Note from Editorial Board:  In this short report about a meeting in a rural midwestern town, you see that the people who hate the Trump/Pence regime and want to stop it from unleashing more horrors on the world are everywhere – in small towns, suburbs, big cities, and from a broad range of lifestyles, backgrounds, and perspectives. The editorial board is sharing this report and putting to all of you the questions that are inherently posed here: How can the millions who must become a third force to drive out this regime be unleashed to take the bold stand for humanity that is needed? How do we overcome fear and uncertainty wherever we are, and turn this dread into a force for hope?

I met with a volunteer who the National Office connected us with (she signed up online), along with her sister and one of her friends. Her and her sister had listened to the last webinar. They live a deeply “red” area, a rural prison town. She had reached out to 50 people to try to get them to come, most from Democratic groups she is a part of. I was really impressed and moved by her. She is a white woman in her 60s, still working, raised in that area. While her friend had tons to say about Trump’s dealings with Russia, etc., her focus is specifically on the fear she has for the people, specifically what the rabid and violent white supremacy is calling forth. She has biracial grandchildren and is anguished about what will happen to them. And she is very determined that she wants to get involved with Refuse Fascism to drive out the entire regime. She wants to know what to do. Her sister wants to do something as well, but is hanging back. She was very frank that she is simply terrified of stepping out in that rural area.

They have tried some protests there at a congressional office and had 30 people when Trump was threatening to fire Mueller. She is thinking over whether she will do something on her own November 2, but is hesitant about doing it on her own and will probably try to come to a bigger city at least for this one. She took some materials to get out to people. She wants to know how to get started in such a hostile and isolated area.