FCNL & ‘Indivisible’

by Bob Schultz

A friend drew my attention to “Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda.” The guide is a publication of a group of former Hill staffers, working as volunteers. (There’s at least one Quaker among them.) How, I ask myself, do the goals and methods of ‘Indivisible’ and FCNL match and where do they diverge?

The Matches: Work with Congress; focus locally on MoCs; shared opposition to “racism, authoritarianism, corruption”; attentive to smart timing; keep focus to specific legislation; “model the values of inclusion, tolerance, fairness”; have diversity in volunteer delegations, esp. with affected groups; accept being “angelic troublemakers;” know about and connect with your MoC; be persistent with MoCs; cultivate journalists; cultivate MoC staffers; tell personal stories; prepare a leave-behind for meetings

The Divergings:

FCNL / Indivisible
Accept some concessions if no principles violated? / “No partial concessions”
Staff + volunteer network / All volunteers
More about policies we’re for, not only holding the line / Purely defensive (because Trumpists control agenda)
Getting your MoC to respect you, but know you’re in the media / Get your MoC to fear not pleasing you
Reach for common ground / Focus on MoC’s craving to be re-elected
? / Capture “gotcha” footage on video (or audio)
Be persistent, but maintain civility / Chant messages, be obtrusive at public meetings