Air.

We always took it for granted; we barely gave it a thought. We knew it would always be there.

Until suddenly it wasn’t. Air. The air we breathe.

Suddenly there’s an air quality alert on the day’s weather forecast. Stay inside, it says. Don’t go outdoors.

On these days, now all too frequent, the blue sky drains away and becomes a sickly white overhead. Sometimes you can smell smoke from the distant wildfires. Stay inside, they warn. Close the windows.

It’s like being in jail. I feel an oppression far worse than during the pandemic. Then we could escape into nature, we could find a park, a preserve, a trail, and breathe free. On these days, we huddle indoors. No hiking. No jogging. No dog-walking, no frisbee, no gardening, no sunbathing. There is no sun, only a pale ball glowing weirdly behind gray veils.

Beside this, everything else falls away. Suddenly, the culture wars don’t matter. Think woke pronouns are silly? Who should use which bathroom? It all pales into insignificance beside not being able to breathe.

But what can we do? you ask. I’ve changed my light bulbs to the new kind. I compost. I recycle. I’ve even considered solar and I’m going to do it one of these days. How can we bring the blue sky back? Who can fix the air?

There’s one thing we can do. Vote.

Every election, millions of Americans don’t vote. Even ones who love nature and are concerned for the environment. Because they “don’t do politics.”

I think that an organization called the Environmental Voter Project is on to something. Here’s how they describe their work: “With behavioral science-informed messaging, we call, canvass, mail, and send digital ads to millions of low-propensity environmental voters each year with just one goal: turning them into better voters.” In other words, they reach out to folks who love nature but haven’t yet made the connection between loving nature and voting to protect it.

You can donate to EVP, of course, or you can get more directly involved. They have an excellent phone-banking program that runs all year, not just in fall for the big election. You sign up for a certain date and time, and after a brief Zoom training you’re given a script and some phone numbers to call.

As someone who’s a bit telephone-phobic, this is a stretch for me, but it’s effective. You don’t have to get in a big long conversation, just say your piece, thank you, and hang up. You might be calling voters in Pennsylvania to remind them about the upcoming primaries, or giving voters in Nebraska information about a special election. Elections are getting more and more confusing and bewildering, the rules change all the time. Giving clear information can help smooth the path for a reluctant voter.

And EVP also has useful postcarding programs, sending notes to carefully targeted audiences who, if they vote at all, will vote to support environmental causes.

And if you’re not up for phone banking or donating right now, I think their general idea has a lot of merit: seeking out voters who are on the fence about voting and giving them a gentle reminder of the stakes coming up in November.

Do you know anyone who loves nature, but “doesn’t do politics”? Someone who cherishes the red gleam of a cardinal at the feeder? Someone who spends hours in the garden nurturing tulips or fussing over irises? Can you nudge them in the direction of their polling place?

We have to get out the vote. That’s all that matters. We have to move heaven and earth to get everyone who will vote for the environment to the polls in each and every election. Think, right now, what you can do to make that happen.

Or else get used to holding your breath.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

anitasanchez.com

ICE’s plan to give officers electric shock gloves draws outrage and fears of misuse

Can you think of better ways to spend twenty million dollars of our money? Free school lunches, perhaps? Healthcare? Heck, even gold-plating statues would be a better use of my hard-earned tax dollars.

Gloves that deliver a painful electric shock as the ICE agent drags a “suspect” from their car.

Using electric shocks to compel obedience.

This is Nazi-level cruelty.

Compliant Technology is the manufacturer of these gloves. If you have some thoughts on this issue, take a minute and contact them here.

And then call your representatives, and post about it on social media, and make as much noise as you can about this horror. Outcry matters.

Will it do any good? you sigh, exhausted. We’re all exhausted from these constant outrages. Will my comment do any good? Hard to say. But public outcry certainly worked as soon as word got out about conditions on the USS Lincoln. Jess Craven, one of my favorite substackers, has this to say: “Lawmakers’ phones have been blowing up over this crisis [the terrible conditions on the Lincoln]; even the Trump administration knew they needed to remedy it STAT. And they are!

“I point this out just to remind you that our calls do and can make a difference. “Popular outcry” is a real thing, and it moves our lawmakers in ways that are undeniable.

“Does such outcry always work? It depends on how we define the term. Do we always get the swift and definitive results we seem to have gotten with this aircraft carrier crisis? Of course not. But are our calls and other protests moving things behind the scenes in ways we’ll never know, and often stopping the worst from happening? I would posit that that’s the case far more than we believe.

“Outcry matters. It matters on foreign policy. It matters on domestic policy. It matters in the face of corruption and it matters in the face of scandal. It matters in protecting our sevicemembers, and in standing up for immigrants. It matters for helping detained children. It matters wildly, all the time, everywhere.”

The Shepelsky Law Group, a law firm that works with imigration cases, says “Using electricity to inflict pain for the purpose of forcing obedience is an extraordinary use of government power.

“Even the manufacturer warns that the gloves should not be used as punishment, against someone who is merely verbally defiant, or against vulnerable people such as children, pregnant women, elderly people, and people with disabilities.

Yet the device is particularly troubling because an officer can activate it almost invisibly. Unlike a baton strike, pepper spray, or a deployed Taser, an electrical shock delivered during physical contact may be difficult for witnesses or cameras to recognize.”

Outcry matters. It’s one of the strongest weapons we have. Let’s use it.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

anitasanchez.com

So a funny thing happened the other day. I do some of the social media posts for my local League of Women Voters Chapter, and I was glancing through my photos, looking for one to post. I came across one I happened to take at the weekly honk’n wave protest in my neighborhood, a photo of a girl holding a sign. Not a big deal, just business as usual. I posted it, with a caption, and forgot about it.

Now as a general thing, my posts get three or four likes. I might aspire to a couple of shares, or even a comment or two.

At last count (and still climbing) this post has 2,400 likes, 401 comments and 156 shares. Good heavens. The sign in the picture read: WAR WON’T ERASE THE EPSTEIN FILES. It seems to have struck a nerve.

I sighed when I saw the number of comments. Aargh. Four hundred and one trolls come out from under the bridge, and I’ll have to hide all those nasty, profane insults. But you know what?

The comments were overwhelmingly positive.

I couldn’t believe it. An issue that (almost) everyone agrees on! Commenters were largely united in the necessity of releasing the files and the evil of protecting pedophiles. My favorite comment being: “Even liberals get it right once in a while.”

The issue of the Epstein files is a bit submerged lately, but it hasn’t gone away. It’s still out there, and it’s a very sore point for Trump supporters.

So why is this important? I think we all need to think about messaging. We need to be selective about what messages we should amplify. And this is a big one. The entanglement of Trump in the Epstein files is a message we should repeat loud and clear as the midterms approach. In social media posts. In Letters to the Editor (which tend to be read by older, conservative voters). In protest signs. In conversations.

Words of one syllable. Clear, simple messages. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. That’s the MAGA playbook, and it works. Repetition breeds belief.

TRUMP IS IN THE EPSTEIN FILES.

REPUBLICANS PROTECT PEDOPHILES.

WAR WON’T ERASE THE EPSTEIN FILES.

Remember when he summoned Republican congressional reps to the actual Situation Room to pressure them to hide the files—and failed? This is the one issue where Republicans have dared to break free of the cult of obedience. It’s a big loser for them in the midterms.

Getting back to the original Facebook post—amid the negative comments, and there were quite a few (“You’re the scum of the earth,” etc.) were some really enlightening ones. They revealed the misconceptions that many people have. When I wonder how my neighbors can be so cruel and misguided, it’s good to remember that they’re not all rotten, evil people—some of them are acting on bad information. Several people commented that it’s those darn Democratic judges who are withholding the files, which of course is completely untrue. One commenter specifically blamed Obama Supreme Court justices for the cover-up. Google it! he challenged doubters.

Many others harped on the point that Biden should have released the files, as though that excuses the Justice Department from doing so now. Biden’s name comes up a lot as a useful scapegoat.

Another interesting footnote—as the caption, I had written something like “Protesters standing for democracy.” And many commenters gleefully brought up the point that (according to them) we live in a constitutional republic, not a democracy, stating it as though it clinched the argument. They were very insistent on this point—we do not live in a democracy. I’m not sure why they thought it was so very important. Perhaps it’s because the word democracy sounds like (ewww) Democrat? And we Republicans live in a Republic, take that, Dumocrats! Or perhaps it’s that many of them are very focused on their constitutional rights, specifically the 2nd Amendment ones.

This is useful information because it tells us that appeals to “save democracy” or statements like“democracy is under siege” will fall flat. References to the CONSTITUTION are likelier to resound with this audience. If we hope to change their minds, we have to learn to speak their language.

As I’ve said before, even the nastiest comment fuels the rise of the post through the social media algorithm, so I don’t delete them, just “hide” them. But I think it’s worthwhile to skim through the comments sometimes and read what the trolls have to say. As Nelson Mandela said: “Know your enemy—and learn about his favorite sport.” The favorite sport of many MAGA folks is troll-posting, and it’s a valuable window into their thought processes.

Checking out the comments (just hold your nose) can help us find common ground with the opposition—there’s so many things we agree on. The Epstein Files. High gas prices. No one likes the war in Iran. Even gun control issues—I support common- sense gun laws, but I know many ethical hunters who care passionately about wildlife and habitat protection. We (literally) have some common ground there.

And of course I support the Constitution! We’re all hovering around the same page there, even though sometimes we interpret it a bit differently. (what is a “well-regulated militia” anyway?) But surely we all insist on our freedom from tyrants who ignore our rights.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

anitasanchez.com

Looking out across the sea of heads at a No Kings protest, or a weekly corner honk’n wave, I see mostly gray-haired ones. What’s going on? I thought kids were supposed to be the rebellious ones. Back in the good old days, didn’t it used to be kids marching to bring sanity to their elders? Remember the signs that read: “Don’t Shoot, We Are Your Children”? Activism, these days, seems to have become the province of senior citizens.

Many organizations are scratching their heads over this phenomenon and trying to figure out how to attract more young adults to the world of activism. But here’s a question to ponder—what about actual children? How young is too young to get involved?

As every organized religion knows, if you want to start the kids off right, you gotta get’em young. Vacation Bible School, anyone? They start off little Christians at age 4. But for most kids, politics and political activism are dim echoes from a distant adult word. Even in high school, they’re insulated from the sorrows and turmoil of the world, concentrating on grades and their social lives and how to get into the right college.

So how can we get children appropriately involved? And I don’t mean 18-year-olds. Like the good folks at the Evangelical pre-schools, I’m talking four years old and up.

I think there are three things to consider—three main actions we need to take if we want to responsibly prepare kids to join in the work of making a better world.

Number one—Explain. Kids want to understand the adult world. They have endless questions. So what shall we tell them? They don’t yet need to know the full, unvarnished, soul-shattering truths. But sheltering them from all bad news does them no favors in the long run.

Kids have a strong sense of justice that seems to be innate. How many times have you heard a toddler wail, “But that’s not fair!” Mostly they apply the concept of fairness to themselves, of course, as in wanting their fair share of the cookies. But children can very early understand the idea that we all have a right to be treated fairly.

You’d think that the issues of politics and the process of elections would be too tough for kids to understand. Until you break it down to the simplest level. In the classes I teach for two-year-olds and up, they instantly grasp the concept of how elections work. We’re going to vote for our favorite ice cream flavor. Hands up: who likes strawberry? Who votes for chocolate? Yay, chocolate wins. It’s that simple.

Yes, but actual elections—the complicated system of primaries, platforms, political parties and third party candidates? Even for adults, it can be confusing.

I’m a book-oriented person, so I often reach for a book to help make sense of the world. Check out this children’s book, it’s an absolute classic, and like all great children’s books, it works for any age: The President of the Jungle. The citizens of the jungle are tired of Lion, their selfish, self-absorbed king, and after he diverts the river to fill his private swimming pool they decide it’s time for a change.

The animals plan to elect a president instead. A campaign follows, with candidates, debates, and rallies. The incumbent Lion runs, too, but is disqualified after he tries to rig the election. Some candidates, like Monkey, just insult their opponents but have no constructive ideas to improve jungle life. In the end (spoiler alert) Sloth wins, by running on the platform of a government that will help everyone. It’s such good fun (more on that later) and it clearly explains the basics of the electoral system, and why voting is so important. Interestingly, it’s a Portuguese book, translated from the Portuguese by Lyn Miller-Lachman. Some ideas are universal.

Second—consider the emotional impact. Only parents and caregivers can decide how and when to introduce difficult emotional concepts, and of course all kids are different in how much information they’re ready to absorb. There are no easy answers here. How do we explain to a child about a dad murdered in front of his sobbing three-year-old? I don’t know.

But again, I find that children’s books often provide a path to discussions. A fictional look at a tough topic can be a start. Lillian’s Right to Vote is based on a true story about a fiery centenarian casting her first vote. Her slow walk up a steep hill to the voting booth symbolizes the on-going struggle for civil rights.

She recalls her ancestors sold on an auction block, and the struggles of the Jim Crow era. She remembers her days marching from Selma to Montgomery, and how it led to the Voting Rights Act.

This is not The Cat in the Hat. Although it’s a “picture book”, i.e. a tall thin book with lots of pictures, it delves into difficult topics. Slavery is tough to explain to kids. An illustration of a Black man and woman standing on an auction block is stunning, shocking. Thought-provoking. A conversation-starter. This would, by the way, be an excellent book to donate to a school or a Little Free Library, if you happened to feel so inclined. (One of my hobbies is to keep a few good books in the trunk of my car, and pop them into any Little Free Library I happen to come across.)

Number 3: FUN.

Let’s consider fun. Having fun—that’s what kids want to do. Fun seems frivolous, trivial. It’s only for kids, right? But psychologists and educators are starting to look at the serious importance of fun.

Think about the World Cup. The nutty Norwegians doing that rowing thing. Americans were astonished, and delighted, by how much fun some of the other countries seemed to be having with sports—which way too many people take way too seriously. According to the National Alliance for Youth Sports, something like 70% of kids quit organized sports by age 14 because it isn’t fun anymore. Children stick with sports longer, with a greater chance of becoming life-long and perhaps even world class athletes, if sports programs are fun.

There’s research to back this up. Dr. Amanda Visek at George Washington University has developed FIT, or Fun Integration Theory. (If you don’t believe me check out some light reading such as Visek, A. J., Achrati, S. M., Mannix, H. M., McDonnell, K., Harris, B. S., & DiPietro, L. (2015). The Fun Integration Theory: Toward Sustaining Children and Adolescents Sport Participation. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 12(3), 424-433. Or Visek et al. (2018), “Perceived importance of the fun integration theory’s factors and determinants: A comparison among players, parents, and coaches” in the International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching.)

And it may be heresy to say so, but it seems to me that activism, as well being deadly serious, is perhaps…could be…should be…fun.

I rarely see kids at streetside protests. And that’s too bad, because there’s nothing more fun than all those kooky costumes and signs, people tooting horns and banging drums. I think of the guy in the inflatable frog suit, or the person skateboarding down the street holding a flag aloft while wearing an Uncle Sam beard, and I wish there were more kids there to laugh out loud.

I can see the hesitation of parents in bringing kids to protests. There’s a potential element of danger, depending on where you live, and obviously we want to keep children far from ICE thugs and tear gas. And some of the signs people hold up use language that would make a sailor blush—yet another reason I deplore the F*CK TRUMP signs that use profanity and hurl insults.

But lately I’ve been giving some thought to FIT. As a theory, it seems like a no-brainer, really—if it’s fun, kids will want to do it. It’s a basic human truth, not just for kids. If it’s fun, anyone would want to do it. Can we apply a little Fun Integration Theory to our activism efforts?

The analogy with sports breaks down, of course, because the main goal of playing a fun game is to have fun, whereas activism has far larger goals. But fun can be the entry point, the first step that leads to deeper understanding of the issues at stake.

So I think we should consider ways to make activism more kid-friendly. Where to start? Free cookies? Signs that are thought-provoking or funny instead of bitter. And it can move beyond street protests—I think we should encourage kids to write their congressional reps about about protecting whales, adopt a panda, hold a bake sale to raise money for a cause they care about. I think it’s never too early for kids to get involved, to ask questions—and to get mad at the manifold injustices of the world. That’s not fair! Maybe I can do something about it.

You never know what it might lead to.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

Exactly a year ago, I wrote a less-than-optimistic post for this substack titled “Is There Anything To Celebrate on this Fourth of July?” I was feeling a bit dismal after making the silly mistake of reading the news. Alligator Alcatraz had just opened, to much fanfare, on July 1, 2025.

“It’s hard to get in the mood for fireworks,” I wrote, “when your country is building concentration camps.”

Remember Alligator Alcatraz? We spent hundreds of millions of dollars to build a detention facility in a protected wetland. Alligator Alcatraz wasn’t the nickname—that was the official name used by federal and state governments, posted on road signs. The President of the United States toured the facility, posing for photo ops next to chain-link cages. The worst part? There was an official line of Alligator Alcatraz merchandise. You could buy Alligator Alcatraz t-shirts and hats and mugs, sold not by random MAGA loonies, but by the Florida Republican Party.

I’m an intensely patriotic citizen. I literally wave the flag at every protest I go to. I’ve always loved the bang and sparkle of the Fourth of July. But last year, for the first time in my life, I skipped the fireworks.

This year?

Alligator Alcatraz, to no fanfare, officially closed on June 25, 2026.

Good Riddance to ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ a Cruel, Expensive, and Pointless Authoritarian Stunt

We all owe huge thanks—and maybe a few donation bucks—to the organizations that battled to close down this abomination. The Center for Biological Diversity, the ACLU, and Earthjustice, among others. And on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Greasy Grass (also known as Custer’s Last Stand) we should honor the Miccosukee Tribe that fought as fiercely in the law courts as the Sioux and Cheyenne did on the grasslands of Montana.

Here’s their statement: “As Native peoples, we have a sacred obligation passed down from our ancestors to care for the land and everyone who depends on it. The construction of the detention center in Florida was on the ancestral lands of the Miccosukee Tribe. The buildings endangered delicate and protected ecosystems. Alligator Alcatraz put thousands of immigrants at risk. The reported filthy and unsafe conditions were a violation of the human rights of immigrants and their families.

“The administration’s violent crackdown on migrant communities is an affront to all we stand for as Native peoples. We are opposed to any government operation that violates the human rights of our neighbors and all who reside on this land.”

So this year, I’m feeling a bit more festive. Mayor Mamdani is jumping in the swimming pool wearing a suit and tie, and also freezing rents and endorsing winning candidates. Pride celebrations are rocking. The World is having a big party on the soccer fields, and it seems that the USA is invited. The Tartan Army and the Norwegian rowers might not care for our President, but they don’t hate us after all.

And the United States of America deserves a good party this July Fourth. We’ve worked hard. We showed up for No Kings, millions of us, and we’ve postcarded, and donated, and registered voters, and steeled ourselves to stay informed and not choose the easy path of tuning out and ignoring bad stuff. After a year of tough news, high prices, and increasing looniness at the White House, we need to have a little summer fun.

One of the many things I’m learning from Mayor Mamdani is the transformative power of fun. He’s catching the attention of the nation for two reasons. One: his policies are effective. And two: he’s just having so darn much fun doing them.

This is something to bear in mind as the fall election season approaches. How can we channel some of that sense of fun joined to competence and effectiveness? How can we make voting cool? This is especially important if we want to reach young people. Gloom is a hard sell. Everyone’s tired of disaster. I want to look for ways to unite people through joy (Knicks in 5!) rather than through mean-spirited mockery (inflatable Trump baby).

So let’s give that some thought. In the meantime, have a very fun Fourth of July.

Voting isn’t only done at the ballot box. We vote every day, by choosing what we purchase, where we shop, what causes we donate to. One of the most powerful ways to cast a vote these days is on social media. So if you’re killing a few minutes scrolling Facebook, don’t just be a lurker, looking on in secretive silence. If you see a post that is spreading a message you support, vote for it. Like. Comment. Share.

Every LIKE is a vote for that voice, that message, that person.

MAGA folks aren’t lurking in the cybershadows, you know. They’re out there, liking, sharing, commenting obnoxiously. Making their voices heard in a roar. Amplifying their messages of hate and fear. How do you think lies and hatemongering spread like wildfire through the world of social media? It’s because so many MAGA folks eagerly engage with those horrid posts. This makes the algorithm say, oh, okay, this post is getting lots of eyes on it, let’s show it to more people. And more and more.

And then some kid in Peoria sees the hate-mongering post, spreading lies about migrants or or women or gays. And a tiny poisonous seed is planted.

Social media spreads lies and rumors, but it can also spread love, and truth, and justice. But, like voting, it only works if we all participate. Is it better to keep ourselves pure and avoid the nastiness of social media? Or should we get in the game and try to make the Internet a better place to be?

Every time you LIKE or better yet, COMMENT, or better yet, SHARE a social media post, you nudge that message higher in the algorithm. You exponentially increase the number of eyes that will see it. You become a megaphone for that voice you admire, whether it’s Barack Obama, PBS, Miss Rachel, or your local assemblyperson.

Read something you like? Take a moment to comment on it. That not only amplifies the message, it heartens and encourages the writer, and makes them want to write more. (You WOULD NOT BELIEVE what a difference one positive comment can make.)

And think about doing your own posts. You, too, can become that trendiest of all things, an “influencer.” Your influence may only spread to your nephew, two nieces, and your book club. But you’ll never know how many people might see your posts.

Don’t be put off if your posts get negative comments. Just hide the worst ones, and carry on. (Click HIDE instead of DELETE. Hiding means that no one can see those nasty remarks, but they still count as comments, so they will fuel your post’s rise. Deleting them obliterates their helpful effects.) For every silly troll that comments, ten times as many people will see your post. Thanks, trolls!

Are you taking the trouble to show up for a protest someplace, to warn your neighbors about the brutality of ICE or remind them about the Epstein files? You can exponentially multiply the value of your hour on a streetcorner by posting about it on social media. A photo might get a dozen views, but consider doing a short video. The algorithm is crazy about short videos. A ten-second video of five people holding up signs in front of Home Depot or Citizens’ Bank will potentially get thousands of views.

Is social media the magic answer to all our woes? Of course not. But it has incredible power—especially to reach young people when nothing else seems able to. Social media was the escalator Trump rode all the way to the White House. Evil can use it relentlessly, effectively. But so can good.

So LIKE your nephew’s post about saving the oceans. Support the trans kid who lives next door by a kind COMMENT to make them feel welcome. SHARE info about the upcoming Pride parade, or a weekly honk’n wave, or that nursery that sells native plants. Give a shout-out to a great little local restaurant run by migrants. Engage with your favorite assemblyperson or state senator and help to boost them up the ladder so they can reach more people.

Every click is your vote for a saner world.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

Washington DC is a beautiful city. And it’s our city—yours and mine. It belongs to all Americans, and what’s happening in it is shameful. Homeless people’s shelters being bulldozed. ICE patrols rounding up grandmas and children. The East Wing crashing down under a wrecking ball. The stadium for cage fights. The “Arc de Trump” would be the ultimate eyesore, the cherry on top of this horrible mess that’s being forced down our throats.

Comments for the Arch are open to the public till June 15. And I have a few comments I’d like to make. Do you?

Much as I would like to spice up my comments with some !$##@##%@!@# expressing what I really think, the Feds will only consider serious comments that address issues such as expense, esthetics, or design problems.

In case you’re thinking that your comment won’t make any difference, the huge volume of comments on the atrocious ballroom—more than 32,000 of them, 97% negative—caused the National Capital Planning Commission to delay their vote on the project, thereby buying time for lawsuits to proceed. The issue remains mired in the courts. My comment is another grain of sand helping to slow the crushing wheels of the destruction of our city.

Washington DC wasn’t always a beautiful city. George Washington selected the site personally, in a low-lying wetland, part of a tidal marsh. The indigenous people who once ran a bustling trading center there had long been ousted by land-grabbing tobacco farmers. A southerner himself, Washington ignored little drawbacks like heat, humidity, and mosquitoes, and persuaded the tobacco plantation owners it was their patriotic duty to sell the land. He envisioned a magnificent new capitol for the fledgling nation, a Paris on the Potomac. He hired a world-class French architect to make the dream a reality.

They made a good start on the President’s House and the Capitol, but then came the War of 1812, just another war in the long line of useless wars that changed nothing. I’m sure you’ve heard how the British invaded Washington and incinerated the White House. I’m not really a fan of King Charles, but I have to give him credit for an excellent burn (so to speak) at the recent state dinner, when he noted that Trump was making “readjustments to the East Wing,” and reminded the audience that the British attempted their own “real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814.”

I pass through Washington DC a lot, and I usually avoid driving through the center of the city. But on one trip, a few springs ago, the GPS lost its mind and sent me on a route that led right through the National Mall area. Blindly following instructions, I found myself trapped in the mother of all traffic jams. Turns out I had arrived on the exact day that the cherry blossoms were at peak, and everyone had come to see the show.

And it was indeed a show worth seeing. Inching along, there was nothing else to do but admire the view. The foamy pink blossoms, hundreds of trees in magnificent bloom, edged the white monuments.

And my snail’s pace gave me a chance to really look at those icons. The Washington Monument, the Capitol Dome, the Lincoln Memorial—seen close up they have a true magnificence that’s hard to discern from photos.

Our Capitol, in spite of all the craziness going on there right now, is a magnificent place. It doesn’t belong to any one person. It belongs to us. Now’s our chance to say so. Comment here.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

https://anitasanchez.com/

The statistics are enough to make you weep. More than half of all eligible voters under thirty didn’t bother to vote in 2024.

In a hugely consequential election that would determine a lot of what happens to them in the future. School shootings and gun control. Climate change. Book bans. School loans. Jobs. Why on earth don’t young people get out and vote?

Based on research conducted by the Tufts University Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, lack of information about the voting process is the biggest barrier.

“Among youth who didn’t vote, nearly half (48%) had seen little or no information about registration…Providing civic information about the electoral process to young voters remains a key tool for ensuring they feel informed enough to participate.”

Voting is hard. It’s even harder when you’re young. Registration is based on your address, and kids move around a lot. Moving in with your girlfriend? Splitting up with your obnoxious room-mate? Not many twenty-somethings are going to think, oh, dear, really must notify the Board of Elections about that address change.

Absentee ballots are increasingly complicated to obtain. Election Day catches most college kids far from their polling place, and in many states the deadline for applying for an absentee ballot falls spang in the middle of October mid-terms, when students have a few other things on their coffee-addled, frazzled minds.

Voting is all about deadlines. The lives of young people are full of those: classwork, job applications, trying to figure out health insurance and car payments. Who needs one more deadline to cope with?

According to a Tufts university study, 10% of young (under 30) voters weren’t aware of registration deadlines. More than 20% said they didn’t have enough information about when or where to register and vote. And a whopping 37% said they forgot or were too busy on Election Day.

Aaarrgh. Kids, right? But tut-tutting over the fecklessness of youth will do no one any good. We know better, we elders with experience—it’s our job to teach, to help, to encourage. So how can we help remedy this situation?

Contact.

The Tufts study went on to say that in 2022, only half (54%) of youth were contacted by any type of political party or organization about the election. Young people who were contacted in any way were far more likely (29%) to report that they voted than those who were not contacted.

Registering to vote—used to be you had to take a pen and fill out a long boring form—something kids just adore doing. But these days, you can register on line. Check out VOTE.ORG. It’s a non-partisan website, used by millions, crammed with information.

On this handy site you can not only register to vote, you can:

—find out what’s on your ballot

—check your registration status

—discover your polling place

—track your mail-in ballot

—and (I love this) get e-mailed reminders to vote. This is exactly what kids need. I wish I had a nickel for every young person who’s said, “Oh, that was today?” when asked if they voted. Primaries and local elections, of course, are especially easy to miss.

So that’s our challenge—to think of ways to contact young people, to give them the information they need to vote. Dates, times, places. Most kids want to vote. They want to be heard, to help out, to make the world a better place. It’s up to us to show them how.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

There’s a crucial, essential election coming up. It will have a huge impact on our future. Billions of dollars are at stake. And ninety-five percent of Americans won’t vote in it.

No, not the midterms. Or the Presidential election. It’s one of the “little” ones: the local school board election. Voting on such dull local issues as the school budget, school board candidates, and funding for public libraries. Pretty unexciting stuff.

But these “little” elections aren’t so little. Across the nation, almost 100,000 school board members oversee the education of 50 million of our children, allocating some $600 billion in expenditures. It’s literally our future on the line.

But this election goes unnoticed by all but a tiny percentage of voters. Participation in school board elections is usually in single digits. One problem is that in most states it’s untethered to any other election and like most special elections only brings out the die-hards—too often, people pissed off about high taxes who vote the budget down. In New York State, it’s the third Tuesday in the busy month of May, a date that’s very easy to miss.

Also, no one ever knows who the heck to vote for. There aren’t political parties listed. How to evaluate school board candidates, who are often just a bewildering string of names on the ballot? How can you tell if someone is truly concerned with the welfare of the students, or looking to push their own agenda?

One way is to look for someone with a strong track record of volunteer service, especially with children. Are they a former teacher, aide, coach? Or if they’re a business owner, does their business have a track record of supporting the school? Are they solely focused on curriculum policing and book bans, or do they show an interest in other issues? Are they making provocative statements to rile up emotions?

Few people want to be on a school board. A 2023 Ballotpedia study found that more than half of school board seats are uncontested. It’s a time-consuming, thankless, demanding, usually unpaid job. You’re ignored when things are going well, and get all the blame when there’s a disaster. I’m ashamed to say that I can’t name a single person on my local school board. Can you?

Few people want to be on a school board, that is, except the folks who call themselves Moms for Liberty.

You’ve heard of them, I’m sure. They’re a grassroots “parental rights” organization. They suffered some losses in the last few elections, but they haven’t gone away by any means. The Southern Poverty Law Center put the group on its list of anti-government extremist entities in 2023.

In case that seems like overreacting, Moms For Liberty literally quoted Hitler in one of their newsletters. (A journalist named William K. Wolfrum once remarked “The road to fascism is paved with people telling you to stop overreacting.”) These militant moms are adamant about “protecting children,” “restoring parental rights,” and banning books too dangerous for children to be exposed to. Books like And Tango Makes Three.

In case you’ve never read this wonderful children’s story, it’s the true tale of two male chinstrap penguins in the Central Park Zoo. The penguins worked together to build a nest, and tried to hatch a rock. An intrigued zookeeper gave them a fertile egg, and they successfully hatched a chick, named Tango. Human sexual preferences are mentioned nowhere in the text. But it’s one of the most frequently challenged books in the country.

And of course, it’s not just about Tango. So many potentially life-saving books are quietly being pulled from shelves. PEN America, an organization that fights book banning, found that 6,870 book bans were enacted during the 2024-25 school year, across 23 states and 87 public school districts.

I first heard of Moms for Liberty a while ago, but they seemed like a distant threat, like a storm cloud low on the horizon. Surely they were only in Texas, Florida, places like that, not here in blue New York State. Until a few years ago, when they mounted a nasty, hard-fought, vitriolic campaign to take over my local school board. They were eventually defeated, but the victory was narrow. They’ll be back.

So, anyway. Note the date of your local school board election. Fellow New Yorkers. it’s May 19. Mark it on your calendars.

And then be the town crier, letting everyone know. Post it on social media. Spread the word in every way you can think of, to all your neighbors, that this election is worth showing up for. That’s what we can do, spread the word, amplify the message.

Don’t wait to read in the papers the next morning that the school budget failed …

…or your public library is cutting staff and hours…

…or Moms for Liberty have come to your town.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

anitasanchez.com

Seems as though optimism is in short supply these days, with all the infuriating gerrymandering going on all over the nation. Today’s bad news about Virginia’s maps being struck down is even worse. I find I’m avoiding the news as I haven’t since the Biden debate debacle. It’s just too depressing.

However, just as I was giving way to depression, I was heartened by this installment of Chop Wood Carry Water, a daily substack by Jess Craven. And so I thought I would pass it on to you, in case you need a little pep talk going into the weekend.

She points out that far too many people are loudly and publicly prophesying electoral doom six months from now.

She says bluntly, “I call BS. Certainly, this sucks. It’s unfair. It’s depressing. It’s enraging. And certainly we will win the House by fewer seats because of this decision (and Republicans’ absolutely ruthless racist gerrymandering). But there is still a clear path to winning it, and we will. Because voters are pissed in a way they haven’t been in years.

“I’ll go a step further and say that telling people “we’re f*cked,” or “the House is gone,” or “what’s the point?” right now is abetting the enemy. That is exactly what they want you to do! MAGA has always been excellent at depressing turnout via sowing division, killing morale, and using skewed polls. They love that Democrats are throwing their hands up right now. They are counting on it. Because they are still likely to lose in November, but if we give up, then maybe, just maybe they’ll have a chance.

“Remember these things today: Republicans have gerrymandered themselves about an 11 seat advantage when all is said and done. We won 40 seats in 2018. Wave elections can be crazy! This particular wave election is shaping up to be historic. Don’t discount that.

“And on the subject of Republicans’ newly drawn seats, some will likely prove to have been dummymandered. I was told by a reputable source this morning that half of the new seats Texas Republicans drew for themselves could actually go blue. Florida could furnish some pleasant surprises, too. There’s a reason Florida Republicans are reluctant to approve the maps DeSantis is proposing—even though they will. They’re no fools. In a wave election—and again, this will be one for sure—they could lose some of those seats. We must make sure they do.

“Also, as Environmental Voter Project’s Nathaniel Stinnett pointed out in his newsletter this morning, “The original (new again) Virginia congressional map still might yield 4 Democratic pick-ups.” He referred us to a G. Elliott Morris piece written before the referendum was passed. At the very least everyone I’ve spoken with feels that two are likely to flip.

“Consider these facts as well: Trump will only become more unhinged between now and the election. The Republicans are about to pass a deeply unpopular reconciliation bill that adds 71B to the deficit and helps Americans not at all. The generic Congressional ballot has Democrats up between +6 and +10. Democrats are wildly overperforming in special elections. Trump’s approval rating is the lowest it’s ever been, and his disapproval ratings are breaking records. Gas prices are averaging $4.50 a gallon and they won’t be coming down to pre-war levels for at least a year. Speaking of the war, it’s a disaster, and no matter what resolution we get, we’ll be in a worse position than we were before. Trump has no message, no plan to get prices down. Latinos, upon whom Republicans are relying to win their newly drawn seats in many places, have utterly soured on Trump. Young people have, too. Heck, even Evangelicals are losing faith in him—no pun intended.

“I could go on. There are a million reasons why we can and will still win in November. So please share a can-do message rather than a doom and gloom one. Remember, people are looking to you for guidance! They will follow your lead.”

And I found these forthright words helpful, so I thought I would pass them along. I’ll still skip the evening news tonight, maybe even all weekend. And that’s okay. We all need breaks occasionally, so I’ll indulge.

But then Monday it’s back to work.

Last summer, I happened to be in Massachusetts, and visited the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. It was the end of August, not usually prime birding season, but I was hoping to see a few birds.

And indeed I did. I happened to catch the annual migration of tree swallows heading south to enjoy winter in the tropics.

The word awesome doesn't begin to describe it.

These days, nothing matters more than getting out the vote. The midterms are a beacon of hope, if only we can get people out to the polls, and I want to focus all my energy that way. But before we get swept up in the maelstrom of election season, I wanted to take a spring day to think about birds.

I don’t usually write about the environment in these posts. No one wants to hear environmental bad news. Especially, no one wants to hear about climate change. Climate change is a loser with voters. And I can understand why. It’s too vast, too frightening, too uncontrollable. The mere thought provokes an unpleasant shiver down the nape of the neck. It’s a reminder of our mortality. Voters don’t want to contemplate climate change any more than they want to contemplate making their own funeral arrangements.

What works at the ballot box is not despair, but optimism. Like a bird humming cheerfully outside your window.

[photo credit P. Slawinski]

As Noam Chomsky once remarked, “Optimism is a strategy.” In honor of Earth Day, I want to highlight an optimistic strategy that is truly effective. Bird-friendly coffee.

Coffee grows best in places where there are stable temps never below freezing, consistent rainfall, and high humidity. In a word, rainforests. One of the reasons that rainforest habitats are so threatened is that all our favorite stuff grows there, like chocolate, tea, palm oil, and coffee. Rainforest habitats make prime coffee farms.

Now the thing is that you can grow coffee two ways. Fast or slow. Or to put it in farmer’s terms, sun or shade.

To grow coffee fast, here's what to do: cut the trees, bulldoze the land, apply chemical fertilizers, hire cheap labor for slave wages, and douse the plants with pesticides.

But there’s a better way. Coffee plants can grow in the shade. They grow more slowly, but aficionados claim the taste is richer and more complex.

So here’s how growing bird-friendly coffee works: don’t cut the trees. Let the coffee ripen slowly, in the shade of a diversity of canopy trees. And where you have trees, you have birds. The birds eat the bugs that would eat your coffee plants, so there's less need for pesticides. The leaf-enriched soil needs far less chemical fertilizer. And the birds have a place to spend the winter.

(photo credit P. Danese)

The thing is that this isn’t only for the benefit of rare tropical species we’ll never see. Bird-friendly coffee directly benefits our local birds, like tree swallows, hummingbirds, and warblers, that migrate to the tropics for the winter.

The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center is the gold standard for coffee that is bird-friendly and organic. Look for the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification when you shop for coffee.

The SMBC says “the Bird Friendly seal indicates that those coffee or cocoa beans were grown using science-based practices designed to protect habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

“North America has lost nearly three billion birds since the 1970s. Much of that decline can be traced to the tropics, where intensifying agriculture leads to deforestation and degradation of vital habitats that many birds depend on for their migration journey.”

(photo credit J. Schneid)

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology states, “Three-quarters of the world’s coffee farms grow their plants in the sun, destroying forests that birds and other wildlife need for food and shelter. Sun-grown coffee also often requires using environmentally harmful pesticides and fertilizers. On the other hand, shade-grown coffee preserves a forest canopy that helps migratory birds survive the winter…it’s delicious, economically beneficial to coffee farmers, and helps more than 42 species of North American migratory songbirds…Find out where to buy Bird-Friendly coffee in the U.S. and Canada”.

So in honor of Earth Day, lift a cup of coffee to the birds. They're counting on us to save their winter homes, all those beautiful tropical trees. Enjoy your coffee, relax, and take a break.

Then get ready for election season. It's going to be awesome.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

The other day, recuperating from all the craziness, I decided to play hookey. I took a vacation in the past. I went to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass.

“Norman Rockwell” —it’s not just a name, it’s an adjective. It means a time when life in these United States was slower, sweeter, simpler, more innocent. Nicer.

I don’t mean to ignore the racism and misogyny of those times. Certainly not all was well back then. But Rockwell spent his long career, from the Roaring Twenties to the Rockin’ Sixties, showing us our nicest selves. He held up a mirror, and showed us—not ourselves, warts and all—but what we aspired to be in our best moments.

Rockwell must have been a nice person, in the best sense of that overused word. He had a particular soft spot for seniors, whom he depicted as warm, loving, and active participants in life.

And he plainly had a keen understanding of the hopes, fears, and aspirations of children. He’s not unlike Mr. Rogers, whom he resembled physically as well as perhaps spiritually. The best of Rockwell’s work conjures some of what Mr. Rogers was getting at with those famous, simple, sacred words: Won’t you be my neighbor?

As the 60s came along, Rockwell started to look harder, peering under the veneer of niceness, and creating art that is surprising in its power. He was increasingly frustrated by the Saturday Evening Post restriction that people of color could only be depicted in subservient roles, and finally quit the Post in 1963 because of the issue.

And this one—I’d never seen this one before I visited the museum: a subtle painting that appears to be merely a pretty Arizona landscape at first.

Knowing it’s a Rockwell, you look for the joke. But then, slowly, you realize it’s a Navajo family gazing into a future that has been devasted for them by the building of the Glen Canyon Dam. (That’s the abomination that the Monkey Wrench Gang was trying to blow up, for any Edward Abbey fans out there.)

But mostly, Rockwell painted Nice.

You know who’s not nice? Trump. He’s the Anti-Nice. And his administration’s brutal policy towards immigrants is the Merriam-Webster definition of Not Nice. In fact, it defines Evil pretty well.

You know the appalling facts. More than 70,000 souls in detention, the majority by far with no criminal record. Minimal health care. Sexual abuse. Thousands of children detained by ICE over the past year. Thirty-one deaths in ICE custody in 2025, and already 14 deaths so far in 2026.

You’re probably aware of the organization Indivisible and the great work they do. These days they’re teaming with an organization called Detention Watch Network. Here’s what Indivisible says: “Department of Homeland Security has been quietly working to scale up their ability to detain and disappear people in massive numbers.

DHS is actively scouting, purchasing, and planning to convert 23 warehouses nationwide into new detention and processing facilities. This would massively expand their detention capacity, make it even more difficult to expose the inhumane conditions immigrants face in ICE custody, and increase the likelihood for abuse and death.

Local activists have helped prevent the construction or conversion of 12 new detention centers across the country. This includes warehouses in rural areas and deep red states, where we’ve even seen some Republican Members of Congress publicly oppose DHS’s planned warehouse conversions.

On April 25, we’re joining Detention Watch Network for a coordinated, nationwide mobilization against the Trump administration’s reckless expansion of ICE warehouse detention centers.

Our partners will host six major events at frontline sites -- communities where new detention centers are actively being proposed. We’re also asking folks to host visible, peaceful, non-violent actions in your own communities to draw attention to the cruelty of Trump’s detention agenda and to pressure our local officials to resist the construction of new detention centers.”

In spite of all the crazy stuff going on to distract us, this is an issue it’s important not to lose sight of. The least we can do is contact Congressional reps and demand an end to the detention of children.

My favorite Rockwell painting is this one. It’s called Working on the Statue of Liberty. It shows workmen cleaning the lamp, which used to be done once a year. (Nowadays floodlights are used to light up the torch, which is a replica—the original is in a nearby museum.) If you look closely, you’ll see that Rockwell shows the workmen as a diverse group—even though it was painted in 1946.

So I was appalled to see that DHS is using Rockwell’s art, including this very painting, to promote their unholy message of white supremacy. I wasn’t the only one who was appalled. Rockwell’s family was outraged, and promptly spoke out: “If Norman Rockwell were alive today, he would be devastated to see that not only does the problem Ruby Bridges confronted 65 years ago still plague us as a society, but that his own work has been marshalled for the cause of persecution toward immigrant communities and people of color,” his group of 10 relatives wrote.

“We — as his eldest son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — believe that now is the time to follow in his footsteps and stand for the values he truly wished to share with us and all Americans: compassion, inclusiveness and justice for all.”

Working on the Statue of Liberty isn’t in the Norman Rockwell Museum. It’s in the White House, where for many years it hung in the Oval Office, behind the Resolute Desk. It’s not on the gold-laden walls of the Oval right now, however. It’s probably in a basement storeroom somewhere, because Trump removed it to make room for more faux-gold decor.

But it’s a good image to keep in our minds as we go about the grinding, soul-destroying work of trying to beat back the cruelty of ICE. Rockwell was reminding us that democracy takes work. So does Nice.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

The other day I was all bent out of shape and expostulating about something or other, I forget what. No shortage of things to get exercised about these days. So I ranted and raved and finally spluttered, “Doggone it, I’m going to…I’m going to…I’m going to write a letter to the editor!!”

And my son, a professional cynic, sighed, and said, “Oh, I thought you were going to do something.”

Is he right?

No one, they say, reads newspapers anymore. Well, hardly anyone. I googled the circulation of my hometown rag. It’s surprisingly difficult to find exact numbers, but it appears to be in the vicinity of 50,000. Hm, that’s quite a few people, actually. Of course, a lot of what I “read in the paper” I actually read on-line. But some people still get the black-and-white-rustling paper newspaper and open it up with their morning coffee.

You know who still reads newspapers? Older, conservative people.

You know who votes? Older, conservative people.

Like many of us, I’ve been hugely heartened by the numerous accounts of Trump’s plummeting popularity statistics. Every poll shows people of all ages and all affiliations saying they disapprove of his handling of the war, the economy, immigration. But of whom are the pollsters asking the questions? Americans—Americans in general.

And what percentage of Americans actually take the trouble to get off the couch, drive to the polling place or fill out the mail-in, and vote? About half. The last midterms had approximately 45% of voters showing up. I’m sure you’ve heard the dismal statistics of young voters—only about a third of voters younger than thirty bother to vote. It’s easy to say, Sure, I disapprove. It’s harder to actually get yourself registered and fill out the form or find the polling place and get your vote in on time.

So not all those folks who are “disapproving” are going to actually register their disapproval at the polls.

I’ll say it again. You know who votes? Reliably, consistently, in every damn election? Older, conservative people.

So they’re an audience we should not despise. They’re overwhelmingly Republican, but given the recent litany of disasters: the war, ICE violence, the cuts in health care and social services, Epstein, many are tempted to start leaning our way. We need to lure and entice them to vote Democrat—or at least be so disgusted that they’ll stay home on Election Day.

(This is another reason why I deplore signs and displays that insult Trump personally. I mean come on, who are we going to convince to change their minds and vote our way by showing an inflatable Trump wearing diapers? What are we, six years old?)

So Letters to the Editor matter more than you might think. But what shall I write about?

I don’t think I’ll write a letter to the editor about the convenience of early voting—the last thing I want to do is get more MAGA voters to the polls. Instead, I’ll point out how Trump’s disastrous war is driving up prices. Or remind voters of the Epstein files.

Focusing on local issues increases your chances of getting the letter published. Again, think about issues that will resonate with older, conservative, undecided voters. Veterans’ issues. Health care issues—hospital mergers, for example, or the closing of rural hospitals.

Look for positive issues, things you’re for instead of things you’re against—preserving open space, for instance. And make it a point to amplify the good work that local Democrats you like are doing. Hail their accomplishments, especially if they’ve done something that might benefit seniors. Aim your letter so that it gives those conservative, older voters a specific reason to change sides.

By the way, you know one of the diehard audiences for Letters to the Editor? Local politicians and their staffs. It’s a way for them to find out what the voters are angry enough about to bother writing a letter.

I won’t deny that writing a letter to the editor is time-consuming. You have to find what format your local paper wants for letters, what the word count is, etc. Then you have to craft a pithy letter, not too long, bolstered with facts you’ve researched. A bit like writing a term paper. It’s a dull task, for no reward. You write your letter (via e-mail, most newspapers don’t read snail mail letters anymore) and hit send, and off it goes. And maybe it gets printed, maybe it doesn’t.

The power of repetition is astonishing. The more you say something, the more people tend to believe it. Trump is a master of this. So was Hitler. The Big Lie: the election was stolen—it’s hammered home, by repetition, again and again, and again. Seeing something in print makes it even more believable. Till finally even reasonable people start to say, well, what if it’s true after all…

But if it can work for evil, it can also work for good. The more we tell the truth, write it down, say it out loud, name names and call out lies, the more the truth will stick.

Will it make a difference? Will your ideas lodge in anyone’s mind, change anyone’s heart, affect anyone’s vote? You’ll never know.

But it’s another tool we can use, another way to get us closer to seeing more headlines like this:

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

I almost didn’t go. It was so cold! A blustery day with wind chill about 22 degrees. Welcome to spring in Upstate New York. And I was grumpy that I have to do all this again, have to put on shoes and find a parking place and get out there and protest yet again. When I have so many important things I should be doing, like napping in front of the wood stove.

But as soon as I got myself out on the sidewalk, the passion and energy and the sheer fun of the massive event swept me along. People invent the most creative ways to protest. I never would have considered skateboarding down Central Avenue holding a No Kings sign. Or playing God Bless America on the saxophone. The sheer diversity of signs, from the hilarious to the furious, was amazing. Even the dogs turned out to defend democracy. There were eight million of us out there, and I wouldn’t have missed it.

But now what?

Now that we’ve turned out for the biggest protest in American history…now what?

There’s no one single answer, no one single thing to do, any more than there was one sign we would all choose to carry. We all protest in different ways. Do what works for you. Call congress. Donate. Post on social media. Write a letter to the editor. Talk to friends and neighbors. Join Indivisible. Join the ACLU. Join the League of Women Voters.

But do something.

Because the protests are an essential first step. But now we need to keep moving, keep looking ahead. Republican Congressmen and women are getting nervous. Trump is getting nervous. None of his diversions are working, and this futile war is making everyone angry, and prices at the pump are going nowhere but up. He’s getting desperate. On January 6, 2021, we were all suddenly astonished at the violence MAGA would stoop to. We can’t be caught napping again. No one knows what lies ahead for the 2026 midterms, but we need to keep our eyes open.

And that’s just one more reason why these big street protests are so valuable. Once again I will quote my favorite substacker, Jay Kuo:

“No Kings protests build the raw numbers of resisters while training them in organized, peaceful action. We may need that training come November, if and when Trump challenges the midterm results. Just this week, his top deputy at the Justice Department, Todd Blanche, once Trump’s personal criminal attorney, endorsed sending ICE agents to polling places.

Should that happen, as appears possible, nonviolent mass resistance will be needed to preserve the actual outcome of the election and to compel a handover of power to the Democrats in Congress. It’s time to start building that muscle memory now.”

So we’ll keep going, keep harrowing our souls by reading the news, keep looking for ways to raise our voices. But tonight, as I thaw out after the cold hours on the streetcorner, I want to take a minute to appreciate what we’ve done. How far we’ve come.

One of my posts, just after the horrid November election of 2024 (how long ago it seems) was called What Do We Do Now? We were all so shell-shocked, so appalled, so scared and just plain tired of this nonsense. Anyway, all I could think of to write about was planting bulbs, using that as a corny metaphor for the idea of waiting for good things to happen, better times to come. It was a hard fall and it’s been a long long winter. But the No Kings kooky signs and cowbells and people in frog suits on a bitter spring day were like green shoots poking up through the gloom.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

So with No Kings 3 coming up on March 28, I’m getting ready.

People often ask: should I register somewhere that I plan to attend? It’s not required to register for an event if you want to keep your options open. You can just show up, for sure. But registering, especially for a small local event, helps organizers plan for parking and traffic control and such, so if you can let them know you’re coming, it’s helpful. In my area there are delightfully many options to choose from—a march, a honk and wave, a car caravan. There will be streetcorner protests in tiny villages and (hopefully) big crowds in the the big cities.

Then, of course, there’s the question of accessories. What to bring? Every well-dressed protestor needs a good sign. But what words to write on my square of posterboard? Should I be witty? Furious? Sarcastic?

Many signs I’ve seen at protests are direct insults aimed at Trump. There’s the simple but eloquent F*CK TRUMP. There are references to Orange Cheetos and diapers. My current favorite is Super-Callous Fragile Ego Epstein Ally POTUS. I have to admit, those signs are fun. They help us blow off some steam, release some of the raging anger we all feel.

But while it’s tempting to really say what you think of you-know-who, I think it’s best to avoid sinking to his level and trading insults. The coming elections will be won or lost by how the middle-of-the-roaders vote—the “low-information” (don’t call them stupid) voters who didn’t like the way Kamala laughed and voted for him in 2024. Now there’s a lot of buyer’s remorse, but insults will only push them further away.

It’s tempting to spend our energy hating the Orange Devil. But in the end, I want to spend my time working for something, not against someone.

But while I won’t carry a sign mocking weird hairdos or spray tans, I think Trump’s policies are fair game. Indivisible and other organizations are stressing the importance of getting clear and specific messages out to voters. Those low-information voters aren’t following the twists and turns of policy, and many believe that war in Iran is necessary to keep us safe. They don’t know details—but they know things are more expensive. Affordability seems to be the big issue driving voters these days. Let’s make sure they know who to blame in November.

Here are some sign ideas from a local Indivisible chapter, Bethlehem Indivisible.

RED OR BLUE, GOP CUTS HURT YOU!

STUCK IN TSA LINES? THANK THE GOP!

BILLIONS FOR WAR, NONE FOR YOU!

LIKE THE GAS PRICES? THANK TRUMP’S WAR

REGIME OF BILLIONAIRES IS HURTING FAMILIES

HIGH GAS PRICES, THANK THE GOP!

HEALTHCARE NOT WARFARE!

and this basic truth:

WAR CRIMES DON’T HIDE SEX CRIMES

The issue of the Epstein files seems to be the one thing that outrages even the iciest MAGA souls. Trump’s done quite a good job of shifting attention away from them. No Kings 3 is a good opportunity to shine a light on the filth lurking in the files.

Another possibility is to remind people of our friends in Ukraine, still holding on against all odds.

For me, the single biggest issue is voting. Getting Democrats to the polls in November is going to be critical. Even this far out from the midterms, it’s good to remind everyone that it all comes down to getting out the vote.

Of course, on March 28, we will all carry different signs. We’re all fighting for different causes, different versions of what America should be. Each of us has a distinct voice, and that’s the way it should be; we’re not parroting the ideas of one leader (remember the sea of MASS DEPORTATION NOW signs at MAGA rallies?)

And here’s what I think is my favorite sign, an eloquent answer to those who say we don’t support our country, that we don’t love America:

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

On this St. Patrick’s Day, we’re less than two weeks out from the next No Kings protest. The Irish settled the question of No Kings quite a while ago, and supposedly America did too. Yet here we are.

And here’s the question: why are we doing this street protest thing? Is it worthwhile?

I used to work at a nature center, and whenever we were putting together a program or lesson plan, the first question to ask was: Who is the audience?

So that’s what we need to ask ourselves, when we’re deciding whether or not to get off the couch on March 28, in a season not famous for balmy weather. Who are we talking to? What do we want them to hear? What do they need to learn? At whom are we waving our flags and ringing our cowbells?

The media. For me, that’s the main audience. Whenever I’m at a protest, I look for the media and hold my sign or flag high and wave it with enthusiasm. Look for the people with the cameras on tripods, the reporters talking into their microphones, and the social media influencers videoing it all on their cell phones. The message on my cardboard sign is amplified ten thousand-fold by the media.

For this reason, avoid profanity and insults. One F*CK TRUMP sign makes a photo or video unusable for the media.

Republican Congressional Reps. As the midterms tick ever closer…230 days away…they’ve got to be getting nervous. They’re all lying low right now, since they don’t want to arouse MAGA ire with their primaries only weeks away. But after the primaries are done, the Republican candidates are going to face some tough elections. The more they feel that the country is united against them, and they’re backing an unpopular horse, the more they’ll be likely to break with the White House.

The World. Well, that’s a big audience, but the old protesters’ chant is true: The whole world is watching. I think of people I’ve met in other countries, who showed me such kindness and courtesy. The taxi driver who gave me tips on driving on the left side of the road. The grumpy cafe owner who gave me a free coffee. The old woman who “loved Americans” because they had liberated her village in 1945. All the people who gave me directions and then walked me to the spot because I couldn’t understand. What do they think of Americans now? I’m holding up my sign for them to read.

History Book Writers of the Future. They’re waiting there, in some distant future world. They’ll be writing about the events we’re living through with the amused horror we have when reading about World War One or the Spanish Inquisition. Imagine time travelling to 2080, and reading a social studies textbook: “Due to widespread cynicism and voter apathy, Donald Trump’s disastrous policies were largely unopposed. “What difference does it make? He’ll just get away with it anyway,” was the prevailing mood. Emboldened by the lack of interest shown by the public, Trump ramped up ICE activities and invaded more and more countries. With no aggressive pushback from the American people, he eventually abolished Congress and remained in power for decades.”

Or would you prefer, on your imaginary time-trip, to read that: “Vigorous opposition to Trump’s policies spread through the country. Activists joined against ICE brutality, and millions protested his unpopular, expensive wars. Taken aback by the strength of the public outcry, Trump retreated and eventually was ousted. Now, like Adolf Hitler, Donald Trump is only a detested memory.”

Many organizations are joining to sponsor No Kings 3. Indivisible is a good source of information on times and locations of events. Look at their map—it’s heartening to see the number of events planned. Unless you live in the heartland of Idaho, there is one right near you. Click here to access the Indivisible webpage that will let you find the closest event.

As Indivisible puts it: “We need to make No Kings Day as big and loud as possible.” One big loud protest won’t bring world peace or solve all our problems. But it’s so much better than silence.

In the end, my secret audience—the reason I go to street protests—is me. Okay, it’s selfish and shallow, but it’s fun. Where else can you wave a flag and holler HEY HEY HO HO DONALD TRUMP HAS GOT TO GO. There are drummers and cowbells and people in Statue of Liberty costumes and some of the funniest signs you’ll ever see.

I’m fortunate to live in a blue area of a blue state. I realize that for those who live in red areas, this protest deal may well be more scary than fun. But we all need that celebration, that reminder that we’re not alone in a dark room, scrolling Facebook and spitting with rage. There are a lot of us.

I’m a huge movie buff, and I never miss the Academy Awards. I’ve been watching the Oscars since The Sound of Music won, and I love it when the stars get political and use their powerful megaphones to speak out. Not many did this year, but I loved this serious aside from comedian Conan O’Brien. (Who knew the comedians would be the ones to speak the most truth?)

“Thirty-one countries across six continents are represented this evening. And every film we salute is the product of thousands of people speaking different languages, working hard to make something of beauty.

“We pay tribute tonight not just to film, but to the ideals of global artistry, collaboration, patience, resilience, and that rarest of qualities today: optimism.

“Let us celebrate — not because we think all is well — but because we work and hope for better.”

Thousands of people…working hard to make something of beauty. That describes NO KINGS pretty well.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

Think you have to wait through an eternity until Election Day gets here? You can vote every day—a dozen times a day if you want to.

Going on an errand to buy widgets for home repair? Drive past Home Depot—a major enabler of ICE—and vote for Lowe’s instead. Need a blender, or a blouse, or a banana? Skip Target. Consider Costco. Need a hair dryer, a hat or a hammer? Don’t vote for Amazon, owned by Jeff Bezos, murderer of the Washington Post and Trump crony. Vote for your local business instead.

Well, okay, I want to do my bit and help save the world, but this business of boycotting can drive you crazy. Seems like there’s nowhere to go that’s politically correct. Oh, no, my favorite Chinese take-out place uses plastic forks. Honestly, life is complicated enough without having to fuss over every latte we buy—oh, wait, isn’t Starbuck’s on strike?

So my advice to the anxious activist: focus. Pick one. Focus your energy on one business, and boycott it, protest it, write a letter or post about it. Every action makes a difference.

For me it’s Home Depot, and I used to love Home Depot—low-cost houseplants, plus all the cool paints and tools and widgets. But billionaire Home Depot cofounder Bernard Marcus donated millions to Trump and other Republicans. Home Depot’s official line is that they don’t coordinate with ICE, but they do nothing to speak out or oppose the raids taking place in their parking lots that have led to so many poor souls being detained.

So Lowe’s gets my vote. Or better yet, my locally owned hardware store. That one change can mean a lot, in terms of Home Depot’s bottom line.

Boycotts work. We saw it in action last year, with all those Tesla takedowns. It seemed silly, standing on a streetcorner with a cardboard sign in front of a Tesla dealership, us little guys against the billionaire—but it worked. Elon Musk stopped chainsawing the government and pretended he wasn’t interested in politics anymore, when Tesla’s profits dropped 61% in a quarter. (Remember DOGE? A year ago it was headlines everywhere, and now it’s just a horrible footnote to history.)

Stewart’s, my local ice cream chain (outstanding mint chocolate chip) halted donations to Elise Stefanik after customers protested, mostly on social media. More and more, businesses are depending on social media to reach their clientele, and therefore social media is a powerful tool, allowing us to let them know what we think. I was so glad Stewart’s gave in, because Stewart’s ice cream is extremely hard to give up.

Instead of floundering in a morass of negativity—this business is bad, that one is worse—I’m trying to find more businesses that I can vote FOR instead of AGAINST. For example, CostCo, whose owners have stood staunchly for DEI.

My absolute favorite is a chain called Penzey’s. They sell spices, at their stores across the US, and also on-line. Cumin, coriander, cloves. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. It’s poetry to just walk around and read the labels. It’s also a sensory feast. Breathe in the cinnamon and tarragon, sweet marjoram and rosemary.

The CEOs of Penzey’s have decided to take a clear stand on the deadly topic of politics. They recognize that getting involved in “politics” isn’t a sideline or a hobby, like Tai Chi or watercolor painting, a luxury that a few eccentrics can indulge in. What we call politics is the air we breathe, the everyday fabric of our lives—it determines how we’ll live, in some cases if we’ll live.

And Penzey’s stand isn’t just a quiet refusal to back down on DEI. They’re talking up loud. I’m sure it’s cost them money. They have a link on their home page “About Republicans” and it’s fun reading.

“The Republican departure from conservative values and embrace of what, from a distance, looks a whole lot like insanity didn’t happen by chance. All of it has been intelligently crafted with the goal of preserving the position of those who profit from the inhumanity that is at the very roots of pretty much every problem we are facing.”

It’s refreshing to read such flat-out truth-telling. I can’t find any other business that says it right out:

“We would still be glad to have you as customers, but we’re done pretending the Republican Party’s embrace of cruelty, racism, Covid lies, climate change denial, and threats to democracy are anything other than the risks they legitimately are. If you need us to pretend you are not creating the hurt you are creating in order for you to continue to be our customer, I’m sad to say you might be happier elsewhere.”

So Penzey’s gets my vote. I’m planning on upping my non-existent cooking skills. I’ll use more cumin, ginger, turmeric, and paprika, and support a business whose politics I wholeheartedly support, at the same time. Win-win.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

So the other day, I showed up for one of those sidewalk honk’n wave protests. I think they’re actually kind of fun—although as my granddaughter remarks, it’s funner when it’s warmer. Anyway, there we were, holding up our signs and waving our flags, and people driving by are merrily honking to show support. Dozens, hundreds of cars passed by over the course of an hour, with people honking and waving and smiling. And then a dude at a red light revved his engine ferociously and bellowed “Trump Trump Trump” as he zoomed off, middle finger held high.

One hate-filled person out of hundreds who honked and waved and smiled. But that one angry person just sucks up all the oxygen. He intimidates. He discourages folk from participating.

But the important point is that he’s hugely outnumbered. That’s the star we can’t lose sight of. There are so many more of us—the sane Americans who are weeping for Alex and Renee and Liam, who are horrified and shocked at the detention centers, embarrassed by the Greenland antics and all the nastiness. We are a huge majority.

A few years ago, I started doing social media for my local chapter of the League of Women Voters. I knew almost nothing about social media when I started, but I’ve been boning up and trying to figure out hashtags and algorithms and all the jargon. It’s fun in a brain-game sort of way, using words and figuring out how to maximize engagement, kind of like a cross between Sudoku and Wordle.

I’ve figured out a bit about what makes the mysterious algorithm tick. Honestly, it’s like there are elves who decide what happens to your Facebook posts. The more people who like, share, and comment on a post, the more the algorithm elves say, “Hmm, this one is doing well, let’s show it to a few more people.” And then if a few more people like or comment, the elves send it to a few more and so on.

So anyway, I posted a picture of the protest, a nice picture, people with a flag and a few signs: ICE OUT and so forth. And the next day, I checked it, expecting the usual half-dozen Likes. Whoa. The picture went viral—modestly, not into the Taylor Swift stratosphere, but it got 400 likes, which is unheard of for my little chapter of the League.

So 400 people liked it. Yay! But it also got about 70 comments, 53 of which were, to put it mildly, negative. “Loser Dumbocrats wasting time” was the nicest one. The worst would absolutely curl your hair. I will spare you.

These nasty trolls—who are they? A few are soulless bots, literally not human. They scan social media for key words, and automatically post negative comments. But I would guess many are real people—local people—our neighbors. The more the algorithm elves boost my post, the more chance of trolls seeing it. Sad, angry people. It’s easy to say, oh, just ignore them, but it’s hard to look away, to block those loud voices.

But—here’s the fun part—those noisy trolls are actually helping us. Remember that the algorithm likes engagement. The elves don’t care if it’s a thoughtfully worded response or a misspelled insult. The more comments, the more my message reaches out to new people, a few trolls, but more and more people of good will. (This is why it’s so important to comment on posts you like.) It’s like a stone thrown into a pool, with ripples spreading farther and farther. Their hate is fueling our love.

And remember, we are the majority. Sanity will prevail eventually. I know, because the score is 400 to 53.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

I first noticed them on social media. There were all these posts about a group of orange-clad guys walking along the highway. There was a dog. They kept popping up in my feed, photos of them—turned out they’re Buddhist monks—hiking along the road. And in every photo they were surrounded by police. Police cars everywhere.

It’s funny, I’m so used to thinking that Law Enforcement = ICE thugs. But these policemen were protecting the monks from harm, helping them along the way.

Just fortuitously, I happened to be in Washington DC on the day the monks happened to arrive there, the finale of their 2,300 mile walk. They’d tramped through heat and rain and snow and last weekend, bitter cold and howling winds. So I decided to head over to watch them arrive at the National Cathedral, only a few miles from where I’m staying.

I figured there were would be quite a few people there to greet them. And there were indeed quite a few.

The roads were so jammed that the Uber driver had to drop me off half a mile from the Cathedral. I didn’t have to worry about getting lost, though, because every sidewalk had a stream of people carrying flowers. Soon the streams coalesced and turned into rivers. Even the pets came out to greet the monks.

I joined the crowd, and eventually clambered up on a snow mound (DC is still absolutely buried in frozen snow) to get a good view.

And what I saw was police. DC cops everywhere, keeping the crowds off the roadway. And they were so nice about it. Not only courteous, just plain nice. “Hey, do me a favor and move out of the crosswalk, please, ma’am,” they’d say. Or “Hey, folks, we wanna keep you safe, step back a bit, thanks!”

In the crowd, there was a tall, muscular dude shouting unpleasant things—not profanity, just rude comments. There’s always one right? A DC policewoman who came up to his shoulder engaged him in a low-key conversation.

Amazing. Law enforcement doesn’t have to involve smashing car windows, dragging people over the pavement, terrifying children.

The crowd stood waiting patiently, and it wasn’t long—considering the monks had walked all the way from Texas, they were surprisingly on schedule. First came a convoy of police cars, then a fleet of officers on bicycles.

Then the monks, pacing so briskly that they were by almost before I knew it.

There were some people chanting about Jesus, carrying hate-filled signs about how all the groups they don’t like (Muslims, drunkards, fornicators, homosexuals, etc.) are going to Hell. Sigh. The police surrounded the monks in a protective ring as they walked past the “Christians.” It was a master class in how strength can be used for protection instead of harm. How law enforcement professionals are trained in techniques to keep us safe. Those courteous men and women on bicycles were such a contrast to the horrors in Minneapolis.

I followed the crowd to the Cathedral steps, but it was so packed I couldn’t see the orange-clad figures any more. But we all got a chance to hear the bells ring out over head.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

Anitasanchez.com

It’s one of my favorite holidays. No joke, it is. Groundhog Day is the only holiday—think about it—that’s all about nature. No wars, no religion, no birthdays of famous men—just a sleepy groundhog poking a nose out of his cozy den to see if it’s safe to come out yet.

On February 2, everyone loves groundhogs. They’re plump, cute, and look as though they’d enjoy a good cuddle. Actually nothing could be further from the truth. They’re solitary animals that vastly prefer to be left alone, and they have inch-long yellow incisors.

Groundhogs are unexpected creatures. Like most rodents, they’re smarter than they look. They’re excellent swimmers. They can climb trees. They’re good mothers and fierce fighters when there’s need. But what I like most about groundhogs is their persistence. They’re incredible diggers. Their hard heads and short, powerful legs shove through the earth like a bulldozer. One determined burrower can move 700 pounds of dirt in a day.

That’s the quality we all need now. Persistence. In this long cold winter, filled with terrible tragedy, we need to put our heads down and just keep digging.

I’m a passionate environmentalist, but if you’ve read any of these posts, you may have noticed I don’t talk about environmental issues very much. That’s because, sadly, climate change and environmental degradation are not winners when it comes to getting out the vote. Epstein Files, ICE, affordability—those are the issues that are driving voters these days. But today, in the spirit of this festive Groundhog season, let’s honor the groundhogs by considering some environmental stuff.

Plastic. It’s literally everywhere. Bet you can’t go for an hour without touching something made of plastic. We drink from it, our kids play with it, we write with it, sleep on it, wear it. Every key on this laptop as I type this is made of plastic, as is my polyester sweater, my shoes, and the chair I’m sitting on.

You’re probably aware of all the bad stuff about plastic: wildlife killed by litter, forever chemicals leaching into food, microplastics filling the ocean. I recommend an excellent organization called Beyond Plastics. They focus on cutting single-use plastic, all those forks and sporks and bags. Isn’t it ironic how it’s always the organic produce that’s swathed in plastic?

Beyond Plastics is a great source of info as well as ideas for lobbying and political action. If you’re from around upstate NY, consider celebrating Groundhog Day (a bit late) by attending a Beyond Plastics rally in Albany, where there’s a People Over Plastics Rally at the NY State Capitol on February 9, 2026.

Beyond Plastics says “The NYS Legislature will reconvene in January 2026 and we need all hands on deck to pass the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act (A1749/S1464) introduced by Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick.”

Harckham and Glick. Not exactly household names. I know nothing whatsoever about them, but I’m sure glad they won their election. The Packaging Reduction Act may sound boring but it’s a real way to lower the amount of toxic plastic in our state, in our food, in our water and in our bodies.

According to Environmental Advocates of NY, this bill “shifts the financial burden of managing packaging waste from taxpayers to the producers of packaging, while reducing the amount of packaging and plastic waste produced in New York State by 30%.” Almost a third less plastic. That’s huge.

It’s aimed at big corporations, not small businesses. It require “companies (with a total gross revenue of $5 million or more) to develop a packaging reduction and recycling plan. This legislation will also improve recycling and recycling infrastructure, prohibit processes that produce toxic byproducts (including advanced recycling), reduce toxins in packaging, and financially support municipal recycling programs.” In short, good stuff. This is the kind of dull-sounding legislation that evokes yawns among voters but has the potential to do real good.

And this underscores the importance of those unnoticed, unsung low-key state legislature elections that get swamped in the tsunami of Presidential or Congressional elections. We need to focus attention on local legislators like Glick and Harckham and many others like them who take on tough, progressive issues.

Get to know your local representatives. Google their website, and their Facebook page. If you like what they say, help them out. Amplify their voices by hitting LIKE and SHARE for their posts on social media. It may not seem like much, but every time you “like” posts, you kick them higher into the mysterious algorithm that spreads powerful messages on social media.

Or write a Letter to the Editor about a candidate you like. Throw a few bucks their way if you can spare it. Do it for the groundhogs.

Anyway, before we have to start worrying about Election Day, I hope you have a very merry Groundhog Day. A joyous celebration with your loved ones. Given the icy weather we’re having (at least in upstate New York) I doubt we’ll see any actual groundhogs insane enough to leave their burrows. But we can dream of spring.

There used to be a groundhog who hung out not far from my window, and occasionally on summer evenings I would see him (or her) hanging out, nibbling clover on the lawn. Do wild animals ever take a break from endlessly seeking food, water, and shelter to just kick back and enjoy the beauty of nature? I don’t know. But on those warm evenings the groundhog would munch a dandelion leaf with his head on one side and gaze along with me at the red and orange horizon.

Persistence needs rewards sometimes.

Dear Friends,

Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we can really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

--Noam Chomsky

AnitaSanchez.com