Do what you can

It's easy to feel disheartened these days, with the impeachment trial and the GOP's apparent aversion to a fair and transparent process, but this isn't the time to give in to discouragement. We can all still do something, big or small, to speak up in favor of the Constitution, the rule of law, and plain decency and civility.

Here are a few things you can do:

Call your Senators - If they're Dems (and ours are!) let them know that you appreciate their support for a fair and transparent process. If they're not Dems, tell them you expect them to honor the oath they took to defend our Constitution.

Join an Indivisible phone bank to help left-leaning voters in red states pressure their senators. Indivisible has some easy, convenient and well-organized events. Get details here: https://indivisible.org/

Seek Out Like-Minded Neighbors - These days would be pretty dark indeed if I didn't have all my "blue" buddies around. And there are more of us out there than you might think. Reach out to your local Democratic party organization. If you're not in Benton Township, find links to other Lake County IL orgs here: http://www.lakedems.org/

Volunteer ... Anywhere - Step away from the endless news cycle. Get out and do something else with your hands or heart or mind... help out at an animal rescue, volunteer at your local school or church or theater group. Seek out opportunities to connect with other living beings. Give of yourself and you'll be reminded that there is still so much good in this world.

Volunteer ... for a Candidate - There are lots of great candidates running for all levels of elected office. They could really use your help knocking on doors, calling voters, addressing mail, entering data and delivering yard signs. The more local the race, the bigger the impact you can have, personally. Don't know where to start? Email us!