Your Post Public Domain Day Summary

(Note – all links are non-affiliate links)

On January 1st, 2022, works that were published in 1926 entered the public domain. As a result, certain literary works could be redistributed, reused, and displayed without regard for licensure or ownership. This year’s entries into the public domain, however, are very noteworthy for they have some notable inclusions such as:

Now Public Domain!

• Ernest Hemingway’s first novel, The Sun Also Rises
• Agatha Christie’s novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
• A selection of music recorded prior to 1923
• A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s infamous novel The Land of Mist as well as his History of Spiritualism
• A variety of pulp and mystery-based characters (via Jess Nevins on Twitter)
• Puccini’s final opera Turandot
• Bambi by Felix Saltern

One of the main advantages to items entering the public domain is that writers, musicians, and others can create derivative works that either keep the work in public view or foster further creativity. As an author, I have written public domain characters like the Black Bat, the Masked Rider, and Marty Quade.. Other kinds of derivative works include

• High-quality EPUB and AZW files like those provided by Standard E-Books (who just included some new-to-the-public-domain works)
• Volunteer-created audiobooks like those provided by Librivox
• For-profit compilations like those provided by Delphi Classics
• Scanned digital comics through the Digital Comic Museum

Now Public Domain

However, there are a few caveats when creative derivative works. For example, writing works based on Winnie-the-Pooh and/or Bambi should take care to base themselves on the original work and not Disney’s animated versions. (Disney owns the trademarks on their particular iterations of the character). Different countries also have different standards for what is considered public domain , and ebook vendors like Delphi Classics often differentiate the availability of their products. Although there was a landmark court case involving Sherlock Holmes several years ago, the last of the stories included in 1926’s Casebook of Sherlock Holmes passed into the public domain this year. For writers, scholars, and creators, every aspect of the Sherlockian canon is now freely available to use for derivative works.

This post is not intended to be extensively thorough in regards to public domain works. It is meant to serve as a resource for the greater community. In an effort to find unique resources for creativity, education, and community building, many are seeking free-to-use and easy-to-obtain services. With the “opening up” of public domain in the United States over the past few years, there is a great sense of excitement about what is being made available…and that works are no longer at risk of being lost or ignored.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them below or join the conversation on our Facebook page. You can find direct contact information via our About page, and you can subscribe for e-mail updates when new posts are available. And as always, thanks for reading!

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Meet Your Neighbor: Ladder Up & Get My Payment Illinois Coalition

Despite reports of a possible second round of Economic Impact Payments, many Illinois residents have not even received their first payment. Although $266 billion has been paid out to 158 million households, many individuals who need financial help in the wake of COVID-19 have been unable to access stimulus payments. Recently, we spoke with Christine Cheng of Ladder Up about their involvement with the Get My Payment Illinois coalition.

Can you tell us a little bit about Ladder Up and the Get My Payment Illinois coalition?

At Ladder Up, we give hardworking people access to the tools they need to move up the economic ladder by providing free tax preparation, legal counsel, college financial aid assistance, and financial education.

The Get My Payment Illinois Coalition was formed as a way to help ensure that as many Illinois residents as possible can access accurate and relevant information to secure the federal economic impact payments included as part of the CARES Act that passed in late March. These one-time stimulus payments are worth up to $1,200 for eligible individuals but many of the individuals who need these payments the most are those least likely to receive them. This includes individuals who make less than $12,200 and are not required to file taxes, people experiencing homelessness, people who do not have a bank account, and people who lack access to the internet.

The Get My Payment Illinois Coalition comprises several nonprofit organizations – the Economic Awareness Council, New America Chicago, Heartland Alliance, Heartland Human Care Services, Woodstock Institute, and Ladder Up.

It is estimated that approximately 392,000 Illinoisans did not receive their stimulus payment through the IRS. Can you explain some of the logistical issues and reasons for this delay in payment?

The estimate cited here is the number of Illinoisans who will not receive the stimulus payment automatically (i.e. because they do not have a 2018 or 2019 tax return on file or they are not Social Security, Railroad Retirement, or VA benefits recipients). See this report for more information.

This population of Illinoisans who will not receive an automatic stimulus payment will need to submit their information to the IRS using the IRS non-filer website, which is found at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here. Individuals in this population include those who are below the tax-filing threshold and thus do not have a 2018 or 2019 return on file.

Some individuals within this population have submitted their information through the IRS non-filer site and successfully received their stimulus payments. However, there remain a significant number of individuals who have yet to do so, in part because of barriers including:

• Lack of awareness that they are eligible for the payment and/or knowledge of how to secure it
• Lack of access to the internet to be able to submit the information online
• Lack of a stable mailing address at which to receive the payment (i.e. for those experiencing homelessness)

How has this negatively impacted Illinois residents?

Many Illinois residents were experiencing poverty before the pandemic hit, and many more residents are now experiencing economic hardship due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. These stimulus payments serve to meet basic needs in many cases, and delays in receiving the payment negatively impact people’s ability to provide for themselves and their families.

How is the Get My Payment Illinois Coalition working to resolve this situation for residents?

The Coalition operates an informational website (www.GetMyPaymentIL.org) and staffs an email help desk (help@getmypaymentil.org) as well as a telephone hotline (888-553-9777) to address questions. The website highlights payment eligibility and provides answers to many frequently asked questions. It also provides information about safe, low-cost banking options available through the Bank On program and tax help.

The Coalition also provides training for nonprofit organizations seeking to increase access to the stimulus payments for the clients they serve.

We are also sharing our experiences with decision-makers and other stakeholders – highlighting barriers to getting the payment, lifting up potential solutions to these issues, and featuring the stories of people who have had difficulty accessing their payment that we all can learn from.

What steps can people who have not received their stimulus payments take to reconcile this situation?

It will be important for them to first establish if they need to take any action to receive the payment, and if so, which specific action they need to take.

For instance, if someone is not set to receive the payment automatically, they should then determine if they have a tax-filing requirement – if so, they should seek to file their 2019 return as soon as possible, electing to e-file their return if possible as the IRS is experiencing significant delays in processing mailed paper returns.

If they do not have a tax-filing requirement and would not stand to receive a refund if they did file a return, then they should submit their information to the IRS using the IRS non-filer site as soon as they can to register for payment.

There are many unique situations, and we will continue helping Illinoisans overcome the various obstacles between them and the payments they deserve. More information is available at getmypaymentil.org/ or by contacting the Coalition at help@getmypaymentil.org or (888) 553-9777.

Thank you for your time!

We would like to thank Christine Cheng of Ladder Up for her time and input. If you have comments or know an organization we should feature, please suggest them in the comments section below or via our Facebook page. (You can email us via this contact form)

And as always, thanks for reading!

Five Lessons I Learned Finding Remote Work

Recently, I experience a major change in my COVID-19/caregiving lifestyle: I was hired for remote work. Job seeking during the pandemic has been challenging, but the transition back into remote working has been much easier than I would expect. My experience freelancing and caregiving helped me develop my skills, but my transition into remote work helped me learn five key lessons:

1. LinkedIn is A Very Powerful Professional Development Tool – Although many people use LinkedIn as a professional networking tool, it has also been a great tool for professional development. By researching companies and organizations, pursuing leads (which led me to my current situation), and catching up on professional news helped me stay current. In talking with other writers on Facebook (I am also a New Pulp author, many of my colleagues wondered why they were still on LinkedIn. I believe that any social media channel works as long as you regularly engage. LinkedIn has always been a powerful tool for me, even now while I’m homebound. Speaking of networking…
2. Networking And Professional Development Still Matters – Much of my time spent in lockdown was not only spend caring for my mother but also networking via a variety of channels. Thanks to Eventbrite’s search, I found many networking events and training via Zoom. Engaging with my peers via Twitter and Facebook helped me stay connected. Taking advantage of free classes and training from organizations like Free Code Camp and General Assembly, provided new skill sets to bring to the table.
3. Doing Small-Scale Work to Keep Your Skills Sharp Is Not a Bad Thing: During the lockdown, even though this blog was minimal except for the occasional story (like this recent post about ChicagoMutualAid.net), I managed to find some small-scale, low-paying digital research/remote work positions. Sites like Remotive.io and We Work Remotely were invaluable in providing some great leads. (It also helped that I had worked as a contractor with Cultivate Now, who consults around remote work issues. However, some remote work situations aren’t that positive, and my next lesson was…
4. Know When To Leave A Situation That Doesn’t Work For You – Perfect example: I had been hired by a company that was looking for “academic writers”. Given my background, I thought it meant either proofing academic papers or research journal articles. Their payment scheme was unusual (you had to wait a period after completing a piece), but I thought it would be fine. It turned out…I was doing other people’s homework. People would submit money to this site and have people write their papers, do other homework assignments, etc. After working for a few weeks and having my pay withheld because my work didn’t mean their standards (although it meant the clients), I realized there was no way to win…but I had some payback with both a strongly worded Glassdoor review and better-paying work from reputable companies from that point forward. And finally…
5. Taking Small Steps Lead to Big Rewards – During my time of inactivity, I made the effort to engage in small, positive changes getting new business cards, renewing domains, turning over some small scale volunteer efforts. Although I don’t think there is a one-to-one-correlation, taking care of smaller, less important tasks allowed me to prepare mentally for remote work. Feeling ready in the short term helped me feel more confident. That confidence helped me through several job interviews which led to my current work situation

Finding any work in current times is challenging; finding and starting new work is an exceptional accomplishment. I refuse to take my new situation for granted, but with more employers relying on remote work and remote workers, I think I managed to hit the curve at the right time.

Thanks for reading! Please leave any comments below or join us on Facebook.

Meet Your Neighbor: ChicagoMutualAid.net

After several months of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Chicagoans are still facing great financial stresses. Services ranging from the Chicago Public Schools’ meal program to the CTA have been shut down or closed, and many coronavirus relief funds and mutual aid resources are either empty or require updates. With many Chicago residents requiring further services, two tech professionals – a user experience designer and a software developer – built a new online resource…and it all started with a conversation over Slack.

Dawn Xiana Moon (who works as a UX designer and front-end developer) and Leah Neustadt (a software programmer) created ChicagoMutualAid.net, a peer-to-peer site where people can donate funds for other Chicago residents who require assistance. (Chicago residents who are in dire financial need can apply for up to $200 and receive the funds through PayPal, Venmo, CashApp and other services).  The site connects donors and recipients randomly and directly, so the organizers do not touch donated funds in any way. Since its launch on June 6th, ChicagoMutualAid.net has already raised almost $1000 for Chicagoans who need emergency financial assistance.

With Dawn building the website and writing copy and Leah handling backend functions, the eventual goal for the site is developing it into an application with a more robust software framework. However, ChicagoMutualAid.net arrives at a very critical time as the city begins reopening. With high unemployment numbers and dwindling and reduced resources, many Chicago residents need help now more than ever. This is an excellent opportunity for Chicago residents to jumpstart recovery as Chicago enters Phase Three of its Coronavirus Reopening Program.

Ways that you can support ChicagoMutualAid.net include both making a direct donation to http://www.chicagomutualaid.net (donations and distributions are run on the honor system) as well as spreading the word via social media (you can even share this post via the sharing links on top). If you have questions, you can contact ChicagoMutualAid.net via email.

As Chicago comes out of both the pandemic and recent protests, many Chicago residents need further help. If charity begins at home, here is a very necessary – and needed – first step for Chicago-area city and suburban residents to kickstart economic and social recovery for those Chicago residents who are feeling especially stressed in the aftermath.

Please leave your comments below or join the conversation on our Facebook page.

And as always, thanks for reading!

Meet Your Neighbor: Illinois Legal Aid Online

(<Special thanks to Terri Ross and Marcin Gulik of Illinois Legal Aid Online for their time and insights)

One of the consequences of COVID-19 has been an increased reliance on legal assistance around issues like unemployment, immigration, and landlord/tenant issues. Engaging the legal system can be intimidating, and language barriers can make the process even more difficult. After creating a Spanish-language version of their site, Illinois Legal Aid Online recently launched Pomoc Prawna IL, a legal information site geared for Polish-speaking individuals in Chicago. We were fortunate enough to speak to Terri Ross, ILAO’s Executive Director, and Marcin Gulik, their Digital Media Director, about the site.

Teri Ross, Executive Director, Illinois Legal Aid Online

Founded in 2001, Illinois Legal Aid Online provides a library of forms and resources to help people navigate the legal system and make the process less daunting. Many people rarely engage in the legal system directly for a variety of reasons. Some people may be unaware of their rights, and others may find the legal system intimidating with its own unique culture and language. ILAO handles a wide variety of legal issues, including family law, unemployment policy, divorce, landlord/tenant issues (ILAO is one of the agencies behind Rentervention), and immigration concerns. In 2012, ILAO developed a Spanish-language version of their site to better meet the needs of the Latinx community in Chicago. Polish Americans are the second largest population in the area, spread out across key Chicago neighborhoods (like Garfield Ridge and Durning) as well as major suburbs (like Naperville, Tinley Park, Oak Lawn, Schaumburg, and Desplaines). Like Spanish-speaking individuals, Polish-speaking individuals in Chicago have a unique set of specific legal issues that Pomoc Prawna works to address.

Launched in June 2019, Pomoc Prawna IL took an assertive approach in engaging the greater community to guide the site’s development. Initially starting with community interviews and observation, ILAO determined what the community needed and what specific barriers/issues Polish-speaking Chicagoans faced on a regular basis. (One great example is that initially, Polish-Americans were concerned with immigration issues, but are facing more employment-based legal issues in the wake of COVID-19).

As Pomoc Prawna IL was developed, volunteers provided testing and feedback which guided how the site was developed. Usability drives site development in terms of ease of finding information as well as the friendliness and intuitive nature of the site. Given ILAO’s extensive library of information and resources, Pomoc Prawna IL wishes to be more than just a simple translation of materials but a more organic resource for an underserved community. As part of maintaining the site, ILAO continues to solicit feedback from Polish-speaking communities throughout Illinois around the site’s usefulness and identifying service gaps.

As a third-generation Polish-American, I grew up with an awareness that there were some huge differences between me and my grandparents in terms of the larger culture. (It also helps that my father was an attorney). Although Chicago has a rich history involving its Polish community (including the Polish Military Medical Team working with the Illinois National Guard during the current COVID-19 crisis), many cultural issues around engaging legal services still exist. With Pomoc Prawna IL, Illinois Legal Aid Online has made a strong effort to address these issues, as well as provide a well-needed resource during these turbulent times.

Have comments or questions? Please leave them in the space below or join us on our Facebook page.

And as always, thanks for reading!

Coronavirus/COVID-19 Information and Resources

[UPDATED 04/08/2020 – if you know of other resources, please email us directly with a link]

As news about the spread of coronavirus (or COVID-19) increases, many people are concerned about the impact of this virus on our professional and personal lives. As a public service, we’re providing various fact-based resources about coronavirus to break through myths and misinformation. You are more than welcome to link to this post via social media.

• Center for Disease Control – Coronavirus Information
• Center for Disease Control – Guidelines on Mass Gatherings 
• Center for Disease Control – How to Use a Cloth Face Covering (added 04/08/2020)
• City of Chicago – Coronavirus Information
• Illinois Department of Public Health – Coronavirus Information
• World Health Organization – Coronavirus Q & A
• Chicago Public Library Response to Coronavirus Page 
• Live Tracking of Coronavirus Cases via Johns Hopkins
• Workers Who Face the Greatest Risk via New York Times
• IEEE Provides Free Access to COVID-19 Relevant Research Articles and Standards (Added 04/08/2020) 
• Live representations of coronavirus for journalists’ use
• Last Week with John Oliver spotlight on coronavirus
• Last Week With John Oliver 3/16 Coronavirus Follow-Up
• How coronavirus has impacted the tech industry (via CNet) 
• Block Club Chicago Newsletter 

We will update this list as we find more resources and fact-based information about the spread of coronavirus; you are more than welcome to contact us via our Facebook page or email contact form.

Best of 2019 in Review

Photo by Gordon Dymowski

To be honest…the first half of 2019 had minimal activity on the blog. Part of it was moving past the infrequent posting in 2018 (yes, I did develop a content calendar…but caregiving duties and other things kept me away from the keyboard).

However,  I wanted to focus on finding social media and copywriting consulting work as well as my pulp fiction writing. However, as 2019 progressed I found that I could balance creativity and caregiving, and managed to carve out some great working relationships through blogging. (If you’ve noticed, the “Meet Your Neighbor” posts increased steadily through 2019).

But enough of my bragging…just like last year, these are the best posts of 2019. In reviewing these posts. I have chosen one per month (luckily, only one month has had one single post) and chose a random quote. They’ve all been linked, but you’re always welcome to choose your other favorite post about technology, social change, and the greater Chicago community. Here’s the best of 2019 in review – enjoy!

January – Think of it as the dark side of “clickbait” and “viral memes” – online information designed not just to engage, but to sow dissension amongst users.

February – One of the most brutal effects of this past winter has been its effect on my caregiving and my own self-care…and nearly cost me my sense of connection with others.

March – They were kind enough to share their video of my experiences…and via the magic of YouTube, I’m sharing it with you 

April – With a mission-driven impulse towards collaboration and community, the Gauge Collective under Teddy Heidt’s leadership provides a great example for other businesses – and even some digital agencies – to emulate.

May – Over ten years ago, I attended a “free weekend” run by a local “business coaching” organization. Given some of their tactics at the time, I believe I dodged a bullet.

June –  In a business landscape that is becoming more focused on greater social benefit, there is also a greater need for introspection and honest self-exploration about their own potential complicity in fostering systemic issues

July – Driving social change through small acts is a radical idea: these acts can have ripple effects and enable people to make a huge change via small actions.

August – “For Seke Ballard, the emerging cannabis industry does not just provide great opportunities for business growth; it also serves to back Ballard’s principle that “the free flow of capital is the lifeblood of any community”.

September – In short, caregiving is no longer a “journey” – it’s a destination 

Raks Geek

October – Because we ourselves come from marginalized groups, we know how important it is to have spaces that are truly welcoming, spaces where you’re able to belong, where your full humanity is respected and loved. Honestly, because of who we are, building an inclusive community has been easy for us.

November – Belmont Cragin is one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets: it’s a neighborhood that has been experiencing a renaissance.

December –  Legal resources for low income and underrepresented tenants can alleviate housing concerns, especially since eviction filing rates are higher in neighborhoods of color which lack such resources.

Here’s to a happy, healthy 2020! If you have questions or want to say “hello”, you’re more than welcome to join us on our Facebook page or email me directly via this contact form. (I also have a personal web site and online portfolio for your review as well). And as always, thank you so much for reading!

Have a wonderful, Happy New Year!

Some Public Domain Holiday Viewing for Caregivers

(Updated on 11/13/2021)

Although we’ve covered technology, social change, and other great initiatives in the Chicago community, we’ve also focused on caregivers and caregiving…and we thought this year, we would provide a slight change of pace for the holiday.

One of the highlights of 2019 was the entry of works into the public domain, allowing people to view, reuse, and adapt these works freely. So in that spirit, we’re offering some great videos for caregivers (and others!) to enjoy this holiday season, including the Harold Lloyd classic Safety Last from 1923.

Happy holidays and enjoy!

Meet Your Neighbor: Rentervention.com & Chicago Tenants

(Special thanks to Hanna Kaufman of the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois for her time and insight)

Navigating landlord/tenant issues can be tricky for many Chicago apartment renters and can be especially complicated for people in low-income areas. Getting landlords to make necessary repairs or negotiating the return of a security deposit can be difficult, but tenants facing eviction often lack critical resources including representation. Legal resources for low income and underrepresented tenants can alleviate housing concerns, especially since eviction filing rates are higher in neighborhoods of color which lack such resources. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk to Hanna Kaufman of the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois about Rentervention.com, a new site that empowers Chicago tenants to exercise their rights and negotiate the legal process.

A collaborative effort between the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois, the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) and Illinois Legal Aid Online, Rentervention.com is an online tool that allows Chicago tenants to think through a problem, develop appropriate letters and other documents, and get referred to legal services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (Tenants can also text ‘Hi’ to 866-7RENTER to access the tool as the YouTube video demonstrates). Although limited to issues around repairs/conditions that affect livability and safety, security deposits, and eviction, Rentervention helps tenants through the process through using chatbots to determine the source of an issue and referring them to a “virtual clinic” (staffed by two full-time lawyers) for more extensive issues. (Although virtual clinic lawyers are available during normal business hours, Rentervention is working on after-hour access to attorneys).

Photo by Gordon Dymowski

In its first six months, Rentervention has made a significant impact in addressing the imbalance of legal resources between Chicago landlords and tenants, as well as helping guide people towards needed resources. By casting a wide net in their outreach, Rentervention.com ensures that everyone – including low-income residents – were able to access appropriate legal services and tools. Highlights of the site’s overall impact include

• Rentervention has been used in two-thirds of all Chicago zip codes, including 60647 (Logan Square), 60619 (Chatham), 60615 (Hyde Park), 60626 (Rogers Park)
  and 60611 (downtown)
• 40% of Rentervention users have focused on concerns related to building conditions.
• Rentervention users have spent 47 cumulative hours on the site, crafted 79 letters to send to landlords and downloaded tenant guides 127 times.

One of the more intricate tasks that Rentervention performs for Chicago tenants is assisting people in negotiating complicated situations in a scalable, sophisticated manner. As Ms. Kaufman explained, criminal law advocates for the notion that everyone is entitled to a lawyer, yet civil law (which involves issues such as housing, domestic violence, and custody among others) does not guarantee representation. When examining legal activity around evictions between landlords and tenants from 2010 to 2017, LCBH discovered that landlords were represented  79% of the time, while tenants had attorneys 11% of the time. Sixty-two (62) percent of tenants without legal representation had their cases result in eviction, while only 22% of cases with legal aid attorneys ended in eviction orders.

Photo by Gordon Dymowski

The other major impact that Rentervention has had on landlord/tenant legal concerns is the remediation of cases before they head into a formal court setting. Tenants who are seeking needed repairs in their apartment can use Rentervention to craft a formal letter to their landlord and avoid seeking legal redress. Knowing whether certain landlord/tenant policies applied to them provides Chicago tenants who use Rentervention an opportunity to understand their responsibilities. Finally, with relative anonymity and access via laptop or mobile device, Chicago tenants in low-income neighborhoods have the ability to engage and access legal services that may not be immediately available.

When I lived in St. Louis,  I became familiar with property management issues through writing a policy white paper on malicious landlords and problem properties. Negotiating landlord/tenant issues can be especially difficult but as Hanna Kaufman of the Lawyers Trust Fund informed me, Rentervention.com is working exactly as everyone involved had hoped. Although limited in its scope, Rentervention.com is ensuring that Chicago tenants know their rights under the law and have resources to exercise those rights. With housing issues becoming increasingly prevalent in current times, it is very heartening to know that there are tools like Rentervention.com that enable and empower every Chicago resident.

Thoughts or questions? Please leave your comments below or join the conversation via our Facebook page. Please check out other entries in our “Meet Your Neighbor” series or contact us directly via this email form.

And as always, thanks for reading!

Is Meetup: Resist A Good Idea?

For many Chicago-area nonprofit organizations and professionals, Meetup is a critical organizational tool allowing them to build and engage communities. (Meetup is also used by a variety of other organizations, and in the interest of full disclosure, I run two Meetups – one based on a television show, the other around coworking in Chicago). So when I recently read that the online service created Meetup Resist throughout the country, citing their own mission of bringing people together and building community, I was rather intrigued….

After all, Meetup has always been open about holding groups that were geared specifically towards building efforts. Meetup’s recent social media postings have focused on social justice issues, so this seemed like a natural outgrowth of their mission. Of course, there are those who would foster the idea that Meetup: Resist is a form of “astroturfing”, or adopting a grassroots effort to promote

…and that’s when the complaints began. Meetup organizers openly complaining about how Meetup should “stay neutral” and not take on a political stance. Complaints that Meetup was using organizer money to promote political ideology, and that Meetup: Resist was merely an effort to deny the “other half” their voice.

It’s ok to snicker. Because they’re completely and utterly wrong on this point.

Now, Meetup is not beyond criticism. Like many other organizers, I get frustrated that Meetup sometimes puts the will of its nonpaying members over that of paying Organizers. Meetup poorly communicates changes with the platform with its organizers and members, leading to confusion. Plus, Meetup is playing massive catch-up with modern online community building – integration with other social media is adequate, but could use vast improvements.

However, Meetup Resist is taking advantage of an already-growing movement. For those who claim that ideology is a 50/50 split, I give you the 2016 election results. Looking at the numbers with basic math, half of any number is 50%, and 45% is less than 50%.

In addition, Meetup has always had “politically”-themed groups. In an effort to address this, I searched Meetup groups within 25 miles of Chicago. Two random screen captures reveal that yes, there are political groups outside of Meetup: Resist.

Here’s another screenshot, and yes, I’m surprised there aren’t more right-leaning Meetup groups:

But what most of the Meetup organizers crying “foul” are missing is that Meetup Resist is truly a mission-driven activity. After all, if Meetup were really astroturfing, they would hide the effort behind a new organization, claiming that is was grassroots. All Meetup: Resist provides is a way for like-minded people to meet. (And, after the usual trial period for most new groups, recruit organizers from within to pay for the Meetup service). Although I have many issues with Meetup as an organizer, Meetup: Resist is a great effort to engage people who are dissatisfied with Republican politicians who are overstepping their bounds.

(Think it’s just a few? Why do you think so many Republican Senators and Representatives are avoiding constituent meetings? Please answer below in the comments).

For many nonprofits and other social change organizations, these are particularly dangerous times. Many people are discovering – or rediscovering – a strong sense of civic engagement and the greater community. Many are fortunate to find like-minded people; for others, Meetup Resist is an effort to give them one-stop to find their tribe. For “snowflakes”, when you put them together under intense pressure, can become a projectile that can have a great impact. Quislings, on the other hand, fail to recognize that divisiveness is counterproductive, and that more people are finding the power of building a community.

Because strong, politically engaged communities really will make this country great again.

We welcome comments below or via our Facebook page. Comments are moderated. And thanks for reading!