Small Good Things
Remember back in 2018 when people were discussing activism burnout? I think I burned out somewhere in that last big fight to keep Planned Parenthood around. During that time (and still today), it felt like there was this enormous wall constructed entirely out of men who were making choices about body parts they do not own… and the lack of sense in it made me so tired. Men making legislation that affects uteruses? That’s like kangaroos making laws for koala bears about the consumption of the koala’s eucalyptus leaves.
I feel sad as I watch the midterm elections roll towards us. I want to be doing more, and certainly my friends are doing their part; going out and getting people registered to vote and helping candidates. I want to be doing more, but it’s as if I’m politically cocooning. I am so disheartened with our system.
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There’s a new book out that’s looking at the ethical repercussions for all of our decisions. I was looking for information on it because I’m working on a project on conscious consumerism, and I found that article. I agree that our individual actions barely make a dent in the face of capitalism, and that every purchase we make has a positive and negative impact on the world at large (read the article for some really interesting examples), though I still stand by the belief that some purchases actually are better than others. And while my single purchase won’t make a big difference, if everyone made similar choices, we actually could sway industries, one product at a time.
I mean, we can see this with Kevin Spacey’s new movie that made $126 on opening weekend. That’s it. $126. Because people didn’t financially support his movie and instead decided en masse to see either no movie or a different movie. See, it didn’t change the whole industry, but we coincidentally worked together to not support Spacey’s work and maybe he won’t get another film in the future.
But it wasn’t the information about the book and purchases that snuck under my skin from that article. It was this:
Your passport determines more than just access—it means you are the beneficiary, albeit abstractly, of actions you may not approve. Most of us, wherever we live, are funding wars or policies we disagree with. We can’t help but do wrong.
It doesn’t matter if you didn’t vote in these lawmakers; if you actively chose a different candidate. You are complicit in the current government’s actions because you pay taxes which funds the good and the bad. Even if you personally agree with your government, if there is another group in your country who disagrees with the government, you are harming them simply by voting in lawmakers who serve your needs. All the people unhappy under Obama count, even if I was happy under Obama.
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Where does this leave me? Gathering energy to get in there and do something before the election. To not look too hard at the news or my Facebook feed or the spaces that drain my hope. To make the best decisions I can and move forward.
That’s all any of us can do.
And the smallest step? Buy Elisa Camahort Page’s (yes, that one, from BlogHer) new book on how to be an activist. I trust that she has steps I can take to get back on track because she is awesome. (And I’m sure the other two writers are, too.)
3 comments
Democracy may suck but it’s better than the alternatives.
Also not everything is political. Not everything should be political. Positive change is not always political. It can be individual. It can be small.
It’s less likely to be harmful if it is small than if it is is huge (however well intentioned).
Like you, I have activism burnout. Every day, I see and hear things in the national news that make me angry, sad or disappointed.
I am coping with this by focusing my attention, energy and money on local issues and local candidates, where I feel that the actions I take have a more immediate impact. That’s not to say that I won’t call my senator/Rep., sign a petition or vote in an election with national candidates on the ballot. It just means that those things will not be my primary focus.
I have a post in my draft folder that touches on some of this. Mainly I’m burnt out from the media (both sides are guilty of pushing extremes, even though we do have an added issue of a president that is actively engaging in censorship), but activism is on my list too. There’s a lot up in the air at the moment do to the massive tear-down that is happening. It is beyond exhausting.
Like Sharon, my focus has been on local candidates and endeavors. I have a few key issues that get my attention and money. But I’ve also been wondering about what really is important vs. what’s been hyped up. Women’s issues are absolutely important, but I’ve also been looking at how certain things have been presented (I just got screamed at about how 24 hr childcare should be a universal given and how I was doing the movement a disservice by staying at home with my kids) and how things may not be as black-and-white as so many present them as. After all, we know there are many who support the pro-life movement who have abortions, but their thinking is rarely challenged in a way to understand it (usually it’s done through attacking) in order to understand the grey.
Now you’ve got me thinking more about finishing that jumbled post . . . .