Do something to save our country (beyond postcards)

Do you want this country to move forward or go backward?

This woman-owned business owner urges each one of you to get involved in this election in a bigger way than ever before, especially if you’re white like me (2016 was on white people). As Michelle Obama said, “DO SOMETHING.”

The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been, with Project 2025 looming over us.

• Do something so a woman who is miscarrying can get life-saving medical care.
• Do something so Black, brown, and other people of color get treated respectfully and fairly.
• Do something so LBGTQIA+ folks’ rights and lives are protected.
• Do something so immigrants can become citizens and no children are put in cages apart from their parents.
• Do something so single, childless people are treated just as respectfully as people with children.
• Do something so our president will be a defender of democracy instead of a convicted felon, rapist, liar, and cheater.
• Do something so the USA will be respected around the world instead of ridiculed.
• Do something to stop the slaughter in Palestine and curtail anti-Semitism.
• Do something so we can mitigate climate change.
• Do something for the middle class, working people, and small businesses instead of for billionaires and corporations.
• Do something to stop the epidemic of gun violence.
• Do something so our children of all races, religions, and backgrounds have leaders to look up to and emulate.

Harris and Walz have galloped ahead in most categories (Black, Hispanic, women, and young voters), but Trump has gained significantly with white men (from +13 points before the convention to +21 points now).

Seriously, white guys? You’re that terrified of a Black woman president? It’s the last grasp of a dwindling dominant group. (White men are 30% of the U.S. population, yet still hold 62% of elected offices.)

Thanks to our slavery-era, screwed-up electoral college, the election will be decided in just a few states. That’s why it’s critical for us to do everything we can to get out the vote.

And we need to do much more than sending postcards.

I’ve sent hundreds of postcards and spent hours text banking because I live in a blue state. It’s convenient and safe. But this year I’m embracing what scares me, and you should too. We need to make sure people are registered and have a voting plan.

Robyn Donaldson, J.D., a political strategist and activist who worked for the Obamas, Stacy Abrams, and Jon Osoff sends wakeup calls on her social media. She urges people to stop promoting postcard writing programs and opt for programs with voter contact (callers, knockers, event hosts, voter protection).

“NO ONE from the DNC nor Harris Campaign are ASKING for postcard writers!!!! We only have 62 days!!!! Please encourage people to get trained, activated, and ready to ID our supporters, PERSUADE, help with voter protection, and get out the vote! Postcards are only meant for people who can’t do nothing else."

As Robyn points out, you can’t track accurate data from postcards or engage with voters. A Michigan state senator pointed out that we’d get more bang for our buck if national postcard writing programs donated the money they’re spending on stamps and cards to open offices in battleground states and pay staffers.

When Robyn encouraged me to do something NEW this election, I signed up to phone bank with Stand Up For Racial Justice. I was terrified, but it was a positive experience calling voters in Wisconsin. SURJ provided training, live coaching, and inspiring connections with other volunteers. I’ve signed up to do at least three more evenings in the next few weeks.

Will you join us to save our democracy?

Phone bank, knock on doors, donate, make sure everyone you know has a voting plan. If you don’t know how to volunteer, contact me and I’ll get you connected. Let’s DO SOMETHING together!

“This is our time to stand up...not just for our basic freedoms, but for decency and humanity…It’s up to us to remember what Kamala’s mother told her: Don’t just sit around and complain, do something…We cannot afford for anyone in America to sit on their hands and wait to be called…You know what you need to do. So consider this to be your official ask. Michelle Obama is asking you — no, I’m telling y’all — to do something.”

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I help professional services firms and organizations avoid BORING and boost employee engagement, productivity, and readership. I translate technical, complex, and lackluster language into accessible, dynamic, story-driven text.

Fertile Ground Communications LLC?is a certified woman-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.