Editing What Can I Do

[[Category:Stories]]
I see people ask "what can I do?" occasionally on the Internet. It is a question best seen as a sincere request for ideas.

Some options:

* **Leave:** I'm moving to France, denying them my skilled labor and their influence over my freedom of expression. It's hard. My people, my life; gone. Starting from scratch in my 50s. Do it anyway, unless it is impossible.
* **Boycott:** Every purchase from an American company should make you stop and question it. Shut down your streaming. Stop using Gmail. Switch to Canadian whiskey (it's better than bourbon anyway).
* **Reduce Consumption:** The rich only care about money. Keep your pennies out of their hands. Learn to cook, cook for your friends instead of going to bars and restaurants. Go to the library, the park, or see a lecture at the university.
* **Learn:** Choose your own adventure; first aid, tactics, chemistry; there are lots of options. Learning is always good, even if it (hopefully) is never necessary.
* **Influence:** Tell others how to resist. Teach them what you learn. Show others who feel what you are feeling right now that it is possible to take small steps toward something better.
* **Drill Together:** Put together a group of people to go to the park on Saturday morning and march in formation with broom handles. Do a half hour of calisthenics. Sing patriotic resistance songs like "This Land Is Your Land" and "Killing In The Name." Show people they are not alone.
* **Be Ready:** Hopefully none of this will ever be necessary. But if things go bad, they might go bad suddenly. Each thing you do now is a thing you will be glad you did.
* **Consider History:** Learn about the Maquis. See if your library has a "A French Village" on streaming. Read "They Thought They Were Free."

Start small, it only takes a spark, spread some embers. Do a little thing each day, and when you are ready to rest each night, you can reflect on the fact that you are one small step closer to your goal.