Transform public outrage into lasting policy

I remember the day I got the call from the nurses’ union. They’d heard my op-ed and wanted to turn that spark into a movement. We sat in a church basement with patient advocates, clergy, and a lawyer from Legal Aid. Coffee cups percolated in the corner as stories spilled out: a single dad garnished, a pastor’s wife evicted. They didn’t have scripts—just raw despair. I suggested: “Let’s host a town hall, publish their stories, then ask the state to ban liens on homes.” We recorded the session, posted it on Facebook, and proposed a petition. Within weeks we had 5,000 signatures from nurses, patients, churchgoers, even a few local bankers. A sympathetic state senator took up our cause, drafting a bill to cap garnishments and require presumptive charity-care screening. This moment taught me that public outrage, when channeled into a broad coalition and clear asks, can bend the arc of policy toward justice.

You can start by calling one or two community groups—nurses, clergy, patient advocates—to join you for a virtual forum. Gather a few real-life testimonies, then livestream a town hall and collect viewer signatures on a simple bill petition. That digital petition becomes a talking point for legislators. It’s a direct line from outrage to reform—try setting it up by next Wednesday.