Feeling Helpless During These Unprecedented Times? Same.
When I decided to write this article, I set out to pen “something Satanic”. Maybe what Satanism means to me or a thought-piece on Satanism in our daily lives. I quickly realized that I couldn’t think of anything other than the current state of our country. I couldn’t get my mind off Minnesota, the protesters, the innocent people being targeted, the murders happening before our eyes. I wanted to give up. But the more I sat with my feelings, the more I realized that these issues, and the movements against them, are inherently Satanic. I know I’m not alone in feeling helpless and scared, angry and directionless. It’s a difficult time to bear witness to, but we can take our feelings and use them to drive action and meaningful change. I turn to one of our tenants for guidance.
“One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards all creatures in accordance with reason.”
Our first tenant and one of the most important to keep at the forefront of our minds. When we go forth in the world, we must treat all creatures with kindness and consideration. This includes the people we disagree with. For when we approach others with curiosity instead of aggression, we hold the upper hand in the battle against ignorance. Remember that in an institution devoid of empathy, every act of love is an act of resistance.
I wanted to take time to share a few resources everyone can use if they are feeling helpless and want to know what they can do to make a difference. I encourage others to share any resources or local efforts they know about in our community.
5 Calls
An app that helps you contact your representatives to make your voice heard. You choose from a list of current issues, and they provide the numbers to call and a script of what to say.
The Majority Project
A movement through Signs of Justice, The Majority Project aims to flood Congress with postcards about issues that the majority of American’s agree on, including abortion rights, paths to citizenship, and trans rights protections. You purchase the number of cards you’d like to send, and they send the pre-printed cards to you – all you have to do is write the address! Physical mail piles up on desks and is less likely to be overlooked.
The Majority Project aims to send 12 million postcards to Congress.
No Kings Coalition
Organizers of the largest single-day, nonviolent protest in US history. The No Kings Coalition not only organizes protests – they also run seminars like Eyes on ICE, a virtual training that taught participants about their rights when documenting and recording law enforcement encounters.
You can sign up for their mailing list for regular updates on their events.
- Executive Editor Evelyn E.
