"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."

Jane Goodall

Join our health worker group

How you can get involved:

Health Workers Speak Out: Action Guide

As a Colorado volunteer network of health workers, we 

  • oppose cruel and unscientific Trump/GOP health policies
  • resist attacks on democracy
  • oppose the power of ultrawealthy in politics.

We view these issues as highly interrelated: health care access is curtailed to give the wealthy tax breaks; scientific experts are replaced by political cronies with conflicts of interest; reliable sources of scientific information are replaced by disinformation; and iron-fisted control of all branches of government limits our ability to correct course. We cannot solve emerging health problems like unaffordable healthcare, the measles and Ebola epidemics, environmental and climate degradation, or violations of health-related human rights without also addressing the current trend toward authoritarian control.

We want to help Coloradans understand the danger of single-party control of the presidency, Congress, and the courts. This year, ending monopoly majorities in the US House and Senate is an important strategic goal.

This guide seeks to help the busy health worker stay abreast of issues and to find ways to use our status and knowledge to make a unique and positive difference. (You may have additional ideas. We’d like to hear them at info@whitecoatco.org.)

  • How can I learn about important new developments in health policy?
  • How can I learn about important developments in the US authoritarian transition?
  • How can I learn about calls to action?
    • The above organizations may notify you of opportunities to contact legislators, contest proposed rules, provide testimony, engage in public demonstrations, perform canvassing or other actions
    • Many organizations use Mobilize.us https://www.mobilize.us/  which you can personalize to receive alerts for the location and action types that interest you.
  • How can I leverage my status as a health worker?
    • HWSO was founded in the belief health workers can effectively reach our colleagues and neighbors about health policy issues and threats to our democracy and rights. We can do this by:
      • Showing up at demonstrations in white coats or scrubs with signs publicizing misguided health policies and poor outcomes
      • Providing stories to legislators and the media about the consequences we’ve seen of cruel and unscientific health policies and misinformation (see https://www.doctorsforamerica.org/tools-resources  for tips)
      • Opinion essays and letters to the editor (see https://www.doctorsforamerica.org/tools -resources for tips)
      • Postcard writing campaigns
      • Forward information and alerts to peers, family and friends
      • Social media posts
      • Door-to-door canvassing with organizations like www.trustbrigade.org 
      • We are interested in your ideas too! Send them to info@whitecoatco.org 
  • How can I help protect the elections from interference?
    • Volunteer with a campaign or a political party to participate in registration drives, drive folks to the polls, or observe outside polling places
    • Donate to organizations working to protect election integrity like Common Cause https://www.commoncause.org/colorado/ , American Civil Liberties Union https://www.aclu.org/ , and Democracy Docket https://www.democracydocket.com/ .
    • Become an election watcher: a volunteer appointed by a candidate, political party, or issue committee. (Issue committees raise and spend money to support or oppose ballot measures.) Watchers may serve in polling places (where you may be able to observe or witness attempts to disrupt in-person voting such as denying someone’s registration) or where mail ballots are being processed.
    • If you have more time, you can work as an election judge. Election officials – most of whom are committed to fair elections – are under a lot of pressure. Having enough people staffing the polls and ballot processing supports their efforts. This is paid work for the county at $15-$23 per hour. Election judges can assist voters in polling places or work with mail-in ballots (which are more than 90% of votes cast in Colorado.) You may help with verifying signatures or opening ballots. (Other jobs require advanced computer skills or lifting heavy boxes.) An election judge
      • must be registered Colorado voter but doesn’t need to be resident of the county where you serve
      • must have a background check and training course
      • is not a relative of candidates
      • some jobs require a party affiliation (i.e. being a registered Democrat)
      • Is committed to working 14+ hours on election day
      • Students who are 16 or 17 years old may serve as student election judges.
      • Learn more at https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Resources/BecomeElectionJudge.html
  • How can I protect myself and those important to me?
  • How do I deal with demonstrations that include ideas I object to?
    • It takes a broad coalition to face down an incipient authoritarian. We will not agree on everything, and we may even express differing opinions in our public demonstrations, literature, etc. Be tolerant, curious, and non-violent in the face of differing opinions. Just because some people carry signs you disagree with does not invalidate our broad coalitions or paint all us with their opinions.