Something Meaningful to Do Right Now
And an honest update from me.
How’s everyone doing?
I’m still in a state of processing and recharging. It’s OK if, like me, you have not “moved on” from the election results. I am thinking about the time between now and the inauguration as gathering my strength for the years ahead. Some things that are helping me right now are seeing people IRL as much as possible. Chats at school drop-offs, coffee with a friend, nights out with other moms all improve my mood. Also, I don’t make it happen every day, but exercise is wildly helpful for me when I’m feeling in a fog or funk.
Other tactics include greatly limiting my news and social media consumption. I realize that isn’t a long-term solution, both morally and professionally. I am an invested citizen and a journalist, after all, so I won’t be able to maintain my low-information status for too much longer. (However, I love Laura Hazard Owen’s take on reading the news but not reactions. That may be my strategy going forward.) But mainly, I’m taking a pause right now to try to train myself not to be a reactive, outraged pinball for the years ahead, spiraling with every bad headline and getting overwhelmed to the point that I don’t feel like I can do anything.
One thing I miss about election season since Kamala entered the race was the sense of hope and possibility. As a swing state resident who also invested in down-ballot races, I also miss the feeling that there was a lot of work to do to express my values. I had a sense of purpose in how to spend all the scraps of free time and how to organize my weekends. Every week, there were so many ways to get involved. I could canvass; I could take voters to the polls. I could recruit others to volunteer. I could raise money for The States Project (Thank you, readers, for helping blow through our goal! We got results and broke the Republican supermajority in the NC Statehouse). I also had a lot of friends I could volunteer with, making political work a part of my social fabric of deepening personal and community relationships. It feels empty for all of that to go away while I’m feeling larger political despair.
Fortunately, those in-person conversations I’m prioritizing since the election are helping me. I’m having meaningful talks with friends about how to invest that election energy and sense of purpose into my community long-term. It’s an ongoing process. If you are interested in getting involved in activism and organizing for the first time, there are some great webinars coming up about this that are worth checking out.
Many of us are still figuring out what's next in the years ahead. Last week, I learned about something immediate we can all do to improve our country.
Did you know that the Equal Rights Amendment has cleared all of the necessary hurdles to be added to our Constitution? Yes, THAT Equal Rights Amendment, which gathered steam in the 1970s in an effort to get equal rights for men and women added to the constitution. The ratification process at the state level faltered decades ago, but four years ago, it was revived, and the final three states that were needed all voted to ratify the amendment. There are some new legal theories supported by organizations, such as the American Bar Association, that 28th Amendment has met all constitutional requirements and should be implemented immediately.
This would be a VERY big deal. Most people think the US Constitution mandates gender equality. Surprise! It doesn’t. That’s why this effort could have a huge impact on tons of issues, including hiring and employment discrimination, and how the military handles sexual harassment and assault. It could also open the door to more legal challenges around abortion restrictions and increase protections for LGBTQ individuals. Here’s a list of issues the 28th Amendment has the potential to impact.
A number of legal scholars believe that all it takes is one call from Joe Biden to the national archivist (who he appointed and reports to him) to ask her to publish the amendment. This would be a fantastic capstone of Biden’s legacy to do this before he leaves office and would add a considerable level of additional protection to women and the LGBTQ community before Trump takes office again. I have three words for you: We deserve this.
This is a great video that explains it all:
Urgent campaigns are going to raise awareness about this and pressure Biden to do this in the next 60 days before he leaves office. The folks behind Vote Equality and the filmmakers of Ratified are organizing daily vigils in DC, and a Black Friday event. They are also asking people to mail a letter or postcard to President Biden before DEC 10th, the 101-year anniversary of the first proposal of constitutional gender equality in the U.S. Congress. (More info here)
If this speaks to you, you can write to Biden, take a pic of your postcard, share it, and spread the word more generally about this campaign on social media with the hashtags #PublishEquality #ERAis28A #ERANOWorNever. (Here’s a bunch more info/instructions if social media is your thing.) If not, text, email or talk to your friends IRL about it.
I also had a surprisingly great interaction when I called the office of my Democratic Congresswoman, Valerie Foushee, to express that I wanted her to pressure Biden to instruct the archivist to publish the 28th Amendment. The person answering the phone was very supportive and curious about the initiative. He hadn’t heard of it, and he gave me his email address so I could send him more information to share with the congresswoman and the rest of her staff. So, it also may be worth calling your reps to be sure it’s on their radar.
I hope you’ll join me in this act of hope for a better future.
Reminder: On 11/25 at 2pm EST, we have a members-only hangout.
As many of us are processing what feels like very painful political realities, I’d like us to have the chance to come together to feel, share, and discuss. This will be an informal, non-recorded, free-flowing conversation.
And because we’ll be meeting right before Thanksgiving, I’d love to add a side dish discussion about dealing with relatives who may have different political opinions from yours. I’m looking forward to connecting with you all! Become a paying member of The Double Shift to join in. It starts at $7/mo.
I’d love to hear from you, Double Shifters. If you were putting energy towards the election in some way, what are you doing with that energy now?
Thank you Katherine for something tangible to do right now! Jenna