There’s no other way to say it: These are dark times. After the optimism and inclusion of the Democratic Convention we were subjected to the nightmare fuel that is the RNC, a no-holds-barred extravaganza of fascist invective, theocratic jingoism and a lizard-brain alarum of fear, fear, fear.

Meanwhile, the pandemic rages on with no national plan; fires and hurricanes engulf large swaths of the country; and in the latest and most sickening outrage from the urban siege in the wake of the BLM uprising, the police shooting of yet another unarmed black man, Jacob Blake (This shocking incident prompted the cancellation of NBA games after a Milwaukee Bucks boycott, though after tense discussions, it was agreed that the season would resume; an MLB walkout also ensued.) The uproar against systemic racism is now portrayed by that system’s beneficiaries as an anarchistic threat to suburban order. A President who will break every law, every norm and every moral compact that ever seemed to exist in America is using every tool at his disposal to cling to power, including crippling the USPS.

Forget the polls—this will be a devastating fight even if right prevails. Voting is absolutely essential, of course, but consider what else you can do: volunteer, donate, get people involved. If you have a platform, use it. If you have a voice, raise it. Everything is on the line.