What can we do? How can we fight back, angry citizens ask.

Today’s read is from freelance political writer Laura Hollis. Here’s an excerpt:

We got where we are today because ordinary Americans abandoned control of our most important cultural institutions. We packed our kids off to school without paying attention to the qualifications of the teachers, what was in the curriculum and who wrote the schoolbooks. We proudly sent them off to college, confident that that they would receive an education in the best traditions of Western civilization. We supported movie studios, producers and directors, actors and musicians, applauding their talent, assuming that if we bought their products and made them rich, they’d reciprocate with gratitude for their good fortune and appreciation for the freedom that made that fortune possible. We busied ourselves with our families, our volunteer work and our businesses, believing that if we minded the store (literally), those in charge of government, of education and of entertainment would be doing their bit to keep strong the country we love.

We were wrong. What’s taken 50 years to do will not be undone in the midterms or the next presidential election. But we have more power than we realize. If we look at the places and ways we have succeeded just in the past few years, we can see a path forward. So, for those who want more than “VOTE IN 2022!,” here are other things we can — and must — do.

What must we do? Read the entire column to find out.