Masters of our Destiny: A Game Plan for Managing our Political Future

Despair and resignation do not represent political strategies! Invoking the uplifting words of the William Ernest Henry from his poem, Invictus, however provides a personal way forward!

                    I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.

In creating a game plan that is designed to respond to the current political scene and places the individual activist, community organization and national agency at the center creates the impetus for action.

Employing a basic political toolkit represents the first step!

Educate Yourself and Others: Research the issues and engage in constructive conversations. Political engagement begins with this initial personal, first step!

Use Digital Platforms:  Become aware of the messaging on social media platforms that impact your issues and candidates. Identify petitions that you can support. Become familiar with fundraising initiatives and crowdfunding efforts on behalf of your candidates and causes.

Engage in Direct Action: Join protests and demonstrations that reflect your positions. Explore whether civil disobedience campaigns work for you. Understand the politics of the street, and how best to turn the public square into a valued base for action and attention.

Mobilize Voters and Get Out the Vote:  Assist with voter registration and voter turnout campaigns and endorse candidates who align with your views and values.

Get Involved in Local Organizations or Movements: Here, supporting local grassroots movements and organizing initiatives will be critical.

Engage in Lobbying and Political Advocacy: Study the issues and know the candidates. Learn the rules and strategies in connection with contacting and lobbying elected officials. Attend public forums, town hall meetings, and policy conferences.

Create Alternative Solutions: Become involved in your community with local food networks or mutual aid organizations, which embody the ideas and changes you want to promote. Write articles, op-eds, or policy briefs that outline concrete steps to address issues.

Become a Part of Coalition Networks: Partner with other organizations and movements to advance your common agenda.

Stay Persistent and Resilient: Understand that social change takes time and patience!

Protect our Democracy and the Elections Process:  In dealing with attempts to suppress voting rights, change election rules, or undermine the integrity of elections, join with other civic and political organizations in monitoring local, state, and federal efforts to undermine the rights of voters.

Support the “Flood the Zone” Just as this administration’s tactic involves implementing numerous policies rapidly, this can be countered through widespread resistance, involving lawsuits, legislation, and strategic defiance. Introducing counter organizing serves as a strategic reminder that the playing field has not been ceded to one side.

Moving Beyond: What’s Already Happening:

 From an array of sources, including political contacts, news-sources, and on-line representations, there exists an extraordinary set of initiatives under way designed to challenge and disrupt the Administration’s agenda.

Legal Challenges and Advocacy:

Strategic litigation: Organizations like the ACLU and Democracy Forward are actively pursuing lawsuits to challenge policies viewed as violating constitutional rights or exceeding presidential authority.

Litigation & Court Cases:   

There are at any given time, multiple judicial actions being organized. Here are a few such examples:

• 12 States have organized an effort to block the broad-sweeping tariffs from going into effect.
• 25 States and the District of Columbia, including Pennsylvania, have joined in a multistate lawsuitchallenging the Trump Administration’s decision to unlawfully withhold $7 billion in congressionally appropriated funding from the Department of Education, including $231 million in funding owed to Pennsylvania schools.
• 22 states and the District of Columbia have joined together to obtain a court order in connection with the Administration’s funding freeze of core programs and services.
• Over 170 Congressional representatives filed an amicus brief for NAACP v. US,arguing that President Trump’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education violates separation of powers and lacks constitutional authority.
• 200 Democrats in the House and Senate filed an amicus brief challenging President Trump’s sweeping and chaotic tariffs, arguing that they were unlawfully imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

For more information follow litigation tracker. Beyond the Tracker, take a look at the Democratic Response and Litigation Site.

Legislative Actions: While there are numerous legislative actions happening at any given time, here are three case examples:

• Members in both Houses have signed onto several bills and letters to protect Social Security, an earnedbenefit nearly 70 million Americans rely on. The ”Claws Off” Social Security Bill seeks to protect struggling seniors from President Trump’s Medicare and Social Security cuts.
• Democrats are sponsoring a bill to protect citizens from governmental officials accessing personal information.

• Details about the Protecting Sensitive Location Act and know your rights concerning ICE raids.

State-Level Actions:

Democratic governors and attorneys general are urged to implement state-level policies structured to defy federal initiatives, in such areas as protecting immigrants, expanding healthcare access, enforcing environmental standards, and forming interstate compacts on issues like climate change and data privacy.

Why is This Work a Jewish Responsibility?

The case for Jewish activism is aligned with the intent and messages of Torah:

Go out and observe what the people are doing

We can identify numerous Jewish texts that raise the expectation of Jewish activism and engagement.

Political organizing is deeply embedded in the history and experience of the Jewish people. Drawing upon the data below, we are able to make the case for Jewish activism:

American Jews are highly engaged in their communities and in civic life. When asked to reflect on their engagement in the past year – not a presidential election year – 72% of survey respondents reported voting in a national, state, or local election; 54% said they donated to or raised money for a nonprofit or political organization; and 46% signed a petition. When we asked respondents about their activities beyond the past year, the numbers rose significantly (90%, 69%, and 64%, respectively).

This is the time.  Our community represents a critical, essential voice in conversation around the issues before this nation. Should we fail to be present addressing these defining concerns, we will be letting down our families, our allies, and ultimately this democracy.