple as calling or writing your U.S. Representative or U.S. Senator about any issue that you feel is important. You can find your representative or senator at:
- Senate: http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
- House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/representatives/
You can also keep up with the activities on the House or Senate floor, and all House and Senate bills are public records and can be looked up and read by every citizen in the nation.
You can also keep up with your Representative and Senator voting record. Let them know how you feel about their activities in Congress!!
And importantly - in two years, there will be a mid-term election. Get involved! Donate to the political campaigns as you see fit. If you don't have the money, donate your time. Get involved in state and federal elections. Contact the campaign offices and work with them.
And most importantly ----- VOTE!!!!
The midterm elections are much more important than people realize.
But I would like to take this opportunity to recognize one organization.
The League is open to both men and women. They don't just get involved politically, but this group is also a great resource for education on both sides of ballot issues and local/state/national political campaigns. They have voter registration drives and are involved in local and national issues.
Please think about donating or joining!!
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
We can make a difference!
We can make a difference!
If you have any other organizations you want me to add to this list, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.