One very bright friend responded, with the following, to my recent blog requesting readers’ questions directed to me:

Do I ever have questions!!!  I want answers!!!

1. Why do you think that we should bite our tongues and play nice when we see the blatant lies and prevarications?

There are so many lies and prevarications that blow-by-blow responses run the risk of getting lost in the endless noise. One “biggy” pinned down and blown back in the right way should have ten times the impact of ten boring fact-checks. 

2. What are the practical ways for being involved on any level to address the mess on a local, state and national arena?

This may be the toughest question. One idea would be to gather a likeminded group, raise a budget to pay for signed and sponsored periodic LETTERS in your LOCAL community newspapers. Believe it or not Wi-Fi is now already so ubiquitous your words get lost in the ether. It is good to be thinking locally because such action has more impact and your names matter. 

3. How do we find other likeminded people?  Surely banding together in some form must make a difference?  Does it?

Like-minded people surround you—in the supermarket, on the streets—probably 7 out of 10 people you see in a day are like minded. Take a chance and sound them out. Yes, it does make a difference. 

4. Which institutions are the best to fund to help counteract the Trump disaster?  Maybe throwing money at people who know the ins and outs of Washington is the answer?

In my opinion throwing $ at most known names and institutions in DC is NOT the way to  have much effect. Those organizations, though they will deny it, are simply jumping with joy at the chance to grab a big haul for THEIR big thing. Make SURE they really will sing your song too. Who else? Tough question. Watch for messages you see from sources you can trust. Try them?

5. How do we keep from feeling powerless?”

I am tempted to say to buy a baseball bat or some other weapon BUT that is not going to help and might hurt you if you find yourself in a riot. This needs to be done the right way with massive public sentiment which sooner or later finds its way into legitimate political behavior. Let your fingers do your walking as I do by writing a lot. Think of bumper stickers, lawn signs and as you spread them around you will feel a bit empowered!!

She went right to the heart of our problems today, and I fully accept her chastisement about my suggesting in a sample answer that we simply bite our tongues—an idea I originally intended to be tongue in cheek.

There is a lot to be said about all her questions.  More as time passes.