Dietrich Bonhoeffer Window
A stained glass window of Dietrich Bonhoeffer at Johannes Basilikum in Berlin commemorates the pastor was martyred for standing against the Nazi regime. (Wikimedia Commons Photo CC by SA 2.0 License).
That Trump won the election was such a shock that I had physical symptoms. I couldn't believe it. But I couldn't breathe normally. It was bad. But I took to Facebook when I noticed that despite all the TV reports about massive turnouts at polling places, the total votes for each side were ten million below the 2020 totals. How could that be?
Then Nov. 6, MSNBC began suggesting how to respond so that Trump and friends would have a hard time going autocratic. Here are some of their suggestions:
One, contact friends who are as concerned as you. You are not alone. And neither are they. Let them know you are there to commiserate, to observe what is going on, to listen to one another's concerns, to listen to one another's ideas about acting, and even to go together to act.
Two, join a group. It can be for any purpose and it does not have to focus on potential problems. Don't be alone.
Three, consider joining an action group like the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, Black Lives Matter, or any other that has legal resources. They will also have options for you to consider that could be meaningful help you can provide or that could help you.
Anne Frank
Public Domain Image/Wikimedia
I'd like to add another suggestion: Read. One fascinating book about a woman who stood up to Hitler is"All the Frequent Troubles of Our Day" by Rebecca Donner. "The Diary of Anne Frank" and and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "Letters and Papers from Prison" could go on your reading list.
These are some ways we can provide guardrails to minimize autocratic tendencies.
If nothing else, know I'm here and I'll do my best to be here for you. That may not be much but we'll muddle through together.
The Rev. Jerry Eckert is a retired clergy member of the Wisconsin Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. This post is republished with the author's permission from his Facebook page.