Filmmaker Michael Moore. (photo: Getty)
29 December 16
t's
been seven weeks since Hillary beat Trump by nearly 3 million votes but
lost the presidency to him. So if your head is still spinning from that
mindf***, or you can't quite believe a malignant narcissist will now
sit in the Oval Office, or if you are simply still working your way
through the 17 stages of grief, then I am here to say to you, "There's
no crying in TrumpLand -- Let's get to work!" All hands on deck! Brush
your yourself off and let's get busy because: a) All hope is not lost;
b) There are more of us than there are of them; and c) The roadside is
littered with the ended careers of self-absorbed, narcissistic
politicians whose arrogance led them to do things that caused their
early resignation or impeachment. Don't think that can't happen here.
I do not say these things because I am filled with
optimism. In fact, I think the first thing we all have to do in order to
move on is to admit out loud what we already think privately: As bad as
we know it's going to be, it's actually going to be worse. A lot worse.
Now cheer up and read on...
THE FIVE THINGS EACH OF US MUST DO THIS WEEK
1. MAKE YOUR PRESENCE KNOWN. Your Senators and Members
of Congress are home right now, in your town (or a nearby town), for
their holiday break. Their office is open! You don't need an
appointment. Just show up (to find out where the local office is click
here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
and type in your zip code). Go there (take a friend!), walk in and say
"I'm a constituent and I'd like a few minutes with my
Congressman/woman." He/she may be busy, so tell them you'd like to speak
to someone on the staff for a couple minutes. Most local congressional
offices are LOATHE to turn anyone away because to them you are that one
vote who could vote them out of office. Tell the person you get to speak
to why you want the Congressman to block all the damage Trump is going
to do (cite examples). If he/she is a Republican, they will explain why
they "support the new President." You then must politely tell them you
and everyone you know will work to unseat them in 2018 if they don't act
independently from Trump. The calmer and cooler you say this, the more
they will believe it. If your rep is a Democrat, tell him/her that you
expect them to AGGRESSIVELY fight the Trump agenda -- and if they don't,
you will work with others to support a true progressive in the
Democratic primary in 2018. Tell them that millions of us will do what
the Tea Party did to the Republicans: primary them and toss them out of
office. Say it politely, thank them, then leave. You actually showing up
in person to do this is as powerful as 100 letters or a large
demonstration on the street in front of their office. Do this and post
it on social media. Post it on my Facebook or Twitter and I'll try to
re-post/tweet as many as I can.
2. WRITE TO THE DNC TONIGHT. It will take 5 minutes. Send a quick email to the Democratic National Committee (http://my.democrats.org/page/s/contact-the-democrats)
and tell them you want them to elect Congressman Keith Ellison as the
new chairperson of the Democratic Party. He is the future and everyone
else is the past. Here's what the old guard gave us: TWICE in 16 years
the Democratic candidate WON the vote for President but LOST the White
House. Incredible! This has to stop! Ellison and the progressive wing of
the party must take us forward. Keith has the backing of Bernie Sanders
and myself, but also the endorsement of some of the old guard who've
come around to see the error of past ways (Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer,
etc.). In addition to being born in Detroit, spending his adulthood as a
community organizer and now representing the Twin Cities in the House,
Ellison is also the only Muslim member of Congress. He was one of the
few members of Congress brave enough to back Bernie. He will fight to
turn this around and, as a son of the Midwest, bring that part of the
country back from the dark side. Let's flood the DNC with emails tonight
(and cc: the your state Democratic Party, too - you can look up their
email address on Google).
3. FORM YOUR OWN RAPID RESPONSE TEAM. By New Year's
Day this Sunday, I want you to ask 5 to 10 friends, family members,
co-workers, classmates or neighbors to be part of your Rapid Response
Team. Pick a name for it -- the "Doyle Family Rapid Response Team", the
"Oak Street Rapid Response Team", the "Seabrook High School Rapid
Response Team", the "Gilmore Girls Fan Club Rapid Response Team", etc.
Set a plan to contact each other online as soon as word goes out on any
given day to oppose what Trump and Congress are up to. Your Rapid
Response Team will agree with each other to email elected reps, make
calls, post on social media, go to protests and/or organize others at
work, school or in the neighborhood. Through my own social media sites,
as stuff happens, I will send out instructions immediately as to what we
all must do. Sign up now to follow me on my Facebook (facebook.com/mmflint) and Twitter (twitter.com/mmflint)
if you don't already. Form your team this week. I'm personally
organizing a Rapid Response Team in the apartment building where I live.
We need to get prepared and be ready now. If we wait til late January
to organize, it will be too late.
4. MAKE PLANS NOW TO BE AT THE INAUGURATION WEEKEND
PROTESTS! We need millions in the streets in DC -- and that's what it
looks like it's shaping up to be. The big march will be the day after
the Inauguration - the Million Women March on January 21st. Click here
for details https://www.facebook.com/events/2169332969958991/. On January 20th - Inauguration Day - a call has been gone out to non-violently disrupt the proceedings. Go to http://www.disruptj20.org/
and learn about civil disobedience on that day. Planes and trains are
already selling out, as are hotels. Contact the above sites to get info
on buses and housing (or charter your own bus from your town). Everyone
who can should be there. If you can't make it, find (or organize) a
local protest in your area. Take the day off. No one should be silent
that day.
5. YOU SHOULD RUN FOR OFFICE. Yes, YOU. Why not? Who
else do you think is going to do it? I'm not saying you have to be the
next Senator from Michigan, but why not run for State Rep. or school
board or city council? At the very least, run for precinct delegate in
the local Democratic Party. It's time to stop carping about politicians
and become one. But a different kind of one! I ran for and got elected
to the school board at 18-years old. Form your campaign committee now
for the elections in 2017 and 2018. (If you need me, I'll even offer to
be your honorary chair!) You know you can do this. We have no choice.
We've left it up to others - yes, Democrats - and they are inept and
continual losers. Haven't you had enough? Run for office, any office!
There you go. 5 Easy Pieces. Start tonight. And spread this around. ALL HANDS ON DECK!
-- Michael Moore
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