Red State Folks Know the Drill

Resistance 101

I won’t tell you how I felt Tuesday night or waking up the next day. I will tell you that I barely remember a trip to the grocery store early on Wednesday morning. I think the word is “dissociating.” By the time I started unloading my bags at home, I realized I had purchased over $100 in sweets and breads and alcohol. Almost no real food.

I won’t go through my emotions on this election that likely mirror yours. You know. I know.

It isn’t good.

I saw a Tweet from a blue-state ally. She asked: “How could a blue voter ever live in a red state? I could never.”

Unfortunately, she is about to find out — the country is under red leadership now, but it’s worse than that. This isn’t red vs blue. It’s not Democrats vs Republicans. We are headed toward fascism and oligarchy. Autocracy. Theocracy.

All the historic terms we don’t want to come to our country are knocking at the door.

There are no guardrails — I’m not really sure there ever were. Trump’s first term was an eff around and find out period. They threw shit at the wall for four years and now they know what sticks. Trust me, JD Vance and Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon and Mike Flynn know exactly what they are about to do.

It is on us to be the guardrails. We must document what we see and hear. We must bear witness, but we have so much more to do.

We are staring down the barrel of autocracy. We can look to countries like Russia and Hungary and see the aftermath of a strongman. Of corruption at every level. At naked oligarchy. At those who stop at nothing to consolidate their power to plunder their country’s wealth.

Here is what I know instinctively: Resist.

I am not writing to fill your head or heart with toxic positivity. I am writing to give you some things you can do now as we learn what the next four years, or beyond, hold for us. I have some suggestions after living in a fascist state for two decades.

Missouri had an abortion ban…that we just overturned. Missouri funds public schools at 49th in the nation while sending millions to private religious schools. Missouri churches play politics and have a direct line to the Capitol. They have tax-exempt status while preaching politics from the pulpit.

Missouri has closed almost 20 rural hospitals and almost ten maternity wings — weird for a state that claims to be pro-life. Half of Missouri lies in a childcare desert with almost 60 daycares closing in the last year because officials couldn’t manage to get federal funds to these centers.

We sent $42 million in federal funds back to DC instead of feeding hungry kids.

Missouri lawmakers repealed the gun permitting process and we are now 4th in the nation in gun violence. Missouri never passed a mask mandate during COVID and our neighbors died needlessly. We are near the bottom for maternal health and a Black mom is three times more likely to die in pregnancy than her white counterpart.

All of these measures have been purposeful. It’s not that Missouri doesn’t have the money to fund our state…we are sitting on 8 billion dollars in surplus. It’s that the fascist theo-bros we have elected send taxpayer money to the wealthiest and line the pockets of billionaires while slashing infrastructure and social programs.

I didn’t even mention the first thing the new Trump presidency will usher in: deportations. This is what we will be fighting across the country. Here are some tips from a red-state resister:

1. Read “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder. His first rule is one of the most important — do not obey in advance. He tells the story of Nazi Germany. The fact that regular Germans started giving up their freedom and their neighbors before they were even asked. They anticipated a law and acted on it before it was a law. Some Germans taught Hitler what he could get away with, and it seems it was more than he had dreamed. Do not obey in advance applies to our immigrant and undocumented friends facing deportation under cruel immigration roundups.

2. Get to know your local lawmakers. Make yourself known and also let them know you are watching their legislation. Write them often and get to know their legislative aids. You may not be able to befriend them, as I am not, but they know there is accountability. They know you are watching. They know you are keeping a record for all to see. Be consistent. Be a thorn if need be. Be a witness.

3. Use your privilege, whatever your privilege may be. I use mine for the women and girls who can’t speak up. For the teachers who can’t say what needs to be said and still keep their job. For the woman who needs access to abortion. For the person of color who may pay a steeper price than me. For the gay or trans person who is terrified to speak up for fear of the repercussions. Stand for those who do not have your privilege or your voice.

4. Mockery and satire are better tools than shame. Showing a hypocrite his hypocrisy does not shame him. He will laugh it off. So, laugh in his face. If you can safely make fun of the oppressors, do it. If you have a chance to laugh at them or protest them in person, do it. Bullies love for others to live in fear, and the only thing the bullies fear is ridicule. Point at them. Laugh at them. Show others how to do the same.

5. Lay low if you must, but the best way to resist is to stand up. When you stand up, you give others the permission and the structure to do the same. You strengthen others when they see your resistance. Be bold.

Protesting the Herzog Foundation at their own compound in Smithville, MO. Thanks to Kelly for the sign!

It isn’t just the strongman-types that we have to deal with — it’s the people who overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump. It’s my neighbors living hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheck, who voted for a President who will create a cabinet to rob them of the crumbs they had left.

It’s mind-blowing. Mind-numbing.

Claire McCaskill, a former US Senator, is from Missouri. She is fully aware of the state of my state, and she had this to say about the election and voters:

“…anger and fear were going to work in this election, whether you’re afraid of immigrants or afraid of people who are trans, he figured that out,” she continued. “And I think we all thought everyone’s better angels would prevail. Turns out the better angels went on vacation when Donald Trump came down the escalator and they haven’t returned.”

A true quote, but we don’t have time to wait for angels. The work is in front of us and it’s scary. But, resistance is as old as time.

We can do this. We have no choice but to do this.

Solidarity in the work.

~Jess