Life in Activism: Four Things You Absolutely DO NOT Have to Do in Order to be an Effective Activist

Photo by Edoardo Bortoli on Unsplash

My goal with the Life in Activism column is to help grassroots Democratic activists stay engaged in politics over the long run without losing their peace of mind or sense of self. To do this, I share insights I have learned from my more than 20 years of continuous, full-time political activism that have helped keep me going even in the darkest of times.

Being an effective Democratic activist usually requires you to affirmatively do things, such as volunteering, attending meetings, writing letters, making donations, contacting members of Congress, etc. However, there are actually some situations where not doing something is just as important.

With the news that President Biden has pardoned his son Hunter—which to some may appear at odds with defending equality under the law—I wanted to share four things I have learned that you absolutely do NOT need to do in order to be an effective Democratic activist over the long run. The fourth one, in particular, is something I recommend avoiding as much as possible.

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