Taking action after the Trump election

by Mary Ann McGivern

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Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or in other words, of the Church's mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation. (Justice in the World, 1971).

I am an activist. My worst experiences are of feeling trapped and unable to act. So in the wake of the Trump election, I keep thinking about ways to take action. Here's what I've got so far.

  • Travel to Standing Rock and risk arrest, joining the effort to stop the pipeline across Sioux territory and underneath the Missouri River. The Nation ran an article, "7 Things You Can Do to Help Fight the Dakota Access Pipeline." I can't travel until the week of Thanksgiving and I'm not sure I'd be useful, but I'm seriously considering making the trip.
  • Support my candidate for mayor of St. Louis, Antonio French. The election is in March. I'm planning a house party soon, plus volunteering in the office and making phone calls. He's black, so I'm working to introduce him to the white community.
  • Help build a network of shelters for undocumented immigrants, particularly those brought here as children who registered in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. These persons are hanging fruit for deportation since Immigration Customs and Enforcement knows where they live.

That's all I've got so far. What have you got?

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