We've Been Here Before The ACLU is ready to take action the minute Trump takes the oath of office.
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"Put up or shut up."
That rather rude admonition occurred to me the other day as an apt metaphor for our times. Actually, it was delivered to me inadvertently and directly thanks to the United States Postal Service and social media.
The message in the mail was not a new one, but it took on new significance as I tried to gather my wits, stamina, confidence and faith in an unknowable universe to deal with four more years of Trumpian chaos. What can one guy with an iPhone, a bunch of opinions and some supportive readers do to fight a wave of ignorance, intolerance and incompetence washing across our country?
The mail held a couple of answers.
One virtually shouted at me: "We've Seen 105 Years and 19 Presidents. Trump's Gotta Get Past All of Us."
Right! I don't have to do this alone. Step aside, ego. I knew this, of course, but at that moment I seriously needed a reminder.
There are people who've been doing this a long time and know very well what they're doing. Plus, they're successful and they don't ever give up. The ACLU.
Yes, for the record, I'm already a card-carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union and, yes, I'll gladly renew. During Trump's first term, the advocacy group filed 434 legal challenges against his administration. It won many important battles.
Before Election Day 2024, it already had a plan in place, should Trump win, to fight his threatened mass deportation plan, provide legal aid to whistleblowers and those who oppose Trump's policies, protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people and protect the right to reproductive freedom. All Trump targets.
And they'll do it all in court at all levels of government and all with experienced lawyers. So yeah, I'll gladly put up a few bucks to help.
There was also mail from the SPLC, another group of initials dedicated to fighting for people's rights. The Southern Poverty Law Center was born in the civil rights movement and continues to fight for the rights of blacks (especially voting rights) across the South and, now, across the country. It has expanded its mission to fighting poverty, improving education and, notably, compiling a list of hate groups, state by state.
These groups, fed a steady diet of disinformation from far-right media that support Trump, represent a growing threat of violence against people of color, Jewish Americans, immigrants, LGBTQ+ and women. Again, all the people Trump targets when it suits his purpose.
The SPLC has had some growing pains and internal issues recently in shifting its focus from helping individuals victimized by injustice to fighting injustice on a national scale, but it shows no less dedication in its mission and, again, it has been doing this for some time.
Besides, the only other organization I can think of that might have compiled a list of hate groups state by state is the FBI and they don't send me their list in the mail. So, yes, I will trust the SPLC and gladly renew my membership and, again, put my money where my mouth is.
That's the "put up" part. The "shut up" part came via social media. I've been sharing my opinions on various issues in newspapers and on social media for more than four decades now. I'm used to criticism. I also know that I speak for a lot of people who haven't been given the privilege of opinionating publicly, as I have, or don't feel comfortable doing so.
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