One Bite at a Time

Years ago, I saw a cartoon depicting two ants sitting on the ground, peering up at the huge carcass of a dead elephant. One hungry ant said to the other: “Wow! How do we eat an elephant?” To which his peer replied: “One bite at a time.”

Now consider that the two ants were not alone . . . they had thousands of peers. And yes, they could indeed assuage their hunger . . . one bite at a time.

Also consider that we—Constitution-loving Americans (thousands of us)--are confronted with an elephant of our own: a despot and his minions. How do we overcome his authoritarian power? One bite at time. One phone call, one protest, one conversation, one act of resistance at a time. Call your congressional representatives—call them daily, oftentimes with a different complaint and call for action each time. (See https://5calls.org for a roadmap.) Talk to a right-leaning friend, exposing an authoritarian act that will be detrimental to them. Tell them to “research” the fact and see if they are willing to accept the harm. Contact a business you patronize. Tell them what you support, and how their contra-support may cost them your patronage. You don’t have to wait for someone else to organize a boycott—you can start your own, one business at a time. If your circumstances prevent a total boycott, find a way to lessen your reliance on their service or product, and let them know you are doing this—and WHY.

I once walked away from a local eatery that insisted on promoting their religious doctrine with an abundance of “literature” at the check-out counter. They played religious music, at an objectionable volume—even in the bathrooms. And their wait-staff insisted on wearing their iconic crosses and encouraging me to have a blessed day. I DIDN’T say anything . . . . I just stopped my patronage. Would I have been better served to at least explain to them WHY I was walking away . . . that while they were free to practice whatever “religion” they chose, I should be able to eat in an establishment WITHOUT having a religious message inundate the experience? If I want religion, I’ll go to church; I’ll attend the church’s potluck dinner; I’ll share fellowship with like-minded congregants. When I want to eat in a public venue, I should be able to do it without religion at all. Which would the business-owner choose: money going from my wallet into his, or his self-righteous religiosity promotion.