November 15, 2016 10:29 AM UTC

What you can do

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• by: ProgressNow Colorado

Last week’s election was a disaster for America. Today, millions of Americans from all walks of life are rightfully afraid for the future, for their families, and for their safety, and wondering how the country they love could have made such a terrible choice.

Here in Colorado, things went a little differently. Colorado rejected Donald Trump, and sent Michael Bennet back to Washington to fight for our values. Colorado grew a progressive majority in the Colorado House of Representatives, and passed a ballot measure to raise the wage for thousands of our state’s workers to $12 an hour. We also passed funding for our schools in many local districts, and created a new compassionate option for the terminally ill to ease their suffering.

Progressive ideas won in Colorado on Tuesday night. In an election that has left many of us questioning our nation’s most basic values, Colorado voters reaffirmed what it means to be Americans. In Colorado, we understand that when our neighbor is successful, so are we. When we invest in education, social justice, public health, and the environment, we all lead better and more prosperous lives. When we respect our differences instead of letting them divide us, we are all stronger.

What comes next? We have to stand together for what we believe in no matter what the politicians in Washington do. Colorado can be a model for fixing the problems America faces. Sign up now for rapid-response alerts to help us respond.

Once you’ve signed up for action alerts, connect with local organizations working on issues important to you. In Colorado, we have a wealth of strong public policy and advocacy groups working every day to solve problems our community faces, protect our rights, and build a prosperous future. Donate, join their lists, volunteer; we’ve got to start now if we’re going to fight back against what the newly emboldened right-wing in Washington is going to try to do to us:

Independent journalism: The Colorado Independent is a Colorado non-profit 501(c)(3) news organization run by and for Coloradans. Their goal is to carry on the tradition of in-depth investigative journalism and smart news commentary by some of Colorado’s best journalists at a time when our state most needs it.

Abortion rights: NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado is the political action leader of the pro-choice movement in Colorado. Connect with NARAL for information on abortion legislation, and take action at the state and national level to protect reproductive rights. Additionally, to learn about more great work being done to protect women’s rights in Colorado, you can also connect with the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) and Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado.

Immigration: the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition is a statewide coalition of organizations to founded improve the lives of immigrants and refugees by making Colorado a more welcoming, immigrant-friendly state.

Health care policy: The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative is a statewide, non-partisan, non-profit organization working so all Coloradans can get affordable, high-quality and equitable health care.

Education: Great Education Colorado‘s mission is to drive educational excellence for all Colorado students by harnessing the power of grassroots activism, and stimulating wise investment in Colorado’s public schools, colleges, and universities.

Latino organizing: Generation Latino is organizing the collective energy, imagination and creativity of Colorado’s young Latino community and channeling our ideas into policies that will build a path to better jobs, higher wages, affordable healthcare, accessible education, and immigration reform.

Social Justice: multiple grassroots organizations are working hard to promote social justice and end the scourge of police violence against communities of color. Connect with Black Lives Matter 5280, the NAACP Colorado Montana Wyoming State Conference, Together Colorado, and the Colorado People’s Alliance.

Civil liberties and privacy: The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado‘s mission is to protect, defend and extend the civil rights and civil liberties of all people in Colorado through litigation, education and advocacy.

Environmental protection: Conservation Colorado works with communities statewide to ensure that our quality of life, environment, and public health are protected. They work to elect pro-conservation leaders to public office and hold decision-makers accountable.

Economic policy: The Bell Policy Center produces the ideas, analysis and action that make opportunity happen–advancing the debate around family economic security and driving public policy solutions that help Coloradans get ahead and stay ahead. The Colorado Fiscal Institute provides credible, independent and accessible information and analysis of fiscal and economic issues facing Colorado. The Colorado Center on Law and Policy researches, analyzes, develops and advocates for policies that will improve the quality of life for low-income Coloradans.

LGBT equality: One Colorado is the state’s leading advocacy organization dedicated to advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Coloradans and their families.

Progressive communities of faith: Founded in 1998 by a group of clergy and laity to help Coloradans to put their faith into action as a force for good in public life, the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado brings together people of different faiths to drive equality, human rights, and opportunity.

Housing and homelessness: the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has been helping the homeless for more than 30 years. CCH considers the definition of homelessness to be anyone who lacks a fixed, regular or adequate residence.

Gun safety: Colorado Ceasefire advocates for freedom from gun violence throughout the state.

What happened last week was wrong, but we can make it right. The next few years are going to see many tests of the resolve of Americans and progressives to uphold the shared values of fairness, equality, and opportunity to succeed that have made our country great. Colorado can be a model for rising above the ugliness of today’s politics.

Thanks for everything you do and have done every day to keep America great. We’re nowhere near finished.