"Last year was a tough year" by Joyce Vance

 

Last year was a tough year, but we can’t be quitters; we can’t give up. My hope is that reading Civil Discourse has brought a little more sanity and a sense that you are not alone, that you are part of a community of like-minded people who believe in democracy, to your world these past years.

I’m looking forward to being here with you every step of the way next year. I have plans for The Democracy Archive, where my goal is to help us keep focus on the most important events as Trump’s 2.0 administration unfolds.

We need to understand what’s happening without getting overwhelmed. I also have some other exciting news I hope to be able to share with you soon. It’s going to be a hard year, but we’re going to work hard to get it right.

We’re going to keep the Republic and reject autocracy, kleptocracy, and kakistocracy, which seem to be Trump and Musk’s vision for our future, based on how they’re conducting themselves during the transition.

The question I hear from people the most frequently is, “What can I do?” We all want to be able to make a difference, and I try to offer specifics. I’ll continue to offer ideas about how to get involved as I address specific problems, but the most important thing we can do is educate ourselves.

Arm yourselves with the facts. Read good analysis, but also, think for yourself. Most importantly, be prepared to use your knowledge to bring along those who have been subjected to misinformation or fallen down a disinformation rabbit hole. Those conversations work! And they’re going to be critical in the coming years…

One thing I learned from the election: we have a community of people who care. We can’t give up or ignore what’s happening around us. It can be better as long as we stay involved.

We’re in this together,

-Joyce Vance