This is an update on plans to organize a DailyKos meetup on Inauguration Weekend.
I have two proposals for your consideration and feedback. I’d like your feedback whether or not you can attend, especially if you have attended one of these large protests in DC before.
Meetup for the Womens March on Jan 21
First, I’m wondering who would be interested in establishing an informal meeting spot for the Women’s March on Jan. 21 so that those of us who are not already coming as part of a group can find each other. My thought here is that we designate someplace to meet prior to the march, and then go over to it together.
I need some experienced help here, because I’ve never attended an event this large: is this feasible? where should we do it? when should we do it?
To attend the meetup, just leave a comment here so that we know how many to plan for, and then follow me, or the Sons and Daughters of Liberty group. I’ll post the details in a diary I’ll publish once things are more settled.
Strategy/Organizing Discussion Session on Jan 22
Second, a small group has started planning for an organizing strategy session on Sunday, January 22 through the DailyKos group, Sons and Daughters of Liberty.
You are welcome to join us if you want to help defend our democracy. Kosmail me as soon as possible, but no later than Friday, January 6. Be sure to include any time constraints for that Sunday.
The agenda is still in development, but I suggest that we focus on three purposes:
- Talk through the opportunities and challenges presented by the Indivisible Guide for organizing local groups for congressional lobbying to resist Trump’s cabinet and judicial appointees, and to defend the ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SNAP, etc.
- Discuss strategies and messaging for defending our democracy against incremental encroachments on our 1st Amendment rights to freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and freedom of religion (i.e. no Muslim registries), and our liberty to vote in free and fair elections.
- Discuss contingency plans for a response if Trump attempts to seize emergency powers after a terrorist attack or something like it. This was Putin’s playbook in Russia, Erdogan’s strategy in Turkey and the means that many strongmen have used to turn democracies into kleptocratic dictatorships.
It seems like the only thing that works is massive, immediate popular resistance that overwhelms the would-be dictator’s ability to impose controls on free speech, free press and free assembly. If Trump tries to use this playbook, we’ll have work to do on a variety of fronts to defend the Constitution.
In a country this size, that requires some advance planning and coordination. God willing, we’ll never need those plans but if we don’t have them when we need them, it’s too late.
Right now, I think we have about six people, but we can grow this group up to about 48 before it becomes too unwieldy to have such discussions.
In my professional life, I often design and facilitate sessions of this size, and I’ll be traveling with another expert facilitator if we need him.
I’m asking people to plan the whole day until 5 p.m., but if the group stays small, it will probably be just an afternoon session. If it gets big, we’ll want as much time together as we can get.
I will personally be in DC from Thursday evening to Wednesday afternoon, January 19 — 25. I’ll use the time on Monday and Tuesday to do some networking.
Finally I’d like to have some video calls with people who can’t be there in DC but want to help defend our democracy after this session.
This would be to share the outcome of the meeting with a larger audience of people who cannot be there, but who are working locally to implement the Indivisible Guide blueprint, or other actions to defend our democracy.
I’ll publish more details on the video calls later, and I’ll send group messages to the people who are members of Sons and Daughters of Liberty
This is in lieu of my Five Actions diary for today.