Resist Tyranny Locally
Join a civic organization that aligns with your values
They say all politics is local. While the federal government handles global and national affairs, local governments keep the power on, the water flowing, and traffic moving. Local governments control zoning and manage parks. County school boards administer the education of our children. What happens in Washington D.C. can seem distant and abstract, but what happens in our communities affects our daily lives.
When the Nazi's invaded France in World War II, half the country fell under military occupation, and the other half fell under the autocratic leadership of the Vichy regime which collaborated with the Nazis. In both territories, the government of the French Republic had been co-opted by authoritarian rule. When the national government failed, local political, civic, and religious leaders took a more prominent role in daily life.
News about the current administration is distressing because most of us feel powerless to do anything about it. National politics is outside our immediate sphere of influence. On the local level, however, you don't have to go far to meet a community leader. In most Rotary or Kiwanis clubs, there is likely someone who serves in local government or knows someone who does. Most church leaders know the mayor of their town. My son's football coach sits on the city council. If you choose to get involved, your community is within your sphere of influence.
A key mission of Corridor Rabbit is to encourage people to gather IN PERSON and act against authoritarianism. A group doesn't have to be political, however, to take meaningful action. Being a part of virtually any civic organization that aims to improve the local community is an act against tyranny. The Nazi and Stalinist regimes, as a policy, infiltrated civic organizations to make sure activities aligned with government priorities. They understood that all politics is local, and the way to control society was through local governments and community civic organizations.
Find an independent civic organization that does good work in your community, and participate in any way you can. Consider that participation as an act of resistance. In times of creeping autocracy, every act of local engagement is a quiet revolution.
Liking, sharing, or commenting on this post IS an act of resistance. Corridor Rabbit is meant to serve as a casual guide for how to start and grow an informal resistance group. It is not authoritative; it is a live journal documenting our efforts. It is a call to action. It's an invitation to connect and share what you are doing to resist authoritarianism. Read more about the goals of Corridor Rabbit. Before you subscribe to this Substack, understand that your email address is added to a subscriber list. We will never share the list, but there is always the possibility that it could be hacked or seized. As a best practice, we will not use the specific names of people in resistance groups, and we will not use this forum to talk about specific plans of action. We design our illustrations with the help of AI.