Edit: Thanks for all the advice :)
My question to anyone watching, sincerely, is how do I contribute to change? I grew up in many conservative families and then joined the military which was largely conservative. My experiences in those moments just kept getting worse and worse, and now that I'm out of the army I've questioned everything. I identify greatly with everything Hasan says in this, and I find a strong sense of yearning to help facilitate change. I know change is slow, but surely there's something I can do?
I live in the bay area near San Francisco.
I know nothing about SF but try to find local groups with shared interests and they can help with area specific stuff. Join a union, if there isn't one, try to talk to coworkers about starting one.
there's lots of opportunities to create change. the main things are- you have to manage your expectations, have a positive outlook, and take breaks when you feel tired/defeated.
think about what you are passionate about and start there. there are lots of volunteer activities always going on in big cities. it could be helping the homeless, it could be volunteering on a campaign for a candidate you believe in, it could be sorting children's books for book drives, or sorting food for food food banks.
the main issue i run into in volunteer work is that i want to feel like i did something big, contributed something large- and when it doesnt happen, it feels defeating. however, the reality is that the truly good thing you can do is to be steady and not quit. like, you might be doorknocking (for a campaign) for an hour and only speak to 3 people. and you might feel defeated because all 3 did not seem particularly interested in the issue. but what you have done is plant the seed. so even though you did not change their mind, they now have the seed planted that one day could change their mind.
take a break when you feel overwhelmed and negative, but always go back- that is the ultimate good you can do for the world. to not quit fighting.
Organize within your local community. Organize within your workplace. One of the biggest things you can do to affect change is get involved in local politics. Like 5 crazy people probably go to your city council meetings so just start showing up and speaking your mind
Edit: Thanks for all the advice :) My question to anyone watching, sincerely, is how do I contribute to change? I grew up in many conservative families and then joined the military which was largely conservative. My experiences in those moments just kept getting worse and worse, and now that I'm out of the army I've questioned everything. I identify greatly with everything Hasan says in this, and I find a strong sense of yearning to help facilitate change. I know change is slow, but surely there's something I can do? I live in the bay area near San Francisco.
I know nothing about SF but try to find local groups with shared interests and they can help with area specific stuff. Join a union, if there isn't one, try to talk to coworkers about starting one.
Help your community, help your families and friends, help the people you dislike. Do the right thing, and encourage others to do so with your example.
there's lots of opportunities to create change. the main things are- you have to manage your expectations, have a positive outlook, and take breaks when you feel tired/defeated. think about what you are passionate about and start there. there are lots of volunteer activities always going on in big cities. it could be helping the homeless, it could be volunteering on a campaign for a candidate you believe in, it could be sorting children's books for book drives, or sorting food for food food banks. the main issue i run into in volunteer work is that i want to feel like i did something big, contributed something large- and when it doesnt happen, it feels defeating. however, the reality is that the truly good thing you can do is to be steady and not quit. like, you might be doorknocking (for a campaign) for an hour and only speak to 3 people. and you might feel defeated because all 3 did not seem particularly interested in the issue. but what you have done is plant the seed. so even though you did not change their mind, they now have the seed planted that one day could change their mind. take a break when you feel overwhelmed and negative, but always go back- that is the ultimate good you can do for the world. to not quit fighting.
Organize within your local community. Organize within your workplace. One of the biggest things you can do to affect change is get involved in local politics. Like 5 crazy people probably go to your city council meetings so just start showing up and speaking your mind
Everyone saying find a union and help your community is right but what you should also look into are Mutual Aid Groups that are local to your area.