What Can I Do? LEARN

Okay, now . . . so, you’re fed up with the way things are. You’re fed up with Trump’s tweets, tax cuts for the rich, education and healthcare for nobody BUT the rich, potholes in the streets, cell phone zombies on the sidewalks, rolling bottles and chicken bones on the floor of the CTA, innocent people gunned down day after day in the same two Chicago neighborhoods.

Whadaya Gonna Do About It?

That’s the question, right? People ask me this all the time. They see my Facebook posts, about this or that injustice, and they get riled up. “What can I do?” they ask. I tell them what I’m about to tell you now.

You CAN make a difference. It requires time and effort. It doesn’t require money. Just time and effort. And 90% of the people who express their frustrations to me DON’T do a thing. And I’m not even talking about a lot of time and effort. Just consistency. A little bit every day.

Reminds me of the many people over the years who, upon finding out that I’m a writer, say, “You’re a writer? Oh, have I got a story for you!” And I say, “Have you got any money?” And they say, “No, but you can write it and sell it to Hollywood, and I’ll give you a cut.” And I say, “Why don’t you write it?” And they say, “Because I’m not a writer.” And I say, “And I’m not your fairy godmother!”

But I’m getting off track here. What are YOU going to do about YOUR political frustrations? I’m already working on mine. And I’m content with my efforts. But if you truly wanna make a difference, here’s what you do. It’s essentially a two-part process: learn; then get involved.

Learn

Across the top of every page on this website, you’ll find the Resources tab in the navigation bar. Click on that and you’ll find all you need in order to become an asshole with a qualified opinion. It’s the qualification that makes all the difference.

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They say to me, “You’re a writer? Oh, have I got a story for you!” And I say, “Why don’t YOU write it?” And they say, “Because I’m not a writer.” And I say, “And I’m not your fairy godmother!”

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Let’s start with the books. And let’s start with a little context. I mean, a lotta context. Let’s go all the way back to Christopher Columbus — that scalawag, that cutthroat, that bringer of slavery and diseases. Remember all that stuff they taught us in school, about the discovery of America, and Manifest Destiny? Well, they only taught us the good stuff. And they left out a whole lotta bad stuff.

Remember that stuff about “all men are created equal,” and, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses”? Well, there hasn’t been a time in American history when one group didn’t think they were better than another. There’s always one group putting down another. Claiming to be more American than the other. Claiming to be more Christian. More human. More deserving of opportunity. A level playing field doesn’t look level to them. It looks skewed in favor of the wretched refuse, the homeless, and the tempest-tossed.