My friends, read closely, because this moment demands our full attention.
There’s an old drawing from 1754, a simple cartoon by Benjamin Franklin. You’ve probably seen it before: a snake cut into pieces, each part representing a colony, with the words “Join, or Die.”
That warning echoed across the colonies then, and it echoes across our country now.
Franklin drew it to remind people that division is deadly. That, when our future is on the line, unity isn’t optional; it’s everything. And today, as resistance movements rise across the United States, I can’t stop thinking about that image.
Because let’s be honest: we have so many groups, so many movements, so many organizations fighting for justice, for rights, for truth, and yet, we’re fractured. We’re passionate, but we’re scattered.
If Franklin’s cartoon were redrawn today to represent the modern Resistance, that snake would have dozens of parts. Maybe hundreds. And the threat we face wouldn’t be a faraway king. It would be right here at home, embodied in the rise of Donald Trump and the powerful influence of the Heritage Foundation.
The message is the same now as it was then:
Join together, or watch democracy die.
And make no mistake, our democracy is already in serious danger.
But let me be clear: I’m NOT asking you to leave your group, your cause, or your community. Your group is part of who you are. Your work matters deeply.
What I am asking, what I am urging, is that we recognize a simple truth:
When we stand together, we are powerful. When we act as one, we are unstoppable.
A general strike, a coordinated effort across groups and causes, becomes world-changing when enough people take part. Research shows that when about 3.5% of a population participates in sustained nonviolent action, a society can shift. Governments can change. Futures can be rewritten. And we have seen it happen in country after country.
But we cannot reach that level alone. Divided, we are weakened. Divided, we lose ground. And we’ve already witnessed the damage: to Medicaid… to scientific research… to foreign aid… to immigrant families… to climate protections… to our alliances… to the integrity of our judicial system. The list is long, and it keeps growing.
So I am asking, no, I am calling on you:
If you are an administrator, ask your members to join a general strike coalition like GeneralStrikeUS.
If you are a member, urge your admins to join, or step forward and join yourself.
This coalition already has more than 402,000 people. That’s powerful. But it’s not enough. We need more voices, more courage, more unity. We need you.
Furthermore, we are not one single organization, but rather a network of groups committed to a General Strike once we reach 11 million Americans committed. Our goal is to unite the movements for racial, economic, and climate justice under a shared, collective action so that we may revolutionize this country. We believe that if working people went on strike together, we could achieve all our demands for a just economy, a truly democratic political system, and a safe planet for all.
If you are an organization or influencer fighting for change, follow these instructions to add a Strike Card to your website and track incoming data in real time. Folks who sign up via your website will be visible to you. If we work together, we’ll get to 11M strikers in no time. Email info@generalstrikeus.com for more info on how to join this coalition.
The message from 1754 still speaks the truth today:
Join, or die.
Not as a threat, but as a warning. A reminder. A call to action.
Our democracy is worth fighting for.
Our future is worth uniting for.
And together, we can rise to this moment.
Thank you.
