At our event on Inauguration Eve, historian Heather Cox Richardson gave us a lot of great advice about how to deal with the new administration — and how to deal with authoritarianism in general. They need our fear and our anger to build their power. When we think about January 6th or MAGA rallies, the visceral anger of the crowds consistently jumps to the forefront. And what is Fox News but a perpetually churning fear machine?
Of course we’re afraid and angry. The Trump administration has already done some terrible things and it’s only been a few days. But we have to lean into our joy and our supportive communities, from our literal neighborhoods to the community of Red Wine & Blue.
It’s okay to disengage from the noise of national politics, but we can’t stop bringing our best to the world. As Heather said, “Showing up and doing things you love says to an authoritarian, ‘You have no place to root here.’”
They need our despair and anger to thrive. So let’s not give it to them.
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