178 Comments
⭠ Return to thread

While voting and getting others to vote is our primary means of defending democracy at this critical juncture, we must also support those behind the scenes who are working day in and day out in the courtrooms of America to blunt Trump's demolition derby. Here are four efforts that merit your money right this instant:

One well-known defender of our Constitution, our rights, and our cherished traditions is the American Civil Liberties Union: https://www.aclu.org/. You will find a dozen or more areas where they could use your active support and involvement.

The same is true for The Brennan Center for Justice: https://www.brennancenter.org/. It was founded by legendary civil rights attorney Burt Neuborne who previously served as chief counsel for ACLU. A few minutes on the Brennan Center website will stir your soul and bolster your confidence that help is on the way…if you help them do it.

Michelle Obama is a founder and leading light of “When We All Vote” which is doing powerful work to enroll voters and ensure that they have a fair chance to cast a ballot. People say that working with this organization is very rewarding: https://www.whenweallvote.org/

A seasoned champion of election-integrity, Marc Elias, demonstrates ways for you, too, to help protect this most vital of all the pillars of “democracy”. His work is immediate, vital, crucial to rebut Trump’s demolition of voting. Join up with him here: https://www.democracydocket.com

Writing checks is better than wringing our hands. 😎

Expand full comment

Former Republican here (don’t hate on me 😉)... I have auto-contributed to ACLU and ActBlue every month since Trump hijacked our country. Thanks for the other links.

Expand full comment

How could anyone ever hate on what the so-called-“Christian” evangelicals might refer to as a repentant sinner? 🙏❤️😎

Expand full comment

ActBlue has gotten a lot of my money

Expand full comment

Lol. I don't dare look at my ActBlue contribution history very often. What a brilliant organizing tool ActBlue is!

Expand full comment

Yep! I look at it this way, though: If we don't prevail, at least I have less money for "them" to get from me!

Expand full comment

These are great suggestions - I so agree that taking action, writing checks in support of candidates and organizations like these, or volunteering at the polls is so much better than hand wringing. My first stint as an election officer at my local polling place was November 2016 - I'll be back at it this year

Expand full comment

I volunteered as a poll worker after the 2016 election and have worked every election since, including town ones -- most recently the MA primary on September 1. My town clerk loves me because (1) I don't need to be reminded, and (2) I don't mind showing up at 6:45 in the morning. ;-)

Expand full comment

In the context of my donations. I am wondering how and when we became Consumer Voters, where sending money is so important?

Expand full comment

An absolutely brilliant question. I could make guesses, but let me throw this to some of my better informed friends.

Expand full comment

As far as why sending money is so important, I suspect it had something to do with the Citizens United SCOTUS decision. The cost of running a contested campaign, even for way-down-ballot races, has gone through the roof. Btw, what do you mean by "Consumer Voters"? How is donating to a campaign "consuming" it?

Expand full comment

I am being increasingly treated as consumer. I can't step out my door in Manhattan without paying for most things. Daily life has been monetized. Notice what has happened to museums, as an example.

Now I repeatedly contribute for political candidates and causes, but vote only once. Which is becoming more important?

Expand full comment

I still don't understand how this makes you a consumer -- or how contributing to candidates and causes is the same as paying to get into a museum. Maybe you have two separate questions going here? IMO, contributing to candidates and causes is like volunteering for candidates and causes: it makes you a participant in the electoral process and/or, more generally, civic life.

Expand full comment

Thanks for these concrete suggestions.

Expand full comment