How can we stop Trump?

“There's a history of demagogues calling those they disagree with "terrorists" and using that as justification for intimidation and violence – and that history is ugly and dangerous. There's also a history of people staying quiet for too long, hoping for the best but watching silently as the threat metastasizes. Donald Trump is a bigger, uglier threat every day that goes by – and it’s time for decent people everywhere – Republican, Democrat, Independent – to say No More Donald. There's no virtue in silence.” -Elizabeth Warren

But Elizabeth…..how?

 How do we say no more Donald?

 No, the better question is how do we do no more Donald?

 How do we, as a collective of Americans who realize the danger of this demagogue, come together to stop him? Especially during this time of incredible divide?

 Protesting at his rallies seems counterproductive now. The protests have become a part of the Trump reality show.  As protestors are removed, Trump has taken to gleefully asking, “Aren’t my rallies fun?” Attending a rally must feel like being a part of a “live studio audience,” and I’m guessing that most supporters would be at least slightly disappointed if they didn’t get a little protest on the side.

When the shit hits the fan, I don’t want to have been one of the quiet ones, but I also don’t want to be a part of the Trumpertainment, either. When I speak of protesting at the possible rally in Buffalo, NY, my teenage daughter reminds me that I have four children and coolly predicts that I’ll be killed. As she speaks, I’m momentarily jolted when I consider that this level of overt racism and xenophobia is occurring in American politics in 2016. What also bothers me is how nonchalantly she speaks of all this. We are already getting used to the bile spewing from this blustery buffoon.

 How can this be?

 Maybe it could be that, as we scroll through disturbing posts about Trump, we’re also scrolling through the vacation pictures of the neighbor two houses down, and the St. Patty’s day pin some stranger made and posted in the facebook group you didn’t know you belonged to, and the photomontage of cute kitten paws.  We’re all being paralyzed by the minutia of social media.

 People have purchased ‘stop Trump’ domains, but the sites aren't up yet. A few people have created gofundme campaigns to stop Trump, but didn’t so much as create a description about the page. Maybe they got pulled away by a facebook invite for a pubcrawl or something. It feels as though our collective addiction to our screens could be lulling us into inaction. And make no mistake; all of this applies to me.

I am guilty of social media-induced apathy, but despite my (ab)use of social media, I have a strong desire to push through this screen -even use the screen and all of the associated technology- to affect change, but in the real world. Actions like buying ads (billboards, bus station posters, bus ads) featuring Trumps ugliest quotes. Purchasing ad space in newspapers with the phrase, “America is already great, without the hate,” coined by Chicago protestor and pastor, Jedidiah Brown.

 Everyone who believes that Donald Trump is toxic to this country has a responsibility to do something. Could the fact that we’re tethered to our machines and devices prevent us from taking any real action? Could all of the mind-numbing, social media nonsense be making our brains impervious to the real threat that is Donald Trump?