What to do next
Poet and memoirist Carolyn Forché said on November 7, 2024, “We are going soon to be living under a different form of government entirely. Be careful, beginning now, about sharing your activities. Guard your networks and circles. Confidentiality is everything. Protect the vulnerable… Prepare, and know that we are living in a different world, perhaps altogether.”
As Americans, we have work to do. To that end, reading Democracy is not over by Tom Nichols gave me encouragement:
For a decade, Trump has been trying to destroy America’s constitutional order. His election in 2016 was something like a prank gone very wrong, and he likely never expected to win. But once in office, he and his administration became a rocket sled of corruption, chaos, and sedition. Trump’s lawlessness finally caught up with him after he was forced from office by the electorate. He knew that his only hope was to return to the presidency and destroy the last instruments of accountability.
Paradoxically, however, Trump’s reckless venality is a reason for hope. Trump has the soul of a fascist but the mind of a disordered child. He will likely be surrounded by terrible but incompetent people. All of them can be beaten: in court, in Congress, in statehouses around the nation, and in the public arena. America is a federal republic, and the states—at least those in the union that will still care about democracy—have ways to protect their citizens from a rogue president. Nothing is inevitable, and democracy will not fall overnight.
. . . if there was ever a time to exercise the American right of free assembly, it is now—not least because Trump is determined to end such rights and silence his opponents. Americans must stay engaged and make their voices heard at every turn. They (we) should find and support organizations and institutions committed to American democracy, and especially those determined to fight Trump in the courts. They (we) must encourage candidates in the coming 2026 elections who will oppose Trump’s plans and challenge his legislative enablers.
The kinds of actions that will stop Trump from destroying America in 2025 are the same ones that stopped many of his plans the first time around. They are not flashy, and they will require sustained attention, because the next battles for democracy will be fought by lawyers and legislators, in Washington and in every state capitol. They will be fought by citizens banding together in associations and movements to rouse others from the sleepwalk that has led America into this moment.
Do not let him back in your head
Eugene Robinson says to deal with the reality of Trump being in the White House by not letting the former president own your head:
That advice reminded of a visit to our friends in New Mexico during Trump’s presidency in 2019. They did not use his name. They did not watch him or listen to him on TV. They didn’t stick their heads in the sand, but they didn’t consider him worth their time or focus. They put their energy elsewhere. I admired that.
Do not let yourself be dazed
Friend and fellow poet Jessica L. Walsh said: Middle fingers up. Onward. Combat boots aren’t made for pouting.
Remember these words from Eric Hoffer, “In a modern society people can live without hope only when kept dazed and out of breath by incessant hustling.”
Do not let yourself be dazed.
Lovely words from my writer friend Dorene O’Brien, author of What it Might Feel Like Loving Hope:
Keep looking up, my friends, you are my beloved.
Sometimes the beauty and the ugliness collide,
but we shall still be here in the morning.
Author Susan E. Wadds, What the Living Do, shared these words and the following poem with her students:
We go on with our lives, not in denial but with intention and presence. What is needed is radical optimism, clarity of vision, and above all, kindness. That is the work to be done.
Do not let yourself be dazed. Here’s a beautiful poem about finding sustenance from Wendell Berry:
I reduced the amount of time I spend watching cable news and stick to neutral news sources such as The Guardian or Associated Press. In the car, I listen to the Chill station on Sirius XM. I read fiction or poetry before turning out the light at night.
Worthy causes I support are ACLU; reproductive rights groups such as National Women’s Law Center and Planned Parenthood; gun reform organizations such as Moms Demand Action and Alliance for Gun Responsibility; and climate change groups such as UN Sustainable Developmental Goals and The Environmental Protection Network.
There’s work to do. Do not let yourself be dazed.
Thank you for visiting.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist
Books: In the Context of Love | Gordy and the Ghost Crab | Sleepwalker
New novel, Love and Other Incurable Ailments, coming fall 2026 from Regal House Publishing
Connect with Linda on social media: LinkTree
Good advice!
Fantastic post, Linda! Energizing and calming at the same time. Thank you!
Thank you. We need to stay focused!