So much mayhem for a tax cut to the 1%.

How to make this week count.

Appetizer. My LinkedIn has become an emergency room. Overnight, countless posts rushed in from friends and their connections being fired from their US Government roles and now looking for work. It’s too early to tell how many exactly have been fired or left “voluntarily”, but estimates are at least 100,000 people. These workers’ roles are pretty niche, so their likelihood of finding relevant employment quickly is low. Even those open roles will have competition by other colleagues similarly forced out.

Entree. These public servants are not independently wealthy. They can’t afford to not work. They are - like many of us - a paycheck away from hunger, eviction, unfilled prescriptions, and much more. They are a highly qualified workforce who worked for the love of their country and her people. I’m thinking of the people who worked in the United States Department of Agriculture and helped to maintain the SNAP program, and now, all of a sudden, need to apply for SNAP. I’m thinking of those in the Department of Education who suddenly have to fill out an application for free school meals and those let go from Health & Human Service who now fill a Medicaid application for their family.

The cruel irony? Along with having lost their jobs, Republicans are also seeking to cut all of those programs by hundreds of billions of dollars. Is it all to reduce the national debt? No, it’s to pay for tax cuts to the richest people in history.

As we see this slash-and-burn protocol unfold around us with reckless abandon, I am reminded of a moment from The Lord of the Rings when King Theoden’s fortress was overcome with an enemy that would not be satisfied until Theoden’s kingdom was destroyed. He asked, utterly despondent, “What can men do against such reckless hate?” This same question is on many people’s minds and tongues as we wander in a state of confusion and bewilderment. But here’s the thing, we cannot despair.

Aragorn, hearing Theoden, replied with something we all need to hear today, “Ride out with me. Ride out and meet it.”

Aragorn, son of Arathorn. Copyright New Line Cinema.

What follows makes The Battle for Helm’s Deep one of the most climactic scenes in cinematic history. Had Theoden been alone, he would have despaired, and the story would not have been worth telling. But, with a worthy partner by his side, they went into the fray with glory.

Just Desserts. Looking ahead, we will find moments where we are Theoden, looking for our Aragorn; and other times when we are an Aragorn for someone else. We cannot afford to give up our country to the oligarchs so they can destroy a country we love. Here’s what we can do to ride out and meet it.

This week, your US Representative is back in town. It is a must that you meet them. They’re already feeling the burn from all the calls, now is the time to make them sweat even more. Here’s how you can find out where they will be:

1. To find out who your Representative is, enter your zip code here https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

2. Call their office and ask for details about when their in-district town hall will be. If they have none:

   1. ask that one be scheduled that week as there are urgent things that need to be talked about and specify in-person, not a telephone one, and

   2. make an appointment to go to their office in town.

3. During the town hall or meeting, here are a few things to talk about:

   1. What are you doing to help federal workers who have lost jobs?

      1. TIP - it can be helpful to include an estimate of how many federal workers live locally and have lost their jobs.

   2. What is your stance on cutting SNAP benefits for over 42 million people with low-income during a time when food costs more and hunger is increasing?

   3. What is your stance on cutting Medicaid funding?

   4. What are you doing to push back against giving tax cuts to the richest people in history while cutting the programs that help those with the least?