All is not lost, and we can all play a part (no matter how small it may feel at the time). Nobody’s expecting you to storm the Bastille, you can do a lot of good by just living in an intentional way.
Vote with your dollars
Being educated about the recipients of your spending, and adjusting your spending habits accordingly is one of the simplest ways to help the “good guys” on a regular basis.
Goods Unite Us — before you spend money with a company, find out who they’re giving money to.
Voting with Your Dollars: Grocery Stores — by Denise Conroy, a deep dive into the political leanings of grocery stores.
Resist and Unsubscribe — a new initiative to push back against the tech companies that have an outsized influence on the economy and our president. The Bulwark goes a bit broader in their explanation of this effort.
Rethink your social media
Social media titans are trying to sunset democracy, and they’re monetizing your data to do it.
I’d recommend you get off X (Twitter) entirely, and get off Meta (Facebook / Instagram) or at least make your presence there non-lucrative for Mark Z. Wilbur Turner has a good set of recommendations, while EFF has a somewhat more-detailed list.
Bluesky is a much healthier social media alternative. I’ve listed some good starting accounts over on the “Staying Informed” page.
Share your concerns with your Senators / Representative
It’s easy to do, and we’ve got a whole page of information on the subject.
Send some postcards
Do this from home, starting with a kit from the Blue Wave Postcard Movement.
Support allies
Littleton Social Cycle — a passionate community of casual bikers in Littleton
Vibrant Littleton — group that wants more convenient and connected communities that are walking and rolling friendly. Holds meetings every Friday morning at 8am at Born2Bake.
WIMPS (Working for Inclusive Municipal Policies and Systems) — working for sustainable and equitable change in our Littleton community and promote and support organizations that mirror our values of a more diverse, inclusive, and vibrant Littleton.
Indivisible — a nationwide movement of millions of people working to stop the rise of authoritarianism in the United States and to demand a real democracy. They have multiple chapters in the south Denver metro area — the Littleton one is likely the nearest for most, check out their events calendar.
50501 — if you need a little fresh air, maybe a protest is just what the doctor ordered. They have a Colorado group — check out their site, and events calendar (lots to do!).
ACLU Colorado — local chapter of “the granddaddy” of civil rights organizations
VoteVets — elevating the voices of veterans
Veterans Fighting Fascism — a nonprofit led by, and mostly consisting of veterans (with plenty of civilian supporters, though). Lots of good resources here…
Public Citizen — a non-profit consumer advocacy organization. Offers weekly petitions to sign, among other things.
AltNPS — the Alt National Park Service, a grassroots movement dedicated to preserving the mission of national parks, especially in periods of policy uncertainty.
Democracy Forward — a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education, and regulatory engagement.
AU — Americans United for Separation of Church and State
SPLC — Southern Poverty Law Center
NRDC — Natural Resources Defense Council
EarthJustice — a non-profit law firm, helping to defend the environment
More thoughts
Robert Reich has his own list of suggestions on Substack.
Indivisible: A Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink (free PDF), produced by Indivisible.org.
Fill out a FOIA request for all your data that DOGE has collected.