After the Protests Comes the Hard Part
Thousands of protesters from across the New Hampshire seacoast gathered in Market Square, Portsmouth on April 5 for one of 1,400 mass-action protests against the lawlessness, incompetence, and criminality of the TrumpMusk regime.
After the daily onslaught of TrumpMusk over the past three months, Saturday’s protests were invigorating and cathartic. It was a joy and a relief to see friends and neighbors from across the seacoast turn out in Portsmouth in such large and enthusiastic numbers.
When it comes to protests, the media loves to focus on turnout numbers as a measure of success. But what truly makes a day like Saturday successful is how many of us keep standing up, keep showing up, and keep fighting back in meaningful ways as we start down the long path of repairing our country, our state, and ourselves.
Here are some ways to stay involved:
Find your people. Groups like Indivisible and Concord’s KentStreetCoalition have been organizing people and events since 2017. Being a member and joining their Facebook groups are great ways to meet people and stay in-the-loop on state and national issues and events and actions.
Find a cause. Sometimes best and most meaningful way to do the big things—like saving democracy—is to focus on issues that are more personal to you. If you want to help immigrants, volunteer for the American Friends Services Committee. If you’re a younger person concerned about housing issues, child care, and education, 603 Forward brings young leaders together. You’ll find contact info for these organizations and others here—but there are many, many advocacy organizations in NH.
Put your money where your heart is. With federal and state funding being terminated for many organizations that do great work, any financial support you can offer in this moment is huge. NH Gives is a great starting point for learning more about these organizations and deciding about donations.
Pester your elected representatives. Let them (including me) know how you feel when there’s an issue that’s important to you. For their good votes, give them a shout-out. When they disappoint you, share your disappointment with them or their staff.
Weigh in on legislation at the state level. Bills that have passed in the House are now crossing over to the Senate; and bills that have passed in the Senate are crossing over to the House. All will get public hearings. You can make your voice heard by testifying in person (always the most impactful option), submitting written testimony online, indicating your support or opposition to a bill online. This article tells you how.
Join your city, town, or county Democratic Committee. Find yours here.
Doing anything Wednesday 4/9? Come to the State House and Demand a Better Budget! The same NH Republicans who gleefully cut taxes for multinational conglomerates and wealthy investors have vomited up a state budget with cuts that spare no one, except—multinational conglomerates and wealthy investors. Among the atrocities (you can read more about them in InDepthNH and New Hampshire Bulletin), the proposed budget eliminates the Office of the Child Advocate—a state office whose sole mission is to protect NH children—and defunds the NH Arts Council, but gives the wealthiest families in the state subsidized tuition for private and religious schools. Sign up here.
Please feel free to respond with your ideas too!