I think this line is missing a few words: I think she was wrong; history strongly implies restricting legal access to liquor.

Not to be silent or, worse, to be accomplices, when a woman or a child - really, when anyone - is subjected to violence, whether physical or psychic, especially inside the family. Not to tolerate that kind of treatment ourselves. To speak up, especially inside the intimate group, for anyone who is being beat up on. (This can take real courage.) To be very careful that we ourselves are not perpetrating violence of any sort on anyone else. For most of us, this will occupy a lot of our attention.

But there is collective action too. That rape is treated as seriously as it is now, while this is not perfect, is a great improvement from even a generation ago, and that has been a result of collective political action, writing letters, demonstrating, getting involved in elections. That child abuse is now seen as a genuine crime - this was not always so - is the result of collective political action.

I think it’s probably best for someone inclined to get involved in political action to pick a few, optimally one, cause about which she or he feels strongly, and to really push on it. There are numerous organizations devoted to a whole variety of causes; it shouldn’t be hard to find one which addresses the issue which bothers you the most.

Don’t give up.

Paul Simon wrote a song with the line, “I can’t run, but I can walk much faster than this.” Because we have not yet achieved perfection (and aren’t likely to) does not mean we cannot produce real improvement.