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(lemmy.dbzer0.com)
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this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2024
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We're very isolated and feel powerless. You can do all that but there's no guarantee you will see any change. In fact, you're more likely to become even more jaded when you find out your local council is dominated by business and religious interests.
Have you ever considered the possibility that you're being propagandized to respond to those feelings by commiting suicide instead of challenging the system that created those conditions? Look, all I'm saying is that if you kill yourself, you'll definitely have missed any opportunity you had at getting to yell at the cops or actually making the world you want to live in. If you try to make a better world and still want to end it all, that option hasn't been taken from you, but there's a non-zero chance you could help make things better. I'm doing what I can, and I'd really appreciate your help, whatever that looks like.
My local council is all "small" business owners and religious leaders. They tried to fight a biking course that would have ended up costing the city $0 cause a local rich guy was willing to cover everything cause biking is "liberal propaganda" (and because one of them owns a bunch of dealerships)
We're fucked dude. There's no way in hell someone like me is ever getting elected in this town where the median age is in the 60s. And it's not like I can afford to leave. I can't even afford the fee to apply to run right now.
Then show up and fuckin yell at them. It's free and the cops can't stop you. We had people showing up yelling at our council about some mean shit some other person said to them because they publicly supported Israel, like it was kindergarten hour (I mean, fuck around and find out, though, right?), and they had to just sit there and listen until her time was up. Somebody else came up and personally put one of the councilors on blast by name, the dude looked like he was going to have an aneurysm but they had to deal with it because they're part of the government and that's freedom of speech.
Look, you don't have to join city council, there's other movements out there that are looking for people like you. Try formally joining some or joining some of their actions:
https://rebellion.global/ for extinction rebellion (climate change action)
https://blacklivesmatter.com/ this one's pretty obvious, I think.
There's also YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) groups all over the country, you could try looking for one where you live and/or getting one together by putting up flyers at coffee shops, nearby colleges, anywhere that'll let you put one up and maybe a few places that won't.
Look, I'm not even going to tell you to think about federal politics because it's moot. The parties want you to believe that it's the most important place to put your time/money/attention, but that's bullshit. Spoiler alert: one of two fossils are likely to win, one of them is a self-serving Nazi, the other is Joe Biden, do with that information what you will. Local politics is where shit gets done in this country, and it's a lot more impressive to local politics when you can show up either consistently or with a group of people.