A mass shooting that left six dead and two dozen injured. An unarmed Black man shot 60 times by police. Dozens of other shootings, many deadly. The loss of body autonomy for more than half our population. A white supremacist march in Boston. What can we do?
Many of us are scared, grieving, and angry right now. I know I am. Even as I acknowledge those feelings, though, I am also trying to act—to do what I can, in whatever small way I can, to help our country live up to its promise of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”—a promise not yet achieved. The past two weeks are only the latest in a long line of injustices and acts of hatred and violence.
Is it futile? I don’t know. But I do know my Jewish ancestors came to this country seeking a better life, leaving behind places of intolerance. Some who stayed behind perished in the Holocaust. The United States may never have been the land of “liberty and justice for all” that it said it was—but it suggested to the world that such a place could exist. I am not yet ready to give up on that idea. I am not yet ready to leave this country to the intolerant and the oppressive. It is my country, too.
None of us alone can act on every one of the many issues plaguing our nation right now. We still have our own families and ourselves to take care of, and the thousand everyday tasks needed to get through the day. And sometimes self-care is an act of resistance. Now more than ever, however, we need to step up and make a difference where we can, when we can.
Please call or write to your elected officials about gun violence, police accountability, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and other issues that matter to you. Support organizations working for these causes; donate if you can and help elevate their messages regardless. Speak out and act out as much as you safely can. Reach out to friends, relatives, neighbors, and others who may be feeling our country’s injustices and ask how you can support them, in ways big and small—and ask for help in return, should you need it.
For resources related to mass shootings and school shootings, please see this post. For resources related to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, please see this one.
Will we save our country if we take action now? I don’t know—but I know we can’t afford to see what will happen if we don’t.