Five ways to help advance the progressive agenda this spring

By Mary Anne Mulligan:

Tired of sitting on the couch, consuming carbs, and fretting about the Mueller investigation? Here are a few ideas for taking action over the next few months.

1. Grassroots groups and Democratic committees in Northern Virginia are united to elect a Democratic candidate to replace Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock in VA-10. Follow BlueWaveVA10 for opportunities to canvass unidentified voters now, even before the primary election. Once identified, progressive voters can be motivated to turn out to vote in November.

2. Become involved in the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC). Meetings are open to the public, although voting is restricted to committee members. FCDC is just beginning a two-year cycle, so anyone who joins now is a member through December 2019. Membership in FCDC makes you a member of your local district committee as well as the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA). Check the FCDC calendar for the next meeting of your district committee or another committee that interests you. Plan to attend, and take a friend!

3. Party politics not your thing? Explore the Indivisible Guide’s extensive list of local resistance groups. Please note that some of the groups listed have merged with others as the resistance movement has matured, and some of the listings are out of date. So if you don’t receive an answer from one group, try another.

4. Since the Valentine’s Day shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, young people have taken the lead to address the epidemic of gun violence in our country. Make sure everyone in your household is registered to vote, including 17-year-olds who will be 18 by November 6, 2018. Check your registration and polling location.

5. Sign up with the March for Truth Rapid Response and pledge to take to the streets in a nonviolent protest if President Trump fires special counsel Robert Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Actions in Washington, D.C., are planned for the White House and the U.S. Capitol.

Mary Anne Mulligan is vice chair/communications of the Lee District Democratic Committee and is on the Blue View staff. She is a freelance editor who has worked for The Washington Post and The Fairfax Journal.  

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