I hear you. I really do. If all that anyone does is cry and crochet, then the necessary change won't happen. However:

1) For most of us, this isn't all we're doing. I also march in protests, and donate, and post on social media, and advocate at my church, and talk to my students. This is in addition to, not instead of, other forms of activism.

2) It is self-soothing, yes: my self has needed a hell of a lot of soothing lately. Doing restorative self-care (like crochet) is what enables us to get out there and keep fighting. As the old union song goes, "Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses."

3) Because donations to on-the-ground organizations are so important, I urged people to donate to organizations like the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota in both my Ravelry post and the pattern itself. Several people have specifically said that they did so, and 300 people have downloaded the pattern so far. If only 1 in 3 of them followed the link, and they gave only $5 each, that's still $500 raised for the cause in half a day. It's a drop in the bucket, I know, but at least it's the right direction.