50501-Viva La Resistance!
Resistance Organization Spotlight
“Democracy does not die when you ask questions about election integrity, it dies when you stop asking questions.”
—
One of the most common and in fact probably best described as burning questions I encounter daily is something along the lines of What can I do? or Where can I protest?
I continue on a daily basis, oftentimes for several hours per day, to read, research, and reify voluminous measures of material to develop the information and knowledge necessary for understanding the American Election Management Systems (EMS); I have come to discover during the past three months that America’s EMSs are incredibly complex and sophisticated, yet they are not as secure nor as grounded in integrity as official sources would have citizens believe. So as you might imagine writing about the American Election Management Systems flaws/weaknesses, especially in the light of the questionable results of the 2024 election requires some careful thinking and writing, hence this is one of the primary reasons I have been slow to produce and publish any in-depth pieces of writing recently; plus it really is difficult to keep up with everything that is happening seemingly all at once, while at the same time attempting to fit the pieces of a puzzle together that will produce an unvarnished examination of how American voters can develop a more sophisticated approach to how to secure and ground The Vote solidly in the measures of security and integrity that will assure voters of all political persuasions that their vote is accurately accounted for, counted, and recorded.
As is my habit whenever I can I like to present readers with as little commentary of my own whenever it is appropriate. I do this for two reasons: 1. I generally think and am confident that the individuals who read my writings are smart and capable of understanding whatever it is that I am presenting and therefore there is really no need to borderline-insult anyone’s intelligence with unnecessary verbiage, and 2. For pieces of writing such as this one I have found it best to let the subject of the piece do the talking, this way I am not representing the subject, but rather am simply shining a spotlight on it for all to see and decide for themselves if what is being presented is a good match for how they might want to commit themselves to the resistance and if it is a worthwhile action organization in which to invest one’s time and efforts.
Today I would like to introduce readers to what is arguably the most impressive new kid on the block when it comes to protesting.
The home/landing page: Well laid out, easy to navigate:
50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.
Join us in the fight to uphold the Constitution and end executive overreach.
They also have an excellent Linktree webpage, as can be seen at the following URL: https://linktr.ee/FiftyFiftyOneMovement
They also have a YouTube channel, along with other social media presences: https://www.youtube.com/@FiftyFifty1Movement
While the official 50501 YouTube (YT) has only eight videos currently uploaded (They only just created the YT account February 12, 2025) a simple search of YT yields scores of videos of protests all across the country with the majority in some way or another involving 50501; it is worth taking a few moments to scroll down and observe the many different protests going on all over the country: YouTube search results for 50501 Protests.
The FiftyFiftyOne Movement is perhaps one of the most phenomenal and remarkable fruits of American Democracy at its best; and on that note it only seems appropriate to hear from the individual who created this important army of citizen resistors:
Some thoughts from the guy that started the 50501 movement.
Mod Message
This entire movement has been surreal in every way possible.
The speed at which it grew.
The common hope that it gave so many.
The way we stood united across the entire country.
And then did it again! And the way it has kept growing ever since. All because we are ready to take a stand together!
It was surreal watching the common people amongst us step up into roles they've never had and doing it like professionals. It was surreal watching the way everyone worked together, solved problems, and overcame differences.
And most of all it's been surreal watching everything that's happening, and to think I was the one that started it all. I don't say that to brag, rather I say it with the greatest case of Imposter Syndrome that's ever been felt.
I was at the gas station yesterday, getting a drink, and I looked around at all the people, just normal people, and I was just like them. They were just like me.
And I felt like it shouldn't be me who started this movement, it can't be me, I'm not qualified, I'm just a normal person, like everyone else.
At the protests though, I'd see so many people, average, every day people, doing AMAZING things. Protesting for the first time. Speaking publicly for the first time. All of us special in our own way, bringing our talents together in powerful ways, but at the end of the day, we are just a whole lot of normal everyday people. Like all of the people I saw in the gas station.
And that's when I started to realize that the Imposter Syndrome I'm feeling isn't valid. I'm not an imposter. I started this with an idea, just as a normal everyday person. But every single one of us made it happen, TOGETHER, because that's what this movement is built on. NORMAL PEOPLE doing AMAZING things. TOGETHER!
Not because we're qualified, or have credentials that say we can, but because we've seen the problems in our country and WE KNOW WE HAVE TO!
You aren't led by me, you're led by that spirit in EVERY ONE OF US that sees a wrong and needs to do something to make it right! The same spirit that made me first write about 50501, as a normal guy who saw something wrong and did something about it to try to make it right. Just like you are doing.
We are all normal, everyday people, who are TAKING ACTION. And STANDING TOGETHER! And it's MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
I'm not an Imposter by starting this movement. I'm one of you. I'm just like you. If I'm an imposter, then we are all imposters, and we're not! I know we're not.
The only reason this is a movement like no other is because we are ALL DOING IT! TOGETHER! AS ONE! We have become the "1" in 50501!
When we do it together without a leader, but rather led by the IDEA of uniting together, we can not be stopped!
We do it because we know it's right. We do it because we saw something is wrong, and we know we need to make it right!
We do it, because we are AMERICANS! United! Together!
And we can all say "I AM 50501!"
And THAT is why this movement can't be stopped!
And ON MARCH 4TH WE MARCH FORTH!
50 STATES! 50+ PROTESTS! WE WILL STAND TOGETHER AS ONE ONCE AGAIN!
"Mush" Love to you all! 🍄🍄
https://www.reddit.com/r/50501/comments/1iwj3np/some_thoughts_from_the_guy_that_started_the_50501/
On a closing note it is also well worth the time to check out the website Build The Resistance and its newly developed partnership with 50501:
#BuildTheResistance was born from a desire to help people see themselves as part of the larger fight against Trump’s policies—one that is strategic, organized, and takes many forms. It serves as a movement megaphone, amplifying actions (resist), resources (build), and victories (win) that block and build: Block the Trump-led plutocracy from dismantling our government and rule of law, and build the world that our communities deserve. By highlighting everyday resistance and the resulting wins (that are often not readily apparent), #BuildTheResistance aims to empower people who might not otherwise take action to step up in this critical moment.
When we came across the r/50501 subreddit a few weeks after we started creating this website, we recognized that this was the exact type of moment BuildTheResistance.org was being built for. Through Signal, Discord, and Reddit, we offered our open-source digital infrastructure, burgeoning resource hub, catchy call-to-action and accompanying hashtag. We joined forces and spent the next week working with hundreds of strangers to make February 5th a success and #BuildTheResistance a nationwide call to action.
If we can get hundreds of thousands in the streets in just days, imagine what we could achieve if each person who attended a 50501 protest spent time learning, training, and volunteering with established organizations who understand different levers of change and how to pull them. Protesting is just one tool; resistance takes many forms. Let’s #BuildTheResistance together.
Over the course of the next week1 I will post four more brief reports such as this one that focus on Indivisible, MoveOn, Red Wine & Blue, and Working Families Party.
If anyone knows of any other such efforts, events, groups, gatherings, organizations, operations, etcetera please leave a comment below about what you know.
Thank you for reading,
Robert J. Rei, February 26, 2025
It has now been more than one week and I have yet to complete the reports for the following: MoveOn, Red Wine & Blue, and Working Families Party. Rest assured I will be posting those reports ASAP; or as soon the Sciatica that has afflicted me for the past week subsides thus allowing me to be able to better focus on writing.
If we can visualize it, we can create it.
I'm doing my part. Leaving my civil service job (put in notice today) and headed to DC in a big leap of faith!