How much would you give to have November 9’s presidential election turn out differently?...More to the point: how much would you give to have the *next* presidential election turn out differently?
Whatever the amount, I’m proposing that you start giving it now. I’m proposing, in fact, that we bring back the concept of sacrifice as part of the duties of citizenship. But sacrifice with a social media twist...because it’s the postmillennium, and nothing’s real unless it’s also digital.
With Republicans in control of the presidency and both houses of Congress, progressives have to get to work safeguarding what we’ve gained, and building a coalition to take it even farther. Most of us, however, lead insanely busy lives; we can’t actually be there on the front lines.
But we can support those who are.
There are many, many organizations dedicated to progressive causes, from environmentalism to social justice. (I’ve linked to a partial list in the comment section.) They need our help. And that doesn’t mean a quick donation sent off while we’re feeling panicked and despairing; it means an actual, consistent commitment; it means joining—becoming a member—and sustaining these organizations over a period of years.
Whatever the amount, I’m proposing that you start giving it now. I’m proposing, in fact, that we bring back the concept of sacrifice as part of the duties of citizenship. But sacrifice with a social media twist...because it’s the postmillennium, and nothing’s real unless it’s also digital.
With Republicans in control of the presidency and both houses of Congress, progressives have to get to work safeguarding what we’ve gained, and building a coalition to take it even farther. Most of us, however, lead insanely busy lives; we can’t actually be there on the front lines.
But we can support those who are.
There are many, many organizations dedicated to progressive causes, from environmentalism to social justice. (I’ve linked to a partial list in the comment section.) They need our help. And that doesn’t mean a quick donation sent off while we’re feeling panicked and despairing; it means an actual, consistent commitment; it means joining—becoming a member—and sustaining these organizations over a period of years.
2 for 2020 is a movement encouraging each citizen to adopt two progressive organizations, and make a commitment to fund them on a monthly basis—to set aside part of your monthly income exclusively for that purpose. Yes, times are tough and money’s tight; and any contribution is going to hurt. But wouldn’t you rather endure pain over something you’re building, than at seeing something you cherish torn down? And regular monthly donations allow those organizations to plan. An operating budget based on a guaranteed income is crucial for any endeavor to succeed.
So choose your two organizations. Go to their websites; join their ranks; commit to a monthly pledge. Don’t tell us the amount; that’s up to you. But make it as much as you can—and then make it a little more. If you start to feel hesitant or nervous about it, just remember who will soon be in the Oval Office. Make the sacrifice. FIGHT.
Then, the fun part—the social media angle. Announce your two new memberships to your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. Explain who they are, and why you’ve chosen to be a supporting member of each. Use the hashstag #2for2020.
Then share all your organizations' Facebook posts. Retweet all their tweets. Make them as regular a part of your social media activity as posts about your pets, or your meals, or your vacations (always using the #2for2020 hashtag). Encourage your friends and followers to do the same, with their own two choices.
If every one of us goes #2for2020, and inspires a few dozen of our social media contacts to follow suit, and they do likewise, and so on, exponentially—just think of the tremendous boost those organizations will get in terms of awareness, capabilities, and cash flow.
And think how ready we'll be for the next presidential election. Hell...think how ready we'll be for the midterms.
I’ll start the ball rolling with my two choices, to whom I’ve just this morning pledged a monthly donation. When you’re ready to do the same, copy the above part of this post to your own social media page, then list your own choices. Let's share our commitments and our ideals with each other…the way we do with everything else in our lives. Let’s inspire each other, and learn about each other based on the organizations we choose; let’s build a community of donors who will, ideally, get this country back on track before it runs too far off the rails.
My 2 for 2020 monthly pledges go to:
Sierra Club. The GOP has long been chomping at the bit to privatize our national parks and landmarks, and auction them off to industry for development. I don’t want to see the Grand Canyon or the Everglades, or any of the other natural treasures that are this country’s most precious heritage, fall victim to greed and rapaciousness. And the Sierra Club has 120-plus years of advocacy on behalf of America’s natural heritage; they’re our best bulwark against this happening.
Southern Poverty Law Center. Since 1971, the SPLC has been leading the legal battle against white supremacist, nationalist and fascist hate groups. Since these are the very groups that have been most energized by the Trump presidency, the SPLC needs desperately to expand its scope and its resources. I’m only too happy to help.
So choose your two organizations. Go to their websites; join their ranks; commit to a monthly pledge. Don’t tell us the amount; that’s up to you. But make it as much as you can—and then make it a little more. If you start to feel hesitant or nervous about it, just remember who will soon be in the Oval Office. Make the sacrifice. FIGHT.
Then, the fun part—the social media angle. Announce your two new memberships to your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. Explain who they are, and why you’ve chosen to be a supporting member of each. Use the hashstag #2for2020.
Then share all your organizations' Facebook posts. Retweet all their tweets. Make them as regular a part of your social media activity as posts about your pets, or your meals, or your vacations (always using the #2for2020 hashtag). Encourage your friends and followers to do the same, with their own two choices.
If every one of us goes #2for2020, and inspires a few dozen of our social media contacts to follow suit, and they do likewise, and so on, exponentially—just think of the tremendous boost those organizations will get in terms of awareness, capabilities, and cash flow.
And think how ready we'll be for the next presidential election. Hell...think how ready we'll be for the midterms.
~~~~~~
I’ll start the ball rolling with my two choices, to whom I’ve just this morning pledged a monthly donation. When you’re ready to do the same, copy the above part of this post to your own social media page, then list your own choices. Let's share our commitments and our ideals with each other…the way we do with everything else in our lives. Let’s inspire each other, and learn about each other based on the organizations we choose; let’s build a community of donors who will, ideally, get this country back on track before it runs too far off the rails.
My 2 for 2020 monthly pledges go to:
Sierra Club. The GOP has long been chomping at the bit to privatize our national parks and landmarks, and auction them off to industry for development. I don’t want to see the Grand Canyon or the Everglades, or any of the other natural treasures that are this country’s most precious heritage, fall victim to greed and rapaciousness. And the Sierra Club has 120-plus years of advocacy on behalf of America’s natural heritage; they’re our best bulwark against this happening.
Southern Poverty Law Center. Since 1971, the SPLC has been leading the legal battle against white supremacist, nationalist and fascist hate groups. Since these are the very groups that have been most energized by the Trump presidency, the SPLC needs desperately to expand its scope and its resources. I’m only too happy to help.
