Commentary: Consistent action, done in collaboration with community members, creates change.
The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community, and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of the Salish Current.
Tom Robbins, La Conner’s much beloved novelist, passed away a few weeks ago. He captured the intoxicating beauty of this place we call home with grace and humor. In 2017, nearing the end of his illustrious career, he was asked if current times felt like a dark age. “It’s starting to feel that way more and more,” he replied, “but my porch light is burning night and day.”
Certainly many of us won’t deny that dark times are upon us. The current federal administration is flooding the zone with illegal executive orders to eviscerate the civil service, defund departments and cripple institutions. These orders throw fear and chaos into the world order, the state of our union and, indeed, into all of our lives. It’s all so crazy and disorienting, purposely feeding our sense of helplessness, which becomes a rationale for turning our heads away. How do we screen out the noise?
‘ … my porch light is burning night and day.’
— Tom Robbins
Action can be an effective antidote to hopelessness. We are getting lots of inquiries from folks with the same question: “What should I be doing right now to resist this administration?” For so many important reasons, it is tempting to focus at the national level, but central to the our mission is the belief that we have the most impact when we act locally. Consistent action, done in collaboration with community members, creates change. For now, and maybe always, we will be focusing primarily on actions we can take here in Whatcom County and surrounding areas, or at the state level during legislative sessions. Here are some ideas:
- Become familiar with city and county council websites, follow council meetings and weigh in to influence local electeds’ decisions and accountability.
- Fill one of the many vacancies on city or county advisory boards to influence civic policies.
- Join a board, volunteer or donate money to one of the many local nongovernmental organizations like your closest food bank, Planned Parenthood, the Whatcom Literacy Council, Community to Community Development or Community First Whatcom, among others, to support services to our neighbors who will be the most adversely impacted by federal funding freezes and executive orders.
- Let your voice be heard by your local state legislators by signing up for Take Action Network, Washington state’s platform to take action on legislative bills that are most important to you.
- Stay informed. Subscribe to fact-based local news organizations to monitor events in our communities, and to counter misinformation.
- We all have different capacities, depending upon our particular circumstances … maybe some of us feel we might have more efficacy taking care of what’s here, in front of us — our families, neighbors, community and environment. It all matters!
Let’s “keep our porch lights burning.” Live the motto that longtime Bellingham public servant and community elder Kathryn Hanowell has always lived and includes with her email signature: “’Do all you can, while you can, with what you have, in the place you are.’ – Nkosi Johnson”
For more information, sign up for the Riveters Collective’s newsletter or contact the Riveters Collective to learn about other options for following and/or participating in our work.
— By The Riveters Collective Board of Directors
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