What is the ‘Resistance’?

Written by Stacey Khizder

By now, you’ve probably heard about the resistance. But what is it?

After the election of Donald Trump, hundreds of thousands of people vowed to join the ‘resistance,’ a movement meant to oppose Trump, his administration, and the right-wing dominance of legislative government. It started off as a sincere initiative to organize the masses towards progressive change, and towards speaking out when facing injustice. While some of this still rings true, the resistance has steered its way towards being more of a useful tool for slacktivists social media.

The Resistance is more than hashtagging #RESIST each time there is a viral post about the atrocious nature of America’s federal government. It is about showing up and speaking out.

When the Democrats won the popular vote in 2016, it became clear that Donald Trump and his supporters are out-numbered. We saw proof of that in the stunning mass of people that showed up for the Women’s March on Washington, which tripled in comparison to the amount of people who came to support Trump’s inauguration the previous day. However, simply being out-numbered doesn’t change the enormous power that the federal government has when determining how America handles its most vital issues.

To truly ‘resist,’ we need to focus more on our presence on the ground and in action, instead of solely on social media. We need to focus on the obscured issues that affect millions of Americans. We need to focus on being great allies to minority groups, as well as those who have been marginalized as a result of the hateful rhetoric set by Trump and his administration.

That means continuing to show up for numerous marches and rallies. It means making constant phone calls to representatives, and holding them accountable for their votes and actions. It means sticking up for people who are faced with primary, secondary and tertiary oppression. It means talking to and understanding those who hold opposing views. It means organizing for progressive change on a local, state, and federal level. We can do more.

As we head into the scorching hot Summer months, ShopTYT’s ‘RESIST’ shirts and tank-tops are great for attending meetings, marches, rallies, and beyond! It is an easy way to visually, and fashionably, show your support for the resistance movement while actively participating in ‘on the ground’ activism.

Get them as Men's Shirts or Women's Tank Tops!