Rallying cries resound from women marching in the streets – stirring something within me that challenges me on many levels. I want to make a difference. But why? How? What difference will my actions make for those I love, for our daughters, our granddaughter and still future generations?

So, being a white, middle-class woman, why do I care? Maybe I’m just now feeling the pain minorities have felt for centuries. The election process, having our nation’s first female candidate, revealed deep prejudice that still exist within our nation, foremost on gender, but also on race, religion, class and sexual orientation. The hateful rhetoric and falsehoods that propelled our current president to power strikes at the core of who I am, and against the foundations of my faith tradition. A few examples:

Body shaming women with derogatory terms like “fat pigs, slobs – and disgusting animals,” this president thrives on the lowest form of human dialogue – often in a public forum where he incites other low-minded individuals. Bragging about sexual predatory behavior showed a deep human flaw of using power over those considered less powerful for one’s own pleasure. We’re in the 21^st Century now. Can we just agree that “boys will be boys” doesn’t work anymore…especially for the leader of a nation? The classism and lack of care for the poor that calls for the end to healthcare options means that low-income women and children will suffer. I cannot stand idly by as if I’m alright with any of this. I’m not.

But how do I turn my anger into a productive energy? How can I live in this time and place, fighting injustice that will come and caring for people who will be most hurt during this administration? As an homage to a song often sung during Second Wave Feminism, I’ve written these steps based on the acronym ROAR:

Relate. Become politically active at the local and state level. This means getting to know the people I’ve voted for and attending city council meetings. Make my voice known, and carry the voices for whom I may speak. We also have to relate more to our neighbors. Maybe it’s time for less Facebook and more “face-to-face.”

Organize for justice and compassion. If something I care about is killed at the federal level, work with my local community on addressing fallout from both a compassion and justice perspective. See what is going on with different faith traditions and how, together, we can offer love.

Assist. Charitable giving can provide resources that may be dropped by the government, and it’s tax deductible. Share food with those who may have to reallocate budget to rising healthcare. Provide transportation to community meetings that lift up one another in spirit and circumstance.

Refuse to be silent about oppression and injustice. Use my words, my vote, my dollars to voice what I stand for – doing business with those who support my beliefs, voting for those who have the courage to stand up against injustice, and dialoging about issues faced by those I care deeply about.

We deserve a better world, and I still believe it’s possible. What we do in the United States matters to the world community, whose geographic and party lines were drawn by none other than humans themselves. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Driving hate out through love is something I can do, by God’s grace. I shall not stand idly by.