Dear Losing Hope

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Ask Ally

Dear Ally,

Our president: can anyone or anything stop him?  I can’t take it anymore.

His outrageous policies: the attack on our Democratic institutions, inhumane treatment of immigrants, alienating our longtime allies, destroying our environment, Venezuela and the latest—Iran; these actions are changing the face of what we stand for as Americans.

Incomprehensible!

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more. Not to mention all of the corruption and personal profit from his crypto schemes and other backroom deals.

Disgusting! 

But now, my intolerance of the president has escalated to a new level: our own health.  I’m not talking about his absurd anti-vaccination policies.

I bump into friends and they share that they have recently visited Urgent Care for sleep disorders, high blood pressure problems and uncontrollable anxiety attacks.

Now, he’s wreaking havoc with the nervous systems of Americans. 

How do we survive another three years?

I’m ready to give up.

Losing Hope.

Dear Losing Hope,

We can’t give up. Our president and his MAGA base want us to do that. If we give up, they become more powerful.

Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary to President Bill Clinton recently said: “Never forget this: The forces undermining our democracy, rigging our economy, polluting our planet, and stoking hatred are counting on you to give up. Cynicism is how they win.” 

We can’t give up. Our future is too important. At this moment, our President’s approval ratings are plummeting and getting worse. He’s losing public sentiment over three issues:  1) The Economy; 2) Inflation and 3) The Abusive Treatment of Immigrants.

Independent voters think ICE has gone too far.

Make Your Voice Heard – Protests make a Difference

Rachel Maddow (MS Now) appeared on Jimmy Kimmel in early January of this year. Kimmel asked her if she thought protests (like those in Minnesota) made a difference. Maddow responded positively.  “Protests make a huge difference.” She talked about the political science term, called the 3.5% rule.

This concept claims that when 3.5% of the population of a country protests nonviolently against an authoritarian government, that government is likely to fall from power and “transformative changes are inevitable.”

The October 2025 No Kings March drew nearly 7 million people or approximately 2% of the population.

We’re almost to 3.5%.

We must Act

Indivisible Milwaukee is a grassroots group that defends democracy and advocates for a progressive agenda. They are most known for their successful organization of the No Kings March that took place in many cities across the U.S.  indivisible.org

Download the 5 Calls app.  They make it easy to contact our federal and state elected leaders.

5 Calls lists 10 timely issues to choose from. If your issue is not listed, there is a search bar to locate it. They provide background information and talking points on each issue selected. They also give the names and numbers of your federal and state elected leaders. Issues are updated regularly. You always have up to date information.

For example: They list a series of issues and ask what’s important to you. Such as: Stop Unauthorized Strikes on Iran or Stop ICE’s Aggressive Attacks on Immigrants. Since these two issues are federal, contact information for federal leaders are provided.

Issues such as Keep ICE Out of Your DM Data and Stop ICE from Building Camps in Wisconsin are state issues. Contact information for the governor and your state legislators are listed.

Economic Boycotts

The People’s Union USA, out of Chicago, is one of the many grassroots organizations that encourage consumers to stop spending money on designated days. These efforts have had mixed results thus far. Thepeoplesunionusa.com

However, organized resistance against Target stores, for their reversal of DEI policies is having a definite impact.

Register to Vote and Volunteer to Help Register Others

To register to vote, go to: MYVOTE.WI.GOV

There are many organizations that help register people to vote:

Souls to the Polls: www.soulstothe pollswi.org

League of Women Voters: mylwv.org

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin: PPAWI.org

Democratic Party of Milwaukee: milwaukeedems.org

Run for Office

If you feel called to run for office; go for it. This is the perfect time. Most people believe that after the midterms, the House will turn Democratic, which will hopefully stop most of President Trump’s policies. You don’t have to do it alone.  There are several organizations that can provide training and strategic support.

League of Women Voters – my.lwv.org

Wisconsin Progress – wisconsinprogress.org

Emerge Wisconsin – wi.emergeamerica.org

Electing Women Wisconsin – electingwomenalliance.org

Democratic Party of Milwaukee – milwaukeedems.org

If we stay active by doing small and big things, our strength will remain solid. We can look to the citizens of Minnesota, who have taught us how to resist with their unyielding humanity. They kept fighting day after day.

Please don’t give up. We need every one of us to stay in this fight. We are getting closer. Day after day.

Here for you,

Ally