Taking Action… Creative acts of resistance

By Tina Tyler

​Last month, I described a few ways in which you can answer a call to action. Protest and resistance come in many forms and can often be supported by a variety of activities. Finding one that fits your personality – or maybe even causes you to step out of your comfort zone – is the challenge. 

In last month’s interview with Clallam County Commissioner Mike French, he had advice for people who are feeling compelled to take some kind of action to resist what is happening to the country, but are unsure what that action would look like. “If someone isn’t sure what to do, they can show up at meetings, listen, talk to other volunteers and learn from them, and connect to other people,” French said. (NOTE: Getting involved in Clallam County Democrats is a great place to start!)

Are you mad enough yet?  Are you frustrated enough yet? Are you ready to have an impact? Are you scared about what you’re willing to do? You are not alone. The important part is to ACT, in whatever way works for you.

Here are five ways you may not have thought of:

Join or Create a ‘Singing Resistance’: Do you like to sing?  Singing Resistance — a Minnesota group born out of grief, rage, and a stubborn insistence on love -- has grown to a movement with over 120 city chapters across the U.S. and one in Canada, including Whidbey Island. Their mission is to create a mass movement of singers to protect and care for our communities in the face of rising authoritarianism. Founders say they are “grounded in love, nonviolence, and solidarity." 

• Find a local Singing Resistance chapter near you. 
• Learn more about Singing Resistance nationally. 
• View their songbook.
• Check out the Weekend of Action toolkit.

Bake the World a Better Place: When people are hurting, the first thing my husband wants to do is feed them or bake bread for them. There are many people hurting right now due to cuts to food programs by the current regime. If you like to bake and you’re looking for a way to contribute, consider joining Community Loaves in Sequim. If it’s bread you’re good at, or cookies are more your thing, they’d love to have you. The Sequim Food Bank is now part of the Community Loaves program so all of the baked goods stay right here in town. For more information, go to communityloaves.org. You could also volunteer at the Port Angeles or Forks Food Banks. (Photo by permission of communityloaves.org)

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Sew or Knit! MTI (Melt the ICE) Resistance hats are hand-knitted, red, pointy, tasseled beanies used as a quiet symbol of protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Originated by a Minneapolis yarn shop, they are inspired by Norwegian resistance against Nazi occupation during WWII. Proceeds from the pattern sales support immigrant advocacy groups. U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D - Maine) makes a powerful statement about why it is the only hat she wears. Wear it proudly! (Facebook photo reused with permission from Julia Arthur Parnell, 50501 Movement Washington State website)

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Listen and Learn: Change begins locally from the smallest elections and decisions. Attend, either in person or by Zoom (if offered), any of the many meetings which set the ‘rules’ in our community. From Clallam County Commissioner meetings, City Council Meetings, and School District meetings, to the Hospital Board, Chamber of Commerce, and Conservation Districts, decisions are made at these meetings that affect our lives. That is how and where local people learn how to fight back against actions that might negatively impact their communities; for example, stopping detention centers from being built in their area. It’s also where they learn about potential impacts to their community from national policies. 

​The old adage is true: The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Check the websites for your local city and school board meeting times and agendas to see what issues could have major implications on your community. Listen to what the leaders are saying. Learn about the issues. Be a squeaky wheel.

Find an Immigrant or Rapid Response Team:  Concerned for immigrants in our area? Check out the actions of Jefferson County Immigrants Rights Advocates. In Clallam County, the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) and local partners manage rapid response efforts to monitor, verify, and document ICE activity. Get trained to participate in a Rapid Response Team through either WAISN or JCIRA. Details are posted on their websites. You can also join Clallam County Democrats’ Immigration Action Committee, which meets on the second Tuesday of the month. For more information and to get a Zoom link to attend, contact the Action Committee Chair.

OH, and one last, really important way you can participate in change: VOTE! Every opportunity – every time. 

There is no doubt that America is turning into a fascist state. But fascism is brittle. It requires obedience and cooperation. When enough of us stop cooperating and begin speaking out, refusing to be neutral, the spell begins to break. We can hope, but hope sits still. We, each of us in our own way, must apply pressure through strategy and movement. There is no cavalry coming over the hill to save us. WE ARE THE CAVALRY.