🛠️ Skill Level: Beginner
What It Is
This guide teaches you how to flood the system with your voice—literally. Public comment periods are one of the last cracks in the authoritarian concrete. Agencies must review them before finalizing rules, regulations, and executive actions. The fascists use this tool—so should we.
Why It Matters
Every time the regime tries to sneak in surveillance policies, privatize public health, or deregulate safety laws, they have to pretend to ask the public what we think. That’s your chance to clog their inbox, jam their portal, and create a record that can be used in lawsuits later. It’s boring. It’s powerful. And they hate when we organize it.
Real Example
In early 2025, Trump’s HHS proposed a rule to erase trans healthcare protections. Activists and civil rights lawyers generated over 250,000 public comments. The agency was forced to delay the rule, redact portions, and is now tied up in court citing “unresolved public input.” That’s how we stall fascist bulldozers—with paperwork grenades.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Find the Right Public Comment Opportunities
- Visit FederalRegister.gov or Regulations.gov
- Search by keyword (e.g., “Medicaid,” “asylum,” “facial recognition”)
- Look for deadlines—you usually have 30–60 days
Step 2: Write a Comment That Counts
- Be original: copy-paste duplicates are ignored
- Use data, personal stories, or legal arguments
- Be clear: say why you oppose/support the rule and what the impact would be
- End with a demand: “Withdraw this rule immediately,” or “Do not finalize this policy.”
Step 3: Organize a Comment Storm
- Recruit friends, group chats, orgs, and your grandmother
- Create a toolkit or template, but encourage tweaks so every comment is unique
- Set a goal—100 comments in 24 hours? Do it.
Step 4: Track and Publicize Your Impact
- Save a copy of your comment
- Watch for official responses or changes to the rule
- Share your comment publicly on social media with the link to the docket—this spreads awareness and pressure
Step 5: Use It in Legal Battles
- Public comments become part of the official rulemaking record
- When lawyers sue to stop bad rules, your comment might be cited as evidence
- That makes you a literal thorn in the fascist foot
Final Thoughts from Kitty
It may not be sexy, but crashing their fake “we want your input” parade with thousands of voices? That’s resistance in the fine print. And don’t worry—we’ll still be loud in the streets. But sometimes, the revolution starts in a comment box.