How To Avoid Media Drowning & Rescue Yourself
Join larger protest teams to prevent volunteer burnout and illness. Know when you need a break and likewise for your fellow protesters. Take turns, organize shifts, and socials. Relax!
Ever feel like you’re drowning in information overload? Repetition of the same information every time you log on? You’re not alone. If you’ve been observant of reading substack comment sections alone, you are aware people feel unsettled, anxious, depressed and angry. It’s time to access our own mental health so that we can be activists this year because this political battle won’t end in a week or a month. We must maintain our mental and physical health. MAGA seeks to invade the healthy brains left by making them give in to chaos.
You must take organize your time to be in control of your social media exposure even here on Substack. Otherwise, you’ll be overwhelmed and needlessly depressed. It can happen faster than you think in this stressful political circus. I love my subscriber friends who share their art, photography, music, travelogues, and videos of animals and nature’s wonders
But first, read
who provides a clear rationale on how to survive an onslaught of information on social media. It’s the best article for guidance.
With the anticipated thousands [million+?]] of heroic protestors on April 5th here's an updated partial list of those fighting back every day [as of 3-23-25). I'm also adding courageous law firms who haven't caved. Besides upstanding lawyers, and law-abiding honorable (present and former) judges (including James Boasberg, chief judge, D.C. District Ct.), here's a growing list of Profiles in Courage men, women, and advocacy groups who refuse to be cowed or kneel to the force of Trump/Musk/MAGA/Fox "News" intimidation:
I'll begin (again) with Missouri's own indomitable Jess[ica] (à la John Lewis's "get in good trouble") Piper, then, in no particular order, Heather Cox Richardson, Joyce Vance, Bernie Sanders, AOC, Gov. Tim walz, Sarah Inama, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Jasmine Crockett, Ruth Ben-Ghait, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Chris Hayes, Stephanie Miller, Gov. Janet Mills, Gov. Beshear, Jim Acosta, Jen Rubin And the Contrarians, Dan Rather, Robert Reich, Steve Brodner, Brian TylerCohen, Jessica Craven, Scott Dworkin, Annne Applebaum, Lucian Truscott IV, Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Tim Snyder, Robert B. Hubbell, Ben Meiseilas, Rich wilson, Ron Filpkowski, Jeremy Seahill,Thom Hartmann, Jonathan Bernstein, Simon Rosenberg, Marianne Williamson, Mark Fiore, Jamie Raskin, Rebecca Solnit, Steve Schmidt, Josh Marshall, Paul Krugman, Andy Borowitz, Jeff Danziger, Ann Telnaes,͏ ͏Will Bunch, Jim Hightower, Dan Pfeifer, Dean Obeidallah--
American Bar Association, Indivisible. MoveOn, DemCast, Blue Missouri, Third Act, Democracy Forward, Public Citizen, Democracy Index, Marc Elias/Democracy Docket, Public Citizen, Lambda Legal, CREW, CODEPINK, ACLU et al. And, as Joyce Vance says, "We're in this together"--or via Jess Piper, from rural Missouri: "Solidarity." FIGHT BACK! WE ARE NOT ALONE! (Latest addition h/t , Robert B. Hubbell: Law firms, see below)
* Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling have resisted Trump, fighting back with the help of other courageous firms like Williams & Connolly. Per The ABA Journal,
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, representing fired inspectors general. (Law.com)
Hogan Lovells, seeking to block executive orders to end federal funding for gender-affirming medical care. (Law.com)
Jenner & Block, also seeking to block the orders on cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com, Reuters)
Ropes & Gray, also seeking to block cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com)
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, representing the Amica Center for Immigrants Rights and others seeking to block funding cuts for immigrant legal services. (Law.com)
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer.
Every day seems more challenging because the onslaught of horrors is non stop. But...I put my worries aside as I till the Earth. The first leaves of garlic are emerging! And yes, a nap after reading some science fiction.
One hour of TV news at 6:00. Wonderful dinner, then escapist TV shows. (Check out "The Residence"). No political talk allowed before sleep.
Wake up read and write about the horrors of a world going fascistly, viciously nuts. Then back to the Earth. Feed the dog, feed the birds.
It is a daunting challenge. But 75% of my day must be with healthy, sane and constructive activity.
Except for April 5th. 100%. Found my local protest location. Designing my sign.