It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it. ~Vince Lombardi
Danger and deliverance make their advances together; and it is only in the last push that one or the other takes the lead. ~Thomas Paine
Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds. ~Larry Bird
Well, friend, here we are.
Two years ago we were hopeful that we’d have our first woman president; now we’re hopeful that we can wrench the country from the grasp of extremists, nationalists, and right-wing idealogues.
We’re hopeful that we can save our healthcare. We’re hopeful that we can make our schools safer. We’re hopeful that we can protect our national security. That we can restore America’s place as the shining city on a hill.
That our show of strength on election day will show the world that Trump’s America is as shifting and ephemeral as his hair on a windy day.
And that behind Trump’s smokescreen of bigotry and lies is the America the world has always aspired to; a nation built on a bedrock foundation of equality, and integrity, and promise.
In just one week, we’ll know whether we’ve been successful.
The stakes are impossibly high.
It’s enough to make even the calmest of us a little anxious.
But if you’ve been here for a while, you know that we’re all about taking action – especially when anxiety takes hold. We talk and vent and externally process together, of course. But that’s not enough. We’re the folks that stand up and do something – make a call, or send a card, or donate to a cause.
And that’s what will define this time.
Because this is a grassroots movement of doers. Doers like you.
People that roll up their sleeves and charge up their phones, knowing that when we all work together anything is possible. We don’t take “there’s no way that will work” for an answer, because we’ve seen the power of We the People. That’s a lesson we won’t soon forget.
And there’s nothing like seeing a sea of doers fanning out across the country, looking for last-minute actions to take, candidates to support, texts and calls and postcards to voters. I myself have doubled down in the past week, knowing that my own sanity on November 7 depends upon whether I can look myself in the eye and say “I did everything I could.”
Time is short.
But there’s still a week left – seven sunrises – to make a difference. What will you do with those crisp fall mornings? How will you put your stamp on these last seven days? How will you use these final frantic hours – the last few tick-tocks of the clock before we can work no more, and we sit to anxiously await the outcome?
As the election season swirls to a close, reporters and politicos have begun to talk about candidates’ “closing statements” – their last best argument before the election, meant to motivate and inspire and lead supporters to the polls – and perhaps change a mind or two in the process.
But this election, closing arguments aren’t reserved for politicians.
Each one of us has our own personal closing argument. We all have a reason that we care – something that drives us ever onward. That’s the “why” behind our work, and sharing it can be moving and motivating to others, just as it propels us forward.
This week, as the days slide into each other and we simultaenously wish for time to go faster and for it to slow down, remember your why. Tell your friends about it. Share with your bank teller (as I did this morning), your grocery store clerk, and the person that knocks on your door.
Don’t forget what got you here.
Don’t forget where we’re going.
The stakes are high.
Time is short.
Let’s get to work.
Actions
Tuesday: Last Chance for Postcards to Voters, and Send a Card to Your Senators Via Stampslicked
First, if you’d like to use your anxiety to crank out postcards to voters – we’re coming into the last few days! If you’re not sending postcards via your local candidates, you can reach out to Tony the Democrat and Postcards to Voters by e-mailing join@tonythedemocrat.org or texting HELLO to 1-484-ask-abby (1-484-275-2229).
Second, we’ve just endured a gut-wrenching week of violence and attempted assassinations. It’s so much to take in that I think we’ve collectively shut it out of our conscience until after the election. (Or perhaps that’s just me.)
But this is a good time to support local candidates who believe in – and will vote for – common sense gun reform. You can find out who those folks are by going to Moms Demand Action’s nifty tool here.
You can also remind your Senators that you support common sense gun reform by using a nifty service called Stamp Slicked to personally deliver a card to your Senators’ offices. They have pre-selected images for you to use – and their Stop Gun Violence card is perfect for this particular situation. https://stampslicked.org/stop-gun-violence You can also pick up the phone!
Script:
We have watched in horror as our government has refused to undertake common sense gun reforms that would make us all safer, while cloaking themselves in the constitution. Why is it that voting rights – also bestowed by the constitution – are ever-more severely restricted because of potential voter fraud, while Second Amendment rights are interpreted to mean we must permit people who are barred from boarding a plane to openly carry assault rifles? The American people have seen enough, and we’ve had enough. We demand change.
Wednesday: Text Away!
For those of you that spend quite a bit of time writing postcards, you might wonder what to do with those extra minutes once there are no more active postcard campaigns.
Why not try texting! It’s the same kind of personal voter-to-voter interaction and flexible schedule. Mobilize America has a really helpful list of a bunch of text banks and other remote opportunities. You can check that out here.
MoveOn has a great texting platform here My favorite thing about their platform is the level of online support they provide. If you’re new to texting, this is a great place to go because you can get as much or as little support as you want.
Thursday: Be an Election Protection Volunteer, or a Poll Worker/Election Judge
We all know that protecting the right to vote is critical right now. But did you know that you can actually be one of the people who ensures that the laws that are on your state’s books are actually followed and that no shenanigans happen at your precinct? It’s true!
Two kinds of opportunities here:
First, the “Election Protection Coalition is mobilizing thousands of volunteers to help our fellow Americans navigate the voting process and cast their votes without obstruction, confusion, or intimidation.” It’s nonpartisan, and really important.
Per the Protect the Vote’s site: “Volunteers commit to taking at least one Election Day shift to stand outside of assigned polling location after receiving training. You will distribute ‘Know Your Rights’ cards to voters, answer basic questions from voters at the polls, and help voters resolve any problems that occur, with the help of trained legal professionals.” Learn more and sign up at https://protectthevote.net
Volunteers with additional legal training (lawyers, paralegals, etc.) are encouraged to sign up via a sister site, here.
Second, you can be a Poll Worker/Election Judge for your local jurisdiction:
Right about now, jurisdictions across the country are looking for people to be election judges and poll workers. You can go to this resource to see if you qualify under your states statutes to work at the polls as an election judge. (Here’s the hyperlink for the State-by-State Compendium of Election Worker Laws and Statutes: https://www.eac.gov/assets/1/28/Compendium.2016.pdf).
Because I don’t know what jurisdiction you live in, I can’t give you the local contact for your election authority – but many election authorities are currently looking for volunteers, so don’t feel bashful about finding their info and reaching out. They need you!
In some states like Missouri, students between the ages of 15-17 can be “Youth Election Participants.” Some of the jurisdictions in which that program is active provide scholarships – others provide letters of recommendation for college. In any case, what a cool experience! You can learn more about Missouri’s program and where it’s available at the Missouri Secretary of State’s office at https://www.sos.mo.gov/pollworker/students.asp
Friday: Hubdial Key House and Governor Races
If you have ever phone banked by home (like I did for Hillary in 2016 while I stood over the stove making dinner) then you know the frustration of dialing and dialing and not getting anyone. Hubdialer is a great new tool that apparently eliminates that – and helps ensure that you actually spend your time talking to voters, not stirring spaghetti sauce and tapping your foot.
Democracy for America will “give you everything you need to get started talking to voters — the latest polling and breaking news, plus all of the information and tools you’ll need to make these urgent calls. All you need is your phone and a computer (or tablet / iPad / Kindle tablet) with internet access.”
Interested? Great! Head over to this link for the House: https://www2.democracyforamerica.com/events/dfadialer/2018house
Head over to this link if you want to call for key governor races: https://www2.democracyforamerica.com/events/dfadialer/2018gov
P.S.: Yes, I am indeed a copywriter! I take a limited number of clients, and with the political cycle ending, I’ll have some openings soon. Visit www.mhornish.com to learn more.
P.P.S.: If you want to help support this work (and help me “keep the lights on,” so to speak), you can do so via Patreon at
https://www.patreon.com/smalldeedsdone
or via paypal at
https://www.paypal.me/smalldeeds
My deepest gratitude in advance.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for writing. I read and respond to every e-mail. (Really! I really do!) We’re in this together.
If you want one more quick action, make someone’s day and send this pep talk to a friend or two.
If you’d like to sign up to get this pep talk and action list in your in-box each week, you can do that here. Welcome, friend!
Small Deeds Done 