On January 20th, America watched a man assume the presidency who has, among other things, pledged to deport our undocumented neighbors, place our Muslim friends under aggressive surveillance, reauthorize torture as an interrogation tactic, and punish women for making decisions about their own bodies and health. Though he was duly elected under the laws governing our land, the majority of Americans rejected the racism, xenophobia, and sexism that were the very heart and foundation of his campaign.
There are now two options open to us moving forward. The first is a surrender to fatalism, where we disengage from the political process and allow an un-American and unconstitutional agenda to trample our cherished values of liberty, equality, and justice. The second option is to fight, to seize this moment and usher in a new age of collective action, patriotic dissent, and government accountability.
At the ACLU we choose the latter, as we have always done throughout our nearly 100 years of resisting injustice and fighting for change. In the next four years, we see an opportunity for the already vibrant community of change makers in New Mexico to grow and flourish as we stand in solidarity against rising tides of authoritarianism. We are personally committed as an organization to continue our work in this community not just defending our hard won liberties, but fighting with you to build a more free and just state for us all.
There are plenty of opportunities to join the fight for change right here in our own backyard. First, you can call your New Mexico legislators who are currently debating bills on key issues like digital privacy protection, criminal justice reform, reproductive freedom, and medical aid in dying. We must become fierce and fearless in our political engagement, holding our leaders accountable at every level, and demand laws and policies that actually improve the lives of everyday New Mexicans.
Second, you can help build community power by becoming active with an organization you believe in. Join a board, volunteer your time and resources, help organize events, fundraisers, and protests. We cannot be “We the People” if we remain separate and apart from one another. If the new administration makes good on promises to deploy deportation forces to our neighborhoods or force Muslims to enter into registries, strong community and interpersonal bonds will go a long way towards keeping our families safe.
Third, you can be a champion for truth. Speak out against falsehoods meant to sow distrust and divide us. Support local journalism. Stand by our courts. These critical institutions underwrite our democracy and our own president has repeatedly attacked their legitimacy. Without a free press, strong independent courts, and indeed even a consensus that truth and transparency itself are important, we cannot hold our government accountable.
Finally, we must be ever vigilant in our resistance. There are plenty of ways in which the new administration’s agenda could have a direct and immediate impact on our community. For example, should the new Department of Justice refuse to hold police departments accountable, our ongoing efforts to reform the Albuquerque Police Department could lose momentum or derail altogether. If Washington turns a blind eye to our civil rights, it will be up to us to defend them here in New Mexico with redoubled vigor.
In the words of American poet Clarissa Pinkola Estés, “We were made for these times.” We the People of New Mexico are proud, diverse, and strong. We will rise to the challenge of this administration, and set New Mexico apart as an example of what we can achieve when we reject the politics of fear and division and embrace our shared values of fairness, freedom and equality.
We’re ready for this. Are you?
Peter Simonson is the executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico.
