Michael Skolnik: Want To Resist Trump? 12 Things To Do This Week

aNewDomain –When the House Republicans attempted to gut the Congressional Office of Ethics this week, it wasn’t a tweet from Donald Trump that made them reverse course.

What swung them were the huge numbers of Americans who flooded them with hundreds of thousands of calls.

That is what real opposition looks like.

If you want to resist US president-elect Donald Trump, his policies, appointees or supporters in Congress, you need to think the same way. It’s not enough just to argue ideas down, either. A huge part of mounting a true opposition is advocating for better solutions than what the other side has to offer.

So if you’re serious about resisting Trump, here are 12 actions you can take this week — and you can do all of them from the screen you’re gazing at right now.

Ed: To subscribe to Skolnik’s list, head here.

Watch Pres. Obama’s Jan. 10 farewell speech online

I know we don’t all feel ready for this. Believe me, I know. But on Tuesday, Jan. 10, in Chicago, Obama will give his farewell speech.

Watch it. And gather your like-minded friends, family and neighbors to witness this historic moment. As we enter the Trump age, it’s critical to remind ourselves all we have achieved together over the past eight years — and to celebrate that.

Also: The White House is asking for people to share their #YesWeCan moments.

Can you think of a moment that inspired you, for instance, to care about climate change? Or health care? Try to recall any action the President took on an issue you care about, anything that made you want to make your own voice heard, take action or even become an advocate in your own community?

If so, take a moment to share it — either on the White House’s farewell website or on your social media channels using the #YesWeCan.

Then tune in here to watch the President’s Farewell Address on January 10, 2017.

Take The People’s Climate Pledge

The organizers of the People’s Climate March are putting together a major march on April 29 and they want you plug in.

It’s easy enough to do. Just sign up here to take the pledge to resist Trump’s first 100 days and beyond!

Save Obamacare

As lawmakers intent on killing Obamacare return to work it’s time for us to get to work, too. This fight is about to get real.

On Wednesday, President Obama met with Congressional Democrats to discuss the path forward.

Just like we did when lawmakers tried to gut the Congressional Office of Ethics, Americans must make their voices heard.

READ: Donald Trump and Friends: A Reptilian Tale

The Center for American Progress is collecting the stories of those who would be personally impacted by repeal to make sure they are a part of the conversation across the country in the upcoming fight. Share your story here.

When measures to kill or paralyze the ACA hit to the floor, we’ll have more guidance on how you flood lawmakers’ phone lines with your views on saving ACA.

Share Sen. Cory Booker’s New Year’s Video

On his first day back at work this week, Sen. Booker (D-NJ) released a power video asking the American people to join “the fight” for social justice, women’s rights and religious freedoms against the hateful rhetoric that characterized the Trump campaign on all fronts.

Watch it here if you haven’t already seen it. Then retweet it on Twitter — and share it on Facebook, too. Can’t hurt.

Oppose Sen. Jeff Sessions for Attorney General

One of the first cabinet confirmation hearings (Jan. 11)will be for Sen. Sessions (R-AL), Trump’s nominee to the powerful Attorney General post.

As sworn testimony reveals, Mr. Sessions has in the past referred to the N.A.A.C.P. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as “un-American” and “Communist inspired.” He once joked that he thought the Ku Klux Klan was “okay” until he discovered some of its members smoked pot. And he has accused a white attorney who supported voting rights of being “a race traitor.”

On Tuesday, NAACP president Cornell Brooks and other members of the organization were arrested while non-violently protesting Sessions’ nomination in his Mobile, Al. office. The same day, some 1,100 law school professors wrote a letter to Congress urging them to reject Sessions. You should, too.

READ: Why Sen. Jeff Sessions Is Trump’s Big Flip-Off to Legal Weed

Now is the time to put pressure on three Republican Senators who sit on the Judiciary Committee to oppose the nomination of Jeff Sessions for Attorney General. If you are a constituent, or if you know people who are, call them to let them know you oppose the nomination and that all Americans expect a thorough set of hearings. Here’s your phone list:

Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ): (202) 224–4521
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC): (202) 224–5972
Senator Michael S. Lee (R-UT): (202) 224–5444

Watch and share Humanity for Progress’ #StandUpForUs video

A new video from my dear friends at Humanity For Progress, #StandUpForUS asks members of Congress to obstruct Trump and remember the MAJORITY of Americans who did NOT vote for xenophobia, racism, and misogyny.

The video features Steve Buscemi, Lea DeLaria, Sally Field, Tavi Gevinson, Zoe Kazan, Keegan-Michael Key, Jeffrey Wright, Rosie Perez and many others. Click here to watch and share. You also can watch it on YouTube, below.

Grab this free action planner. It’s good

Illustrator Esther Loopstra teamed up with writer and activist Erica Sklar to create a free template and resource list. There’s a handy spot to write down the names of your representatives, options for weekly, monthly, and annual actions, plus links to some of their favorite resources.

This action planner is super well done. Trust me, you want to download this.

Follow Ana Navarro and Evan McMullin on Twitter

There is a growing opposition on the right to Trumpland, and it is being led by Ana Navarro and Evan McMullin. Follow them on Twitter and amplify their resistance. Whether right or left, there is one sane side here.

Help Ryant Washington flip the Virginia State Senate

Washington is a veteran law enforcement official who vows to fight for the Affordable Care Act, voter protection, and a fair economy. He’s fighting to flip Virginia’s 22nd district and the Virginia State Senate from Red to Blue in so doing.

Voters can acknowledge Washington’s efforts in a special state election to be held Jan. 10, 2017. Donate and/or get involved in this critical local election.

And support “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon’s Action Group Network

In the end, of course, all politics are local. and that is why Willimon says he started the Action Group Network, which makes it easy for any American to create a small, local Trump resistance group in their own backyard.

A group of 10 to 50 people organized by location, issue or profession, an action group works toward concrete actions important to them on a hyper-local basis. Each group decides for itself what actions it will work on and how. Typical action goals might include working on a local election, fundraising for a larger organization, letter and phone-banking campaigns and so on.

Attend, promote or donate to The Women’s March on Jan. 21 in Washington

Over 160,000 people have already committed to joining this historic march on January 21st in Washington, DC.

This inclusive march is free to join and men are welcome to join, too. Sign up here on its Facebook here! And if you can’t attend, consider donating a bit of cash at the Crowdrise site.

This week’s giving links are …

Every week we highlight different organizations doing amazing work that could still use our financial support. Here’s this week list:

Women’s March: https://www.crowdrise.com/womens-march-on-washington
Third Wave Fund (gender justice): http://www.thirdwavefund.org
NAACP legal defense fund (civil rights): http://www.naacpldf.org
Black Alliance for Just Immigration (immigration): http://blackalliance.org
Equal Justice Initiative (criminal justice): http://eji.org
Syrian American Medical Society (syria): https://www.sams-usa.net

Here’s this week’s read

“To Stop Trump, Democrats Can Learn From the Tea Party” by Ezra Levin, Leah Greenberg and Angel Padilla. Read it and share it.

And this week’s song

It’s “This Land is Your Land Live” by Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings.

So let’s get to work

There are only 16 days until Donald Trump becomes the President of the United States. Sixteen days.

Now is the time to build a bold, powerful movement of opposition. Do spread the word about The Movement to Oppose Trump. Just send your friends this subscription link.

Be safe. And let’s stay focused.

For aNewDomain, I’m Michael Skolnik