Sound Stories. Sound Voices.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
You are on the KUOW archive site. Click here to go to our current site.

10 Seattleites rising up against Trump in their own way

KUOW's politics team recently asked listeners: Has Donald Trump's election inspired you to get politically active for the first time? Here's a selection of responses we received. 

I am delaying my retirement from medical practice and taking on patients with Obamacare and those who have lost their insurance. I am seeing them for next to nothing. I hope to be able to sleep with a clear conscience and tell my grandchildren what I did during this time in history.
David Schumer, physician

I have crammed several years of civics into the last four months. I was supposed to be working on writing a book this year, but I have put that aside to focus on this. I call almost daily to our lawmakers. I write blog posts, tweets, Facebook posts and I encourage my family to do the same. Prior to this election, I felt politics were for other people. While I was happy to vote, I just never got involved. Now I see democracy doesn’t work on autopilot. I won’t go back to sleep; and I won't stop using what (realistically small) influence I have to make positive changes.
Kali Sakai, freelance writer

I am a single mom of two teenage daughters, one of whom is on the autism spectrum and has several chronic health issues. I joined the Edmonds Neighborhood Action Coalition; I’m active on the Women's Equality and Healthcare committees; I participated in several protests and marches; I addressed the Edmonds City Council. I contact my members of Congress several times a week, follow a number of issues closely in the news and share what I learn through several forms of social media. My activism keeps hope alive for me and for those close to me.
Denise Hotchkiss

I have volunteered before for campaigns, but I never brought my software experience to activism until now.  A friend and I built stampslicked.org; it lets people very easily send a real postcard to their legislators.
Will Friedman, software developer 

[asset-images[{"caption": "A crowd gathers on March 11, 2017 at Green Lake in Seattle for \"March On,\" a locally-organized 5K and fundraiser for Planned Parenthood.", "fid": "135300", "style": "offset_left", "uri": "public://201704/crowd.JPG", "attribution": "Credit John Mcllelan"}]]I organized a 5K that raised more than $30,000 for Planned Parenthood. I organized this with 10 of my closest friends in Seattle, who are all full-time employed women, ages 22-27. If we can do this, what can you do? :)
Celeste Banks, consultant in the insurance industry

I have been using the 5Calls.org list to call my representatives nearly every weekday.  I have sent out postcards and attended the women's march, as well as local Women's March huddles.
Sue Haugen, works at a local hospital

I am restructuring my graduate program studies to incorporate more public policy. Climate change and education need support and I plan to do something more durable than the activism I've supported before. I hope to reinforce the scientific basis for local economic and environmental policy in a few years.
Alexander Winter, graduate student in mechanical and electrical engineering 

I thought everyone knew Donald Trump was an unacceptable candidate. I was shocked that he got elected and that white Christians were a large part of why. I started with the Women's March in LA. Then joined a Women’s March huddle. I've also joined two Indivisible groups. Through them and my own research, I've called all my representatives multiple times, gone to two more rallies, attended town halls, met with my reps staff several times, written letters and postcards, and started a Bible Study on racial reconciliation at my church.
Nora Hacker, stay-at-home mom

[asset-images[{"caption": "Some of the postcards kids created for their legislators at a community event.", "fid": "135302", "style": "card_280", "uri": "public://201704/postcards.jpg", "attribution": "Credit Mary Balmaceda"}]]

Together with two other moms, we formed a group called Seattle Parent Action Network. We rented a room in our community center and put together a "Community Postcards for Education,” where people dropped in with their kids and drew postcards to send to our legislators to remind them that funding education is the paramount duty of the state.  Children can't vote. As a parent I've been guilty of being too busy to engage too deeply in the democratic process, so I feel like their voices can too easily be ignored. I am hoping that by bringing our community together, engaging parents and kids in a simple act of postcard writing will help educate and help us take back our democracy locally.
Mary Balmaceda, photographer and mom of three

Sometimes when the news is particularly hard, I can think about the scope of things I can change, and that's where my activism comes in. Maybe calling my legislators and going to town halls won't actually convince anyone to change anything, but it will ensure that I, as a woman, an immigrant, and a survivor of domestic violence, have my voice heard. I had to dig deep to find the courage to leave my abusive marriage. I am digging deep now for similar reasons, in that I cannot allow myself to feel trapped and traumatized by the Trump presidency.
Rebecca Houghton

Comments have been edited for brevity. Learn about more people newly moved to activism by President Trump’s election on our Trump and the Northwest page. 

Have questions or story tips for our politics team? Use this form.