Protecting Your Peace Amidst the Decaying of Democracy
{Nicholas Lazzaro}
DURING MY TENURE of public service I have witnessed many leadership styles including Trump 1.0. Never have I seen the scale of tragic funding cuts, poor leadership, and lack of integrity come from one individual. What many fail to understand is that poor leadership is a cancer. It emboldens and infects your Senate, House, Judges, State officers, State legislature down to your friendly local city councilors/ selectmen. This behavior is top down and allows for a permission structure for others to act unethically (no fear of repercussions). This type of leadership is exhausting not only to us public servants on the front lines but it is also inherently designed to make everyday people exhausted and disoriented. Protecting your peace while democracy decays and explodes in your face is not exactly what you want to hear but it is necessary to continue the fight.
Everyday it is easy to get caught up in the news of “what did he do now?” - followed by a deep sigh or rant. Although it is easy to feel antagonized I remember something one of my teachers said to me when I was a kid. In middle school I had started getting made fun of for being perceived as gay. My math teacher at the time once said to me: “you get to decide what you do, how you feel and how you respond, you are always in control of your future and destiny, not bullies.” Although I did not see it then I appreciate this now more than ever as there are repeated assaults on our LGBTQ+ community on a daily basis from someone with the same emotional intelligence as my middle school bullies. But that is WHAT he is. A mean middle school bully. So we must respond to him in that way. If we let him bother us, we let him tell us what to do and how to feel and who to be- we are effectively releasing all power we have. Instead, responding to Trump like a bully is the strategy that is needed. Ignoring and shining is the best antidote to his hatred, and purposeful confusion.
I control what I can control. I first ask myself: How does this policy affect me? How does this affect my family or friends? How does this affect my community? I do this in that order. Why? It’s called the airplane oxygen mask method. You need to put your mask on before you help others. If you cannot breathe (take care of yourself), you will not be able to support your friends, family or greater community at large. Exactly what he hopes for. Making sure that you look after your own peace, your own rights, and how that affects the people you love. Helps to guide how you as an individual can make change within your community. Your impacts on your town, neighborhood or city will be felt 2-3x on anything a President can LEGALLY do.
Protecting peace is also very personal. From a young age, I had created mechanisms to be able to practice this without even knowing I was. The first thing I love to do is to go out into nature with my phone TURNED OFF. This can look like going to your favorite park or just walking in your neighborhood. Next, I like to do something that supports my own goals and ambitions. Creating agency and goals for oneself is crucial to remind yourself physically and mentally that you are your arbiter of your life, your truth, and your ambitions. For me, this looks like exercising to achieve my fitness goals, but this can also look like creating art, music, or working on a home project.
Channeling your energy into meaningful work is also incredibly empowering. This does not mean you have to run for Congress. It means leading a workshop on DEI at the office, it can look like using someone’s preferred pronouns or keeping yours in your sign off/bios, it can also look like supporting a non-profit that is actively in the fight. Channeling your energy into smaller pockets of change within your direct impacts can create waves within your community. No act of civil disobedience, support, and inclusivity will be too small when we are all under threat.
With that, I leave you with this: Protect yourself, your loved ones, and your friends. He is one person. We are MILLIONS of people. We cannot and will not bend to the will of a tyrant. There are more of us than him.