Inspired by John Oliver -- day 6

While I have always loved John Oliver, I have really grown completely devoted to him since his coverage of the 2016 election.  (Here's the link to his post-election show: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

There are a lot of really good points in here.  Most notably the start of the answer to:  what the fuck do we do now?  One answer is to donate to causes that may need resources because of some of Trump's planned policies.

These are the organizations he has proposed:

Planned Parenthood  
 Because Roe vs Wade still stands and they do much more than just abortions anyway.

Center for Reproductive Rights
  Because Roe vs Wade is in potential jeopardy and women should get to keep choices over what they can do with their bodies.

Natural Resources Defense Council
  Because Trump is planning on installing a non-scientist, climate change denier as the head of the EPA

The International Refugee Assistance Project
  Because Syria

NAACP Legal Defense Fund
  Because Black Lives Matter

The Trevor Project
  Because the Veep and other proposed cabinet members think that being gay is some kind of choice. 


Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
  Because walls are stupid.

There are probably many more, but this is a good start.

Another key take-away from his show is that most of us get our news from our Facebook feed.  Which lets face it, Facebook is an echo chamber of lies and misinformation.  (This was also the proposed title of the first Harry Potter novel.)  So, we have to stop accepting things as fact just because we like how they sound.  I'm good with that.  But, how do we get "them" to do that?  How do we bridge this divide when "they" don't trust or believe the media, other than Fox?  Because we have got to push this train forward, even though its engineer is batshit crazy.  How do we force those who truly don't believe in facts that you can't just deny the facts?  Because by definition they are "a thing that is indisputably the case" OR "something that truly exists or happens."

I am genuinely asking this, because I do not know.  In the wake of the results, many articles came through my facebook feed and one that has really settled and taken hold is this one.

       You can’t say that you’re for progress and then stay quiet because it’s too awkward. We’ve tried   changing the minds of racists, and it hasn’t worked. So it has to come from you. Not the you that posts “woke af” articles (like this one) that only your friends can see, but the you that goes home for Thanksgiving and silently digs into the green bean casserole while someone talks about Black Lives Matter being thugs. Use your voice. Those mashed potatoes won’t stand up for Black people—you have to.

 Wow, right?  How do we do that?  How do we get to a point of being able to hold rational conversations with people who don't believe facts?  I am genuinely asking this, again.  Because I need to know.  I am going to be in these positions, and I need to know how to open this dialogue and keep it going.  And not back down.... 

The rambling will continue again -- but for now, you are welcome for the Tom Petty song now currently stuck in your head.