Amidst the tyranny among us, let us not forget the terrible toll that SARS-COV-2 is having on the world and the United States. Click on the link for the most current data and information.
Lesson 15: Contribute to Good Causes
“Be active in organizations, political or not, that express your own view of life. Pick a charity or two and set up autopay. Then you will have made a free choice that supports civil society and helps others do good.”
Timothy Snyder, “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century,” 2017.
Do you remember former President George H.W. Bush and his “thousand points of light?” That is what this lesson is about. It’s about strengthening our civil society through our own actions and by encouraging others to so as well.
I dislike making any reference to our most recent former president, but in order to point out how tyrants think, I’ve linked these comments that were made by this person on July 5, 2018 at a rally in Montana in regards to President Bush’s Thousand Points of Light idea. Darkness does not do well when exposed to light. Darkness as exemplified by Vladimir Putin, Vampires, Darth Vader and bullies among others, don’t respond well in the light of day. Thus, light is the enemy of darkness. George H.W. Bush and I were diametrically opposed on political philosophy and policy, but he was spot on with this idea of a thousand points of light.
Literally there are thousands and thousands times a thousand of those “points of light” that President Bush alluded to. As long as those lights shine, tyranny will never get to hide in the shadows of darkness.
Snyder encourages us “to engage in activities that are of interest to us, our friends, our families.” This includes, but is by no means whatsoever, limited to making money contributions to society building causes that you believe in. I’m in a position to be able to make modest monetary contributions to organizations that I believe are doing good in the world. Each one of these activities is a “point of light.” Giving of your hard earned resources and engaging with like minded people that you didn’t or still don’t know strengthens the invisible fabric that binds civilizations together. Donate when you can in substantive ways. I’m proud of what I donate to the organizations of my choice.
But, I’m equally, if not more, proud of the things that I do that don’t involve money. Responding to emails or letters to validate the interests and contributions of friends and family, donating Platelets at the Stanford Blood Center, singing in my church choir, writing this Blog, taking care of my own physical and mental health. Taking an active role in the life of those you know and love shows how “the capacity for trust and learning can make life seem less chaotic and mysterious, and democratic politics more plausible and attractive.”
Eastern Europeans know a great deal about tyranny. Twentieth Century did not like non-governmental organizations or charities, in fact they were openly hostile towards them. Fascists want everything under their control and these types of organizations functioned outside of their control. Authoritarians of today like those in Russian and Turkey carry this same view about free associations and NGOs.
We can each do our part in defeating and resisting tyrants by being involved in life, by paying attention to our friends and families, by contributing to causes that make life better for people and by exemplifying the good that we wish to see in the world.
