By TINA RYNBERG and MITCH WAGNER

It’s scary out there. Right-wing extremists are here, now, in East County, threatening Black Lives Matter protesters and openly displaying Nazi symbols.

But you can stop them, using the peaceful tools of democracy.

That’s what our next general meeting is about, Sept. 2 on Zoom: How you can volunteer your time to help Democrats win in 2020, and stop the spread of bigotry and superstition in La Mesa and surrounding East County communities.

We’ll start out hearing from Sean Quintal, the club ice president of laws and legislation, who will take a few minutes to walk you through the confusing array of propositions on the ballot. This is the second of a series. You don’t have to have heard Part 1 to join us in September, but we do urge you to watch if you missed that meeting. It’s on our YouTube channel; you can find that link — and all the links referenced for this article — at www.lmfdems.com/links.

Our guest, Terra Lawson-Remer, is a candidate for San Diego Board of Supervisors, running against Republican incumbent Kristin Gaspar. If Lawson-Remer wins, that will establish a first-ever Democratic majority on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors — a historic shift in the San Diego political landscape.

Terra is an economist, small businesswoman, and educator, who served as senior advisor in the Obama Administration developing environmental policies to cut pollution from oil drilling and mining. She supports an evidence-based approach to COVID-19, affordable childcare and housing for San Diego, racial justice, environmental protection, a sane transit policy and more. Find out how to help Lawson-Remer become the second Democrat on the Board of Supervisors and help tilt the balance toward the people.

We’ll hear from La Mesa City Council members Colin Parent and Akilah Weber about the city’s public safety oversight task force and the aftermath of the terrible rioting downtown in May, and ongoing demonstrations.

Christian Bilson, lead volunteer organizer for Southern California for Joe and Kamala group, will discuss how you can help send Joe and Kamala to the White House by building support in swing states.

And Ali Zaidi, engagement coordinator for the San Diego County Democratic Party, will talk about what you can do to help elect Democrats up and down the line.

Want to do more? We’re grateful if you do. Visit our website lmfdems.com/links to find out where you can sign up to phone-bank from home. You can call voters in swing states, drum up support for California state propositions, and help Kate Schwartz for Assembly District 75 and Ammar Campa-Najjar for Congressional District 50.

Join us Wednesday, Sept. 2, for our regular monthly meeting, on Zoom. Social time starts at 6:30 p.m., programming at 7 p.m. You know where to find the Zoom URL, right? lmfdems.com/links.

Also, we’d like to take a moment to thank and recognize Jeff Benesch, the club’s programing vice president, who resigned this month. Jeff made an enormous contribution — his meetings were informative, enjoyable and packed in literally hundreds of people. He also organized regular anti-war protests in the 2000s, and worked tirelessly for local candidates and causes.

— Tina Rynberg is president and Mitch Wagner directs social media and communications for the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club. Contact us at [email protected].