Who We Are and How We Got Started

Orange Alert formed in November 2016, shortly after the election of the chief executive who shall not be named. Like most of our friends, we were shocked, horrified, depressed, and in disbelief. Every morning was like waking up into a nightmare.

But within a few days, Barbara took action. She invited a small group of friends and neighbors to her house to vent, commiserate, and strategize. Initially some of us were hopeful that enough members of the Electoral College might vote for a third candidate to prevent the nightmare presidency from coming to pass. When that didn’t happen, we realized we were in for the long haul.

At the Women’s March in San Jose, January 21, 2017

Now, almost five months later (hard to believe it’s only been that long!) we meet weekly, more or less. We begin by checking in and sharing what resistance actions we’ve taken recently. Then we try to figure out how we can best use our time and energy in the coming weeks to resist encroaching authoritarianism. One or two of us often attend a political meeting and then report back to the rest of the group. We participate in marches and demonstrations, send postcards (we spent one whole meeting writing #TheIdesOfTrump cards), and make phone calls and send e-mails to our legislators, encouraging them not to behave as if this is politics as usual.

#TheIdesOfTrump postcards

Are we making a difference? Hard to say. We’re certainly making more of a difference than we would if we sat at home moping. Whenever I ask myself that question, I think of the 1977 song by Meg Christian and Holly Near, “The Rock Will Wear Away”:

Can we be like drops of water falling on the stone
Splashing, breaking, dispersing in air
Weaker than the stone by far but be aware
That as time goes by the rock will wear away
And the water comes again *

There’s also this quote, usually attributed to the first-century Rabbi Tarfon but, in reality, probably taken from the 1995 book Wisdom of the Jewish Sages by Rabbi Rami Shapiro. Whatever. It’s a great quote, both comforting and challenging:

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

So. We’ll do our best to continue the work, whether or not we’re able to complete it. More to follow.

* Listen to the whole song here: