What We're Not Gonna Do...

Let's have a chat about next steps.

*Scroll to the bottom for options for paid subscriptions beginning at $1/mo, forever.*

We all know that we are in unprecedented territory.

Kinda.

Are we in unprecedented political territory? Yeah, pretty much. This is traitorous, treasonous, and unconstitutional, any way you view it.

I can, have, and will break down executive orders by historical and legal precedent, compare and contrast it with Project 2025 and Model Legislation courtesy of The Heritage Foundation, and spell out the exact ways in which we are going to be assaulted. I’ve done that with The EO That Establishes An SS In The United States, as well as the detailed, thorough, and heavily researched analysis of the Executive Order on “gender” in Parts One, Two, and Three. All of that is important.

Knowledge is power, after all.

But there are ways in which this is anything but unprecedented. Americans have only enjoyed a robust supply chain, refrigerated foods, and supermarkets for a century or less. There is wisdom in the knowledge of the elders, those who survived before Wal-Mart, and we need to study that wisdom. There are steps your household needs to be making right now to prepare and plan for the coming months.

I’m going to go over a comprehensive list of what each of us needs to be doing, but I’m also going to provide you a list of other pieces here on Substack that are covering vital topics that you need to read.

Because here’s the thing: I’m already seeing a lot of duplicitous energy that is clogging up our feeds and repeating some information while drowning out others. So I thought I would compile direct links to people who are already doing it, and doing it well. Follow them, subscribe as you are able, and let’s keep the information going.

We need to be working collaboratively right now— what we’re not gonna do is let our American individualism cloud our efforts during this time.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

So let’s get to it. What does the average American household need to be doing right now?

1. Taking inventory of what you’ve got, and what you need to get. This means putting your eyeballs and hands on:

   1. Birth certificates, passports, and essential identification information for each member of the household. Print out or get paper copies of your prescriptions. These should be kept in a fire-proof pouch or safe.

   2. Some cash. Don’t drain your accounts or anything, but just have some cash on hand.

   3. A go-bag. Before anyone accuses me of hysteria, I’m one of those people that believes that everyone should have a go-bag ready all the time. You never know if you are suddenly in the path of a hurricane or tornado or wildfire, having easy access to a bag with essentials is always a good idea. Pack some underwear, change of clothes, first aid kit, travel hygiene kit, a couple of bottles of water, and leave room for those identifying documents, prescription medications, and food. Keep it in the floor of your closet, or wherever it will be out of the way.

   4. An audit of your living space to determine if you have any capabilities for growing food, or if you could possibly join a community/communal garden. If you have an apartment, a balcony could hold some potato buckets and a box for tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and lettuce— just something so you have some fresh food.

      1. If you’re lucky enough to have a yard, start doing sunlight checks now. Go outside at different times of the day and mark where the sun falls in your yard. Try to put your garden boxes or growing space in the space with the most full sun. Find out what’s your growing zone and search for the best yielding foods in your area. Gardeners love to share their knowledge, so the chat boards and forums online are chock full of great, specific information.

   5. An audit of your online data. Are you deleting your Meta accounts and have you done it yet? Where else are you represented by name, do you currently have material that is anti-government, pro-trans, pro-immigrant, and are you comfortable with what is out there? I’m not saying you have to delete it— that is your own call as to how much you want to comply— but just be aware so you’re making conscious, informed decisions as to that material.

2. Battening down the financial hatches. Go over your budget with a fine-tooth comb, and cut the fat. End all the unnecessary subscriptions. Get a handle on what your income is and what your obligations are. Pay down debt. If you need to make a purchase of something that will be subject to tariffs, and you’ve got the resources, do it now.

   1. Do some calculations on investing in the immediate future. If you are planning a garden this year, you can save lots of money on watering by investing in a rain barrel setup now [look online for many guides on making rain collection systems inexpensively].

   2. If there are some minor repairs that need completing around your home, get them done now. Definitely make sure any exterior security features, like motion sensor lights or bright floodlights are operational with new bulbs. Many construction and home repair items are imported from Canada, Mexico, and China, including lumber, so this may not be the year to build your deck.

3. Learning to cook. I cannot stress this enough. I am pretty surprised at how many people in my generation don’t know how to cook, or very, very minimally. You’ve got to learn to cook. Ultra-processed food is awful for your health (and with future healthcare costs— or availability— so uncertain, your health = investment). Rice and beans are your friends; learn many ways to cook them, and they can even serve as dinner on the days you don’t eat meat.
   (Oh, yeah, get adjusted to not eating meat every day. Meat-packing plants are staffed almost exclusively with immigrants, migrants, and refugees, not to mention the farms that produce the animals.)
   Find out where your local farmers markets are, or even the farms themselves as many have farm stands open for business, and begin supporting them now so they’ll have the capital to invest in a hefty planting this spring. Join a CSA if the option is available to you.
   When I say ‘learn to cook,’ I mean learn basics (how to cook multiple types of meat, how to prepare and cook many types of vegetables, how to make beans from dried, how to make basic yeast bread, and how to make stock… bonus if you learn how to can (jar) and properly preserve food) and get comfortable enough with cooking to be fluid and work with what you have.
   Stock up on dried beans and rice… bonus if you invest in a flour mill and wheat berries.

4. Getting heavily involved with your community. The days of bed rotting are over (for the most part— you get one occasionally to recharge). You need to be meeting people, making connections, and figuring out where your skills and talents will be best contributed to your local community. Yes, you will be sacrificing evenings relaxing playing Baldur’s Gate or binging ‘The Office,’ but that’s not what’s best for our communities right now. What’s best is people getting out of their houses and meeting together, in person, face-to-face, on a regular basis. If you are already working two jobs to survive, just keep doing your best. This is mainly directed at those who are working one job, retired, or a student.

   1. Search for your city name and “mutual aid”. If there are meetings, plan to attend some. Find out what existing resources there are and how you can support one. Don’t spread yourself too thin— you’re only one person— so figure out how and where you can make the biggest impact and do that. You may think your personal impact won’t be that much, but if we all did it… holy shit. What could be…

   2. Search for your city name and “democratic party”, or “democratic socialist party”, etc. Seek out the group that aligns most with your personal political opinions and go to a meeting. Be informed. Even if you can’t volunteer time or money to them, just going, showing up, will open your eyes to new opportunities, relationships, and information.

OK, so now that I’ve covered those basics, I’m going to make a list of high-quality pieces from the past few days that cover information we all need right now.

---

First up, sage advice, as always, from Robert Reich:

What you can do

The American Manifesto does a great job of identifying and naming the obvious:

This Is Fascism; This Is the Litmus Test

This detailed think piece from former-Washington-insider Bryan Del Monte calms my nerves a bit about any imminent ‘martial law’ action:

People think Trump wants martial law? Ok, "Challenge Accepted."

From On Offense with Kris Goldsmith, a guide for federal employees:

Fighting Fascism from Within: A Guide for Federal Employees Under Siege

And from Stephanie Wilson, PhD at Freedom Over Fascism, an even more comprehensive list of publications you should be following closely for the best, most accurate, timely coverage of everything happening right now. You’re gonna wanna bookmark this one:

(Even More)Updated: I promised you I'd send you my list of fact-based news sources and creators and added more to the list.

---

I had some readers reach out and ask if I could extend the $2 subscription, so I’ve done ya one better. Subscribe at whatever level you can.

---

Thank you for sticking with me as I’ve been largely off-line the past couple of days. I have been printing and distributing my one-page pamphlet: The New Papers. The first run is a printed version of The EO That Establishes An SS In The United States that is currently on its way to being distributed in six cities nationwide; dropped in coffeeshops, libraries, bookstores, and more. The New Papers will remain free to ensure that this knowledge is spread as widely as possible. If you’d like to support a print run of The New Papers, select an option below:

Onward we go, friends. Make sure you’re drinking your water and staying safe,

My name is Melissa Corrigan, and I’m a freelance writer/thought sharer/philosopher in coastal Virginia. I am a mom, a wife, a veteran, and so much more. I deeply enjoy sharing my thoughts and receiving feedback that sparks genuine, respectful conversation.

If you’d like to subscribe and you’re a veteran, click here for 50% off annual plans, forever.

If you are an adoptee, click here for 50% off annual plans, forever.

If you like my content, perhaps you’d like my podcast! Click here and follow along as I explore the themes of parenting, political ideologies, religious deconstruction, life as an adoptee, and LGBT allyship and family. Also, check out my Medium publications: adoptēre- to uplift the voices of adoptees, Served- to uplift the voices of veterans of the US military, Deconstructing Dogma- to explore the intersection of faith, religion, and spirituality, and The Light at the Other Side- stories of healing, redemption, and hope after trauma and darkness.

If you love my work, consider buying me a coffee? Or contribute directly to my Patreon to invest in the growth of CounterStory Media. I am forever grateful for every donation!