Politics for the non Political and How to Help
Hi guys. This might end up being kind of ranty but it's something I've been thinking about since the election.
The election to me felt like a big wakeup call. I don't want to spark discussion on the election or America's president elect. I'm aware that not everyone feels this way, but in my own view, the election was a big wakeup call for me. I'm not a very political person. Frankly, politics is very difficult for me to follow. And I always feel the burden of choice when I do understand a facet. I feel like if I get involved in one small part, I'm necessarily valuing that thing over other things, when maybe other things are way more important, but I just wasn't able to understand it to the same extent.
So for a long time I stayed out of politics entirely. But after the election, although I still do not feel passionate or knowledgable on politics I do feel like I have an obligation to get involved.
I'm a very privileged person in a lot of ways, but I don't currently have an income (with which to donate to charities), and I feel like my brain problems (learning disabilities + anxiety/depression and possibly undiagnosed attention problems or something) makes it very difficult for me to engage in politics or understand it. I feel frustrated with myself because I feel like I should be doing more, but I don't know what more I should be doing, or don't understand how to do it.
I know there's protests, but I feel really uncomfortable at events like that both because of the crowds/loud noises but also because of feeling like an outsider in those communities. The last time I went to a protest the whole time I just felt like a fake activist for showing up even though I'm so rarely involved in politics. Besides that, it's so difficult for me to discern what protests are good and useful and what protests are totally useless. I've seen some videos of trump protests with people laughing and playing music and it just looked like a big party and I feel like protests like that would just make me feel uncomfortable. Then there's the controversial protests with people blocking traffic or rioting and honestly I really don't know whether those things are productive or not. (again, not trying to spark a debate on this; I've heard both sides of the argument and really don't know who's right)
There's phone calls to my representative and congress and stuff, but my phone anxiety is bad and a lot of the time I don't really understand what we're supposed to be calling about. The last time I called the receptionist could even tell that I was reading a script and told me to just email them, which was a huge blow to my confidence in doing this...
I can't really budget for charity since I don't have an income at this point. I can donate a little bit out of my savings, but not any real significant ammount... And even then it's so hard to know who to donate to. There's already too many organizations that I feel like I should be donating to for the small ammount I feel comfortable donating, and then there are issues that I feel like I should be donating to but don't know of any good organizations to donate to over it.
Honestly I don't even know how to get educated? Like, what news sources are good to read and which are bad.
I guess I mostly feel really frustrated because with all the privilege I have, getting involved politically still feels like an insurmountable task, especially while balancing getting my life in order and starting a carreer.
Does anyone else have this dillema?
@anxiousApricot - I think it can definitely be hard to find the place that you feel comfortable jumping in and also like you're making a difference, but a great first step is where you're at right now - recognizing you want to do something and reaching out to find some ideas.
One thing that I think is really important is figuring out what is and isn't possible for you. If you try to force yourself to do a million things that are way out of your comfort zone, they're not likely to last. But finding a couple small ways to contribute can add up to much more. For instance, if phone calls are too much, then maybe emails to your representatives and signing petitions will feel like a more manageable step. If protests feel uncomfortable, perhaps showing you support them in other ways, like getting a 'safe space' sticker for your laptop or putting a safety pin on your bag so that people can identify you as an ally.
I find doing some google seaching on small ways to help can be great. One thing I found is an app called RefugeRestrooms where you add information about trans* friendly or unisex bathrooms so that trans* folks who are struggling to find a safe one can use it as a resource. It takes just about 2 minutes to add one and no interaction with anyone else, but helps people feel safer and more comfortable. Finding other similar things can make a big difference.
And if you're not able to donate money (totally understandable!) you can think about things like giving time instead of money (you can email a local charity you're passionate about and ask if they need help) or focusing on where your money is going and working to support brands who share your ideals and not giving money to those that support causes you oppose.
Hope that's helpful! I think a bit of digging online might be able to provide more tangible ideas for how to engage in ways that feel comfortable for you! Good luck!