America and the Magic Order of US (part II)
Part II: Dumbledore’s Army Begins
In every story we turn to for meaning, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, there’s a moment when it feels like the heroes might lose. The world is unraveling faster than it can be repaired. The danger is real, the enemy is advancing, and help isn’t coming.
That kind of despair isn’t just emotional, it’s strategic. It’s exactly what authoritarianism counts on. Not brute force, but momentum. The illusion that resistance is futile. That no one else will act. That the outcome is already decided.
But illusions can be broken.
And they are. We’ve already seen cracks in the surface: mass protests, legal victories, institutional pushback. In February 2025 alone, over 2,000 protests were recorded across the country, more than double the number from the same time in 2017. As researchers Erica Chenoweth, Jeremy Pressman, and Soha Hammam observed, “Americans seem to be rediscovering the art, science, and potency of noncooperation. The resistance isn’t fading. It’s adapting, diversifying, and just getting started.”
The way forward doesn’t require perfect coordination. It requires commitment and showing up however and wherever we can. This isn’t a single movement, it’s a mosaic. And that’s a strength, not a flaw.
We know what works. We’ve tested interventions, built infrastructure, and shifted narratives. The question now is whether we’re showing up, consistently, creatively, and together.
And we are starting to. Educators are shielding students from political interference. Lawyers are refusing to capitulate under threat. Institutions and public servants are holding the line. Neighbors, coworkers, and faith leaders are choosing not to normalize the unacceptable. People are stepping outside their comfort zones, seeking connection, building trust, and strengthening the civic fabric.
The work is underway. The call now is to keep going and to bring others with us.
As Ian Bassin of Protect Democracy reminds us, “To believe in democracy is to believe that we, collectively, have the power to shape our future… until democracy is completely vanquished, and even after, ultimate power rests in the hands of We the People.”
Chenoweth’s research shows that every successful nonviolent movement in modern history has mobilized at least 3.5% of the population. That number isn’t a ceiling, it’s a threshold. Just enough to break inertia and begin shifting momentum. But reaching that threshold doesn’t happen on its own. It takes people inviting others in, making participation feel possible, even joyful.
And that’s what gives me hope. As long as enough of us keep speaking up, showing up, and standing together, the story doesn’t end here. We still get to shape what’s written in the next chapters.
