by Gwen R. and Jess B.
So, you’re all set for election defense!
You’re going to receive the call to mass mobilization because you’ve either joined the Red Line Alert signal group or signed the Bay Get Ready pledge. You’re primed to go all-in, understanding that we may be called to be out in the streets and/or to engage in economic noncooperation (no work, no school, no shopping) for as many days as it takes to force the regime to recognize the election results.
But have you thought through the practicalities of a week or more in which election defense is your number-one priority? Here are 8 practical tips to get you and your household ready.
- Clear your calendar as much as you can. Focus on the first two weeks in November, when the call is likely to come, but be aware that election sabotage could occur any time until the new Congress is seated. Reschedule your dentist appointment. Get your hair cut now. If your car needs service, take care of it now. Let friends and family know you may need to cancel plans.
- Stock up on pantry items and household essentials. You don’t want to find yourself needing to run to the store for toothpaste right in the middle of a mass mobilization or a week of “no shopping”!
- Prepare and freeze meals now. Imagine how glad you’ll be to have homemade soup on hand when you get home after a day in the streets! You’ll have more variety in your freezer if you find a cooking buddy to swap frozen meals with. Frozen pizza counts, too.
- Make a care plan for your kids. Perhaps you and some neighbors can make a temporary babysitting co-op so that parents can rotate who participates in the mass mobilization. Consider whether you will need a plan for your pets, too.
- Be ready for rain. Anticipating the exceptionally strong El Niño this year, you’ll want to have wet-weather gear and a good umbrella ready to go so rain won’t stop you from being out in the streets. If the people of Minneapolis could be out day after day when it was -20°F, we can manage a little rain! Hint: Foot warmers can be a lifesaver.
- Do your holiday shopping early. Election defense may coincide with the holiday shopping season. Withholding your participation in the economic activity of holiday gift-giving will be very powerful! Bonus: Do your holiday shopping at Honor Roll small businesses, which are standing up for free elections!
- Get some cash. If you do need to make any purchases during a period of economic noncooperation, paying in cash will make that economic activity less measurable than if you use a debit or credit card.
- Plan how you will resource yourself emotionally during this stressful period. We can’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but we can be sure that it will ask a lot of us. Many of us may feel strained and drained by the outrages committed by the regime, by having our routines interrupted, and by being out in the streets day after day. It’s good to think now about what practices and activities help you feel grounded when things are difficult. Write yourself a menu of emotional rescues that work for you, and keep it where you can refer to it easily. Consider what you might do to recharge if you have…
An hour. Ideas: Go for a short hike. Do some yoga. Call your sister. Take a nap. Work a jigsaw puzzle. Listen to music.
10 minutes. Ideas: Walk around the block. Meditate. Eat a farmer’s market apple. Pet your dog. Take a shower.
10 seconds. Ideas: Take a mindful breath. Look at the sky or a tree. Smile at someone. Yawn, stretch, or hum.
Let’s take these last couple of weeks before the election to get ourselves and our households ready for mass mobilization. Your future self will be very grateful for whatever you do now to prepare!
