I had allowed myself to hope that American voters would choose the better of the presidential options available to us, and I was wrong. I am disappointed. I am sad. I am afraid.
But, you see, I was disappointed, sad, and afraid before the election, too. In and outside of the United States, across the political spectrum, governments are and have been failing their people. And it is the people who have been fighting not just to protect themselves, their communities, and the things they love, but also fighting for people they’ve never met, in places they’ve never been, living lives they’ve never lived, facing horrors they’ve never faced.
Prepare to resist.
We’re going to end up very shortly having “safe states” and “unsafe states.” California, for example, could very easily not enforce a federal abortion ban. New York could simply not enforce a ban on mifepristone.
You might be able to drive someone on a leg of their journey, maybe without even knowing what that journey is for. You might be able to open your home to weary travellers, maybe without knowing where they’re coming from or where they’re going. Maybe you can do even more than those. The Underground Railroad is estimated to have freed about one hundred thousand people between 1810 and 1860.
You’re going to need to connect with a few like-minded people that you can trust, because nobody can effectively resist entirely on their own. We are still in this together; “this” is changing, real fast, and there needs to be a new kind of “we.”
Prepare to resist.
i guess I’m worried that I won’t know how to connect with any kind of resistance since I don’t have a lot of friends.
Maybe getting involved with local charitable organizations could help you find like-minded people - donating clothing or food or time to shelters for women leaving abusive situations.
There’s going to be some overlap between left-leaning political action and clandestine resistance. That’s a place to start, but you will mainly need to be observant in the beginning.
I know I’m replying again, but I wanted to add this:
Get healthy. Exercise. You will be more prepared to resist when you have physical stamina.
Learn some bushcraft camping skills. Know how to start a fire and use a tarp for shelter. Get a firestriker and some paracord. I’m not saying to go full doomsday prepper, but you should know how to get by for a few days with limited supplies.
Don’t be worried. Be prepared.