Buddhists for Kamala

ACTION QUICK LINK: KAMALAHARRIS.COM/ORGANIZE

I’m kicking off Buddhists for Kamala here at Engage. I searched for it on the web, but couldn’t find anything like that, so I’m doing it here. Yes Kamala can win, but only if people vote for her, and people will only vote for Kamala if we mobilize people to get out and vote for her. It’s not divinely ordained, it’s not a shoo-in. Politics is not a spectator sport; successful center-left politics certainly isn’t. Don’t just “sit there” and assume that Kamala will win, and if she doesn’t, ‘oh well’. We don’t have that kind of privilege; this is not just a political contest, this is an existential crisis. If we don’t get her elected, millions of migrants will end up in prison camps and deported. Trans and queer people will be branded “psychotic”, criminalized, imprisoned, and legally erased from existence. Women and people will be denied birth control, reproductive health care, and control over their own bodies; moreover, criminalized and imprisoned. Black and brown people will be incarcerated at even higher rates, hunted down by police, and denied the right to vote, work or live a decent life. And if the Christian Nationalists get their way, it might even be illegal to practice Buddhism, or any other “godless” religion. As a nation, we face the choice between democracy or dictatorship.

Now, my first principle of organizing is “do it local.” Organize in your neighborhoods, where you live, work and vote. That’s still the best place to start. Talk to your neighbors, get to know people, encourage people to register to vote and get out to the polls. Wear Kamala badges so people at the supermarket will see your support. Get brave and put up a lawn sign.

But since this is a national campaign for President, much of this organizing will happen online through social media networks. That’s not just Facebook, X and Insta, it’s also your email lists and online Buddhist networks, anyplace that you communicate with other people online. My socials are Mastodon, Reddit and Discord, so that’s where I’m putting my social media posts. Mastodon is a particularly good place for me because many instances are very left-wing and often resistant to voting for anyone in the Democratic Party. I’m putting her campaign into their feed every chance I get. I also communicate with lots of Buddhists at Zoom meetings; this is another place to get the message out, simply by K-badging your sign-on. Be creative.

And don’t assume that your Buddhist friends are going to vote for Kamala. Many of them aren’t inclined to vote at all. Using right speech, convey that it’s critical for Buddhists to get involved in this election and vote for Kamala, the most ethical and compassionate candidate.

Another tip: use hashtags to make your posts searchable. Keep it simple: #kamala. That’s all you need.

We have 100 days to get this done. This is not so much a policy debate as a mobilization campaign. We have to get people out to vote for her, and every vote counts, even in districts where Democrats usually win. Because everyone who supports Kamala in a ‘blue’ district will be connected with people in ‘purple’ and ‘red’ districts. The last presidential election in 2020 was decided by 45,000 votes in three swing states. This election will be just as close. Joe Biden won by 7 million votes over Trump. Kamala needs to win by 20 million or more. Every vote counts.