As I mentioned on the front page, there’s been a lot of news lately. A LOT a lot. Trump has hit the ground running as far as implementing chaotic orders on his own initiative and driven by Elon Musk and his band of techbros, throwing everything we understand about our democracy into confusion and fear.
There’s been so much news, it’s time to launch an e-newsletter for the Labor World. Increased prices for postage and newsprint have meant that we’ve had to trim our production calendar, but things are happening so fast, it’s important to get as much news to the Labor community as possible.
The e-newsletter is a work in progress but should be launched by the time you read this. Whether it’s ready to go or not, you can sign up for it on the Labor World website at www.laborworld.org. The website will have other recent Labor news as well, while the e-newsletter will be full of updates, things you may have missed, and breaking news alerts.
As dire as things may seem, there is good news as well. It may be hard to spot, but for me, I’ve been heartened by how many people have felt the need to “do something,” how many people have decided they’ve been going along to get along for too long, and now it’s time to speak up.
This can look like a lot of different things, and with the massive and devastating changes Trump and his cronies are wreaking on our society, it can be overwhelming to decide what to do. This is, of course, by design — when so many changes are being made, people end up being distracted by each one, like a cat chasing a laser pointer.
With that in mind, here are some tips for figuring out where to spend your energy in the coming weeks and months:
• Start small. Calling your representatives is one of the most effective things you can do, particularly if you do it every day. You don’t have to change the mind of the person who answers the phone; simply calling and saying “I think [Action X] on [Issue Y] is [good, bad, helpful, harmful] is enough. Offices keep track of callers’ sentiments; it doesn’t take much for legislators to realize their constituents have big feelings about something.
• Identify your issue. You might have strong stances on a lot of issues in the news right now — the gutting of the NLRB, the threats to bodily autonomy, the attacks on the immigrant community. It’s hard, but narrowing your focus to one, maybe two tops, will help you budget your efforts into actions that have larger effects.
• Join what already exists. Chances are, people are already doing the work you want to help out with. Even in smaller communities in the Arrowhead, people are feeding the hungry, protecting the oppressed, ensuring people get the healthcare they need and want. Find the organizations doing the work and join, rather than trying to start something from the ground up.
Through it all, remember that change is a marathon, not a sprint. Ensure you’re taking a little time for yourself to recharge. The work will be there for you when you’re ready. Solidarity forever!

-- By Catherine Conlan