Get in Your Lane
The invasion of U.S. cities by federal agents is a terrifying and disorienting experience. Announcing plans to invade one city but attacking others in different parts of the country compounds the feeling of being constantly on guard everywhere. Instilling fear in all of us is what they want.
What they’re finding out, though, is that we’re not afraid to fight back to protect our neighbors and communities.
With the randomness of the government’s tactics, a lot of people are wondering how they can help protect their own communities or support others, and how to be prepared for anything. One frequent piece of advice that seasoned activists give is to get in your lane.
What does that mean?
We all kind of have a fantasy that we need to be the superhero that makes all the difference – out in the streets tossing ICE vehicles out of the way and decimating the bad guys in one blow – but the truth is that it’s mostly in doing the things that we already know how to do that we can make the biggest difference.
So what are you good at?
What do you do for a living or as a hobby? It might seem like an accountant wouldn’t have skills immediately necessary, but there are non-profits that could use your volunteer experience. Same with logistics, marketing, general office help and more. Medical professionals can help advise on nutritional needs, realtors can help pinpoint little-known areas of need. Some other ideas:
- Are you an avid cyclist? Take inspiration from the cyclists in Chicago who ride to tamale vendors to buy them out and then give the food to hungry people.
- Preschool teacher? Volunteer to watch children at protests or other events, or organize a family-friendly fundraiser for a local food bank or other charity.
- Artist? Make promotional materials for demonstrations and fundraisers, or public art to express the experience in your location. Donate special pieces for charity raffles to help raise money.
- Business owner? Dedicate one day a week to donating a percentage of profits to a charity that provides help to immigrants.
- Are you one of those people who knows everyone in town? Connect people together! If you know of a person or group looking for help with something special, introduce them to someone else you know who could fulfill their need.
Whatever it is you’re good at, don’t try and re-invent the wheel. Look for what other people are doing and ask what skills you have that could add to their effort. You already possess the talents necessary to contribute to the cause, you just have to pinpoint what those skills are and the best place for you to offer those skills.
Want to do something that isn’t your day job?
There are a lot of great resources to help you find the right fit for you in this fight.
- Start by reading The Good Trouble Checklist, by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, which has a ton of ideas for ways to protect your community and fight fascism.
- One of the resources she links will help you decide which role playing game style hero you can be.
- Archivist is one of the character classes listed and is arguably one of the most necessary heroes we need in this time of history re-writing and book banning.
- Community Leader is one that many people may not feel they can play, but if you know people that you can connect people to others who could help them with a specific need, you can play that role.
- Obstruction is one that many people in cities under invasion have played – slowing down the enemy, throwing sand in the gears, we can all do that to one extent or another. Whistles have ended up being a great form of obstruction, in Chicago and elsewhere.
Remember that “not all heroes wear capes” is a real thing. In fact, most heroes don’t wear capes.
Next, Find Your People, check out Actions Anywhere for some ideas on where you can pitch in, or look into some Online Resources.