I have been inspired, emboldened and empowered by individuals and groups such as West Seattle Indivisible, to come up with a personal battle plan.
I will not stand silently by. I will speak up, speak out, and make myself heard.
My Personal Battle Plan
By Alice Kuder | June 10, 2025
As December 7, 1941, is remembered by an entire generation of Americans, November 8, 2016, and November 5, 2024, are dates that will live in my own personal infamy.
Both days found me experiencing feelings of disbelief and disillusionment after hearing the results of the presidential elections. How could Donald Trump have won a first term, let alone a second? How could almost half the population forgive, or ignore his lies, and his felonious acts, and believe that he was, and is, worthy of leading our country?
All I could think was, ‘What do we do now?’ What can we possibly do to stop—or at least counteract—the atrocious acts and policies he is promising to inflict upon so many innocent and vulnerable citizens—my neighbors.
I participated in soulful conversations with friends and family in the days following his second election. We all remembered narrowly surviving the years of his first term, naïvely believing we could be certain that at least it would never happen again. We were wrong, of course, and now face an adversary who has spent the last four years sharpening his talons. During those early conversations, we acknowledged that this time, it would not be enough to merely survive Trump’s tenure, we have to stop his initiatives before he destroys our democracy. Even recognizing that truth, all we could do in those early days was shake our heads, wring our hands, and ask ‘how?’. I—we—felt helpless.
During these five months since he took office, I have been watching, reading about, and internalizing the actions of those we elected—and those we didn’t—to see how they align with my personal values. Honestly, I hadn’t given much attention to DEI efforts before they came under attack. I applauded the work others were doing to address it, but it wasn’t a front-and-center issue for me. Once Trump started voicing his contempt for the very concept, I knew I had to sit up and take notice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion—three words that only a narcissistic, billionaire, misfit could have reason to fear.
During those same five months, I have been inspired, emboldened and empowered by individuals and groups such as West Seattle Indivisible, to come up with a personal battle plan; a plan of actions (plural) to replace head-shaking, hand-wringing, and feelings of helplessness.
Here is that plan:
1) Stand up and be counted
It’s no longer enough to just stand by and wait for the parade to pass. It’s no longer enough to just vote. It’s no longer enough to just throw money at organizations which claim that adequate contributions from us will enable them to solve the problems.
2) Reach out and connect
Standing up is vital, but standing alone is unnecessary and ill-advised. This struggle is a valuable opportunity to connect with others of like-mind…to surround ourselves with generous, caring people. These groups and individuals are all around us. We just need to look for them and reach out. Human connections give us strength and endurance.
3) Make a lot of noise
I will not stand silently by. I will speak up, speak out, and make myself heard in a respectful way. I will join others in speaking our truth so loudly that we cannot be ignored.
4) Persist
I will rest on occasion, but I will not stop. I find faith in the words of great men and women who have come before me. “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” Benjamin Franklin. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Winston Churchill. “Never let the bastards get you down.” Margaret Atwood.
It has taken me four months to realize my question—what do I do now—also contained my answer, which is—Do.
Now, I have a four-part plan that outlines what I can do. If you don’t have one yet, keep reaching out and looking within…a plan is there for each and every one of us.