I’ll admit it; I’m a late bloomer to the political involvement & social justice movements. Sure, I cared, read the news, and argued my opinions with friends, but I never actually took the proactive steps to get involved.
But then, I started to Tweet, and Tweet often about the wide range of issues with this country and world today. The Tweeting was fun, especially with the latest GIF, but then the followers (okay, my friends & family) started lambasting me with the “Stop Tweeting and do something about it.” Initially, I’d go with my favorite response “Yeah, but I love talking and schmoozing” or some variation about digital discourse. They started to respond with “🙄” and then ____ (that’s right, getting ignored). So I realized how cheap, effortless talk is today. It’s the bane of the social media era, we (myself included) believe our long Facebook posts that always start with “I usually don’t post about politics but…” will create the change we want. It’s the classic, instant gratification seeking Millennial belief that will actually get us nowhere, I’ve now come to realize.
This realization led to me joining the Women’s March on Saturday (probably my first ever march) in the pouring rain, chanting, protesting, singing, yelling with hundreds of thousands of people — one of the most profound human experiences of my life. It became addicting to join these passionate people fighting for what they (and now we) believe in. I’m hooked, addicted, and ready to keep the momentum. I even signed up to join Swing Left, an organization focused on communicating with people in swing districts. So not only do I get to volunteer, I still get to schmooze with people who disagree with me — jackpot. Who would have thought I’d be able to use words as my weapon?
I always thought getting involved in politics and social causes would be this huge operation I’d have to plan months, if not years, in advance. Nope, it’s actually a few clicks, one hashtag, and two events away from getting real.
I’m tired of seeing how fucked up our government is. I’m sick of common sense “issues” still getting debated. I’m sick of Tweeting, but not doing.
I’m.
Harrison Forman 