Pupper-radicals: Thoughts & resources following the 2024 US presidential election

Why should you care about what a dog-friendly hiking and travel blog has to say about political or social issues? You shouldn’t, and maybe you don’t. If that’s the case, simply click away. But you might care about what I, Lauren, the author of this page, have to say. I am a dog mom, a hiker, an adventurer – But so much more. 

First things first

Let me be clear. I am a cisgender, hetero, white woman – One who resolved many moons ago that my path in this world means nothing if I don’t commit myself to using my privilege to fight for justice for ALL. This blog is just one little corner of my world, and another huge part is the world of education. Professionally, I’m a teacher – of young children, and of teachers. I have, throughout my career, used anti-facist philosophy to influence my educational pedagogy & praxis. I am the “radical left” that you hear of. But all this really means is that I believe in the voices, rights, LIVES of historically marginalized folks, and I do my best to align my actions with this. This includes immigrants, our trans kin, the entire LGBTQIA+ community, communities of Color, everyone with a uterus, children, and the planet. I’m far from perfect, and I make mistakes all the time. But I keep trying, and I hope you will too. 

There have been many points in my life that have shaped my path – The 2003 invasion of Iraq, the 2008 housing crisis, 2016 election of Donald Trump, the 2020 uprisings following the murder of George Floyd. But there are also smaller moments – For example, the time I was walking Bonnie & Ada along one of my favorite nature trails in my city, and found a memorial to Mike. Mike was a houseless man who I had a casual conversation with several weeks prior, about how he grew up in the community in which we both live, how housing prices and life circumstances had driven him to the streets, and how difficult it was to get his life back on track since he had lost his ID and had no way of getting a new one. I brought Mike some food later that day, and spoke with him every time I walked this path. The day I came upon his memorial, and found out he had frozen to death, I resolved to do more. 

My involvement with activism and mutual aid groups in the past several years have taught me many things, one of which being that powerful government leaders, and status quo systems of government are not in place to protect everyday people like you, me, and Mike. Living with humanity at the center is so much more than voting and paying taxes. And you might be feeling this now more than ever after the 2024 presidential election. The Republican party succeeded in supporting a presidential candidate, and many congressional candidates who are openly sexist, racist, homophobic, and xenophobic. A majority of Americans (of voting age) showed up to cast a vote overlooking these fundamental flaws. The Democratic party failed to prop up a candidate who stood for marginally more humane positions, although did nothing to address the growing concern over the US’s support for the genocide currently happening in Palestine. I could say a lot more about what I believe these failures represent, or how I believe these failures happened. But I believe that finger pointing and playing the blame game are never effective tools against oppression. Blame keeps our wheels stuck in the mud, and exhausts us as we spin and spin, trying to break free. 

Yes, I voted for Kamala Harris, and yes – I was excited to cast a ballot for a Black woman. However, Harris has many stains on her background, and throughout her admittedly short campaign, she refused to set herself apart in any way from the Biden policies did not leave me with much enthusiasm for her politically. I was going to be disappointed in the election outcome either way. However, the Trump regime poses a far greater threat to the lives and liberties of so many people in the US. Donald Trump places in front of us a perhaps more clear, scarier, and more immediate need to grapple with the failings of our society and each of our roles in them.

Our country, the United States of America, is one founded by rich white men, for the purpose of supporting the success of rich white men. We were founded on colonialism, chattel slavery, & genocide, and have never properly dealt with these foundations on a mass scale. We have been fed rhetoric many times, and in many ways: We have moved on, we are healed, we are fundamentally free, we are equal, etc. But I choose to listen to community leaders who refute these claims, and ask us to open our eyes to the realities of the society in which we live. 

Accepting the fundamental inequities baked into the world in which we live is a first step to understanding that any election outcome would still result in the reality that there is a LOT of work we have to do as Americans and as humans, to right a ship that has been steered very wrong, over and over again. The Trump victory perhaps only brings to the immediate surface, and makes abundantly clear, the types of work that have to be done. 

Here on this site, and through our social media, we share our outdoor adventures because we believe:

• Everyone should have access to nature
• Everyone deserves to feel safe to be their authentic selves
• The health of our planet should be at the top of everyone’s agenda
• The more people connect with nature, the better chance we have of protecting the planet for our future kin
• Through our shared love for animals and the outdoors, we can gain courage, conviction, and strength to do what’s right for people, puppers, and the planet.

If the results of the presidential election have left you feeling despair, exhaustion, darkness, fear, sadness, confusion, existential dread, etc. – Your feelings are valid. It’s ok, I feel them too. But I urge you to not let this outcome steal your light. I’m not here with toxic positivity, telling you that blind optimism or unquestioning kindness will make everything ok – NOPE! It won’t. And if you have people in your ear saying all we need to do is be kind to each other, turn down their volume. 

Don’t move on. Keep the big feelings close. Let them be a touchstone you can return to when you need to remind yourself what you’re fighting for. But also – DON’T give up before the fight has even begun. That’s what the powers that be are counting on. They want you to lose hope, to give up, to stay numb, to keep spinning your wheels until you are too tired to do anything else, to think that all is lost, to not even try. They want us to be arguing about whether or not we’re being kind to each other rather than directing our energy to what we CAN do. 

It’s important to remember that voting is most certainly not all we have, although the powers-that-be would like for us to believe that it is. Elections are important, but big national elections in the US are also a tool that those in power use to keep us all feeling like we’re exercising a voice, when actually the cards are stacked in certain ways to begin with. When you really think about how absurd it is to say we live in a free and fair society when our two party system keeps us locked into a choice between the lesser of two evils, it’s easier to move onto more local, more direct, more impactful kinds of actions. 

No matter where you started, your journey that led you to read this blog post, I’d like to believe that we share a value of CARE  – Caring deeply for living beings, for our communities, and for our planet. But to be the fullest expressions of our caring, outdoor-loving selves, nature-nurturing selves, we need to live in a truly free society. And in order to move toward real freedom and justice for all, we must all start to move to slightly different rhythms. The election is over. We have two months to prepare for a Trump regime, and even after he takes power, we must continue to engage. The next steps in building a shared future that embraces ALL human beings over profits, bigotry, greed, & intolerance can only begin when we link arms and refuse to lay down. Our humanity is inextricably bound together – collective liberation is the only way forward.

There’s a lot to do, and many ways to plug into the resistance. One important way is to embrace joy – Joy is radical. Rest, softness, and self care are radical. So go play in the woods, take your dog for as many hikes as you can muster. Watch a sunset, dig your hands into the soil, make art, dance, call a friend who is always a pleasure to talk to, skip answering a call from someone who is not, take your dog on another walk. Our shared humanity is our greatest strength, but we cannot care for each other unless we care for ourselves. Give yourself these gifts. Take them at all costs. Help your friends and family find them. Resist the urge to get sucked into an exhausting cycle of urgency. Regenerate a new, more powerful, more resolved version of yourself. Prepare for the long haul. 

Again, I remind you that I’m an educator, so it’s hard for me to think about any of these things without considering the ways in which children are impacted. In 2016, a child I know started an “anti-Trump club” in her third grade class at school. She started organizing with other children to influence the adults in their lives. They understood Trump’s rejection of climate justice, his sexism, his racism. After a couple weeks, this young organizer was told by her school authorities that the club was “too political”, and she had to disband it. That child is 17 today, just shy of voting age. She lived through the last Trump presidency, and Biden’s policies that did little to protect human rights. Last week, she helplessly watched a society of adults once again elect Trump president. That young person, and all young people today, deserve to be supported in what they know and see of the world. They have the right to be angry and hurt. We let them down, and we owe it to them to course correct. Let’s start telling ourselves and the world that it’s ok to “be political”, to be engaged, to point our lives in the direction of collective liberation. In fact, it’s more than ok – It’s paramount.

Resources

I compiled some resources and tips for moving forward that I hope you might find helpful in coming weeks, months, and years. Everyone has strengths, ideas, the ability to listen, and the ability to contribute. You can’t do everything for everyone, and will only drive yourself into the ground trying. But if you take care of yourself, recognize that you are not powerless, and start planning for the ways in which you will march forward, you join so many others who are also finding or strengthening their own resolve. 

The following lists are far from exhaustive or comprehensive. Rather, they contain lessons I’ve learned along my journey, inspiring people and organizations I’ve found along the way, and resources I’ve saved. If you have additional resources that belong here, I welcome you to email them to pupperscouts@gmail.com, or contact us on social media, and I’ll add them. 

Follow

The following are a collection of social media accounts that I’ve found a lot of inspiration from. Infuse your social media feed with diverse voices! 

• @pattiegonia
• @kweenwerk
• @she_colorsnature
• @outdooristoath
• @teresabaker11
• @theventureoutproject
• @gingers_naps
• @queerquechua
• @disabledhikers
• @intersectionalenvironmentalist
• @ndncollective
• @showingupforracialjustice
• @mvmnt4blklives
• @greengirlleah
• @racialequityinsights
• @sacredstoke

Learn & Connect

The following are resources I’ve learned from, and felt inspired by. Some are more personal, and some are educational resources. I think all provide thoughtful and relevant perspectives. 

Election Day, The walls are full of wasps, by Rusty Foster “How can we reconcile living our lives with such openness, such abundant kindness, but governing ourselves with such fear and hate? I don’t know. It’s another clear, chilly day in America. I guess I’ll keep walking.”

The Sky is Falling: We’ve Got this, by Margaret Killjoy “I can’t tell you things are fine. I can’t tell you that hard times aren’t coming. I can’t tell you that hard times aren’t already here. Things can always get worse. That seems like, more or less, a constant in this universe: things can always get worse. The thing is, though, things can always get better too. We can make things get better.”

What is Mutual Aid, and How Can it Transform Our World? “How can we reconcile living our lives with such openness, such abundant kindness, but governing ourselves with such fear and hate?”

Behind the Bastards Podcast: “There’s a reason the History Channel has produced hundreds of documentaries about Hitler but only a few about Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bad guys (and gals) are eternally fascinating. Behind the Bastards dives in past the Cliffs Notes of the worst humans in history and exposes the bizarre realities of their lives.”

There are SO many recent episodes that illuminate aspects of relevant evil contributing to the far right, the Trump regime, and other forces that impacted this election. I think that two incredibly important aspects to understand are explained in the following two serieses, because they provide philosophical and financial “relevance” to what the Trump regime aims to do in office. I’m linking the youtube videos below, but you can find this podcast wherever you get your podcasts. 

• Curtis Yarvin, The Philosopher Behind JD Vance
  • Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYrPNvVhKLU
  • Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpEg4LS3CT0
• How Peter Thiel Became the Gravedigger of Democracy
  • Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfXbyQ9KFdg
  • Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeDA8hwQ3Fo
  • Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX-EgbauuOo
  • Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8fBqRa2NLQ

Slow Factory “Slow Factory is an award-winning creative platform radically imagining and designing solutions to the intersecting crises of climate justice & human rights through cultural change, science and design. The scope of our work is both broad and deep.”

Intersectional Environmentalist: “At Intersectional Environmentalist, we envision a world where the communities and voices most impacted by environmental injustice have the power, resources, and platforms to lead their communities into full liberation.”

How To Help Immigrants Under Threat This Election Season “Immigration is one of the most debated issues in the 2024 presidential election. Here’s how you can support immigrants impacted by misinformation today.

Our 47th President: Donald Trump “Learn more about how Trump’s prospective policies and platform will affect our civil liberties, as well as how the ACLU plans to take action in the administration ahead.”

Donate

There are so many organizations who will continue to fight for human rights and justice amidst the Trump regime. If you have money to give, any of these organizations will be incredible places to aim it. These organizations are also incredible resource hubs, so even if you don’t donate to all, I encourage you to peruse all of their websites. Additionally, many of the organizations I’ve mentioned in other sections of this post welcome and need donations, so check their websites as well. 

The Trevor Project “Together, we can make sure that LGBTQ+ young people who need support know they are not alone. Your support will help us provide them with the affirmation and love they deserve.”

Trans Continental Pipeline “The Trans Continental Pipeline (TCP) is grassroots mutual aid network turned nonprofit based in Denver CO. We provide resources to help LGBTQIA+ individuals move from unsafe situations and political climates to the great state of Colorado!” 

American Civil Liberties Union “The ACLU has evolved … into the nation’s premier defender of the rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. With more than 1.7 million members, 500 staff attorneys, thousands of volunteer attorneys, and offices throughout the nation, the ACLU of today continues to fight government abuse and to vigorously defend individual freedoms including speech and religion, a woman’s right to choose, the right to due process, citizens’ rights to privacy and much more.”

Local Abortion Funds “Local abortion funds know their unique community needs best and work tirelessly to meet them through case management, emotional support, arranging travel and logistical support, and directly covering the costs of abortion care. They exist because governmental and political systems have failed our communities—primarily Black, Indigenous and Native, immigrant, rural, and low-income—and abandoned us in times of need.”

Keep our Clinics “These small, community-based clinics rely on individuals and communities to keep their doors open- they often don’t have the financial support, name recognition, and fundraising ability of national health centers or hospitals. Marketing is limited, and fundraising is typically at the local or grassroots level- mainly from small donors (like you!).”

Rocky Mountain Immigration Advocacy Network “The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) provides free immigration legal and social services to immigrant children and to adults in immigration detention.”

Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition “We work relentlessly to protect the safety and dignity of our communities through advocacy, legislation, education and civic engagement. In this cruel, anti-immigrant climate, we need your support. Invest in our work so our immigrant, refugee and asylum seeker communities can continue to invest themselves in Colorado.”

Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) Network “Trans and queer youth uniting for racial and gender justice”

Color of Change “Color Of Change helps people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by 7 million members, we move decision makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people, and all people. Until justice is real.”

Sunrise Movement “We’re a movement of young people fighting to stop the climate crisis and win a green new deal”

Giving Green “We find high-impact climate initiatives. You can turbocharge them.”

Get Involved

There are many reputable organizations organizing for collective liberation. The following three are ones I’ve been involved with myself, and can vouch for. Each offers pretty quick and direct ways to plug in and start engaging. 

Showing Up for Racial Justice – Sign up for their mailing list, attend their virtual events, donate, find a local chapter and get involved

Movement for Black Lives – Sign up for their mailing list, attend their virtual events, donate, find a local chapter and get involved

Outdoorist Oath – Take their free workshop, sign their petition, live the oath, join in their events

Engage with your own community

Take the fear that you feel about a second Trump presidency, and identify what the root causes of that fear are. Find like-minded people and organizations in your own community to connect with. And/or find outlets to share your voice in places where it can make a difference. Of course, collective liberation is intersectional. But we all need to start somewhere. Identify the issue(s) you are most passionate about, and find ways to plug in. Here are some examples: 

• Offer a special skill you hold to a local organization who is doing work to support racial justice, immigrant’s rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, abortion access, climate justice, etc. 
• Attend a local City Council meeting and speak to the council about how you want to see immigrants’ rights supported in your community (or another issue you feel passionate about)
• Attend a local School Board meeting and ask them to make a plan to protect LGBTQIA+ youth in schools (and/or other groups of students who will be at risk under a Trump presidency)
• Find a local mutual aid group to volunteer with. (Here’s one way: https://www.mutualaidhub.org/) Start showing up, volunteering, etc. 
• If you can’t find mutual aid groups in your community, gather your friends and family and start one! The whole point of mutual aid is people coming together to support people. There’s a lot of power that can be built based on this idea.
• Find groups who want to put abortion access on your state’s ballot in the next election, and ask them how you can get involved. 
• Start planning to run for a local office (Find support here: https://emergeamerica.org/)

Listen: Protest songs for inspiration