Doing the Work for Liberty

I’m tremendously proud of the work the many dedicated volunteers did.

Proud of those of us who successfully pushed the New York State Democratic Party to do more on Prop 1 + the NY House seats.

Proud of those of us who did the work every weekend talking with NY voters about dem candidates up and down the ballot, taking back the House, keeping our State majorities and flipping the ballot to support Prop 1.

Our work made a difference.

The last Sunday before the election, in Liberty, NY, I met lovely women who have been doing the work, political and otherwise, in their community for years. They were all in for Kamala Harris, Josh Riley, dem candidates up and down the ballot, and Prop 1 because they knew it would make a difference for the better in their community. Even with the mixed result (Riley, Prop 1 won) they will still do the work for their community tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.

Like the women in Liberty, I too was all in for Kamala Harris. She would be a brilliant, fair, joyous President who would work for all of us while uniquely understanding how misogyny and all hate holds us back. She had policy plans that would have helped people including me.

I am profoundly saddened that we will likely never have a woman president in my lifetime.

I am furious at misogyny that is insidious and stifling. This utter and total hate of women and menacing obsession to dominate us, continues to hold us all back.

It’s maga AND men of all ages, backgrounds, religious beliefs, and political ideologies AND also white women.

That some of it is coming gleefully from white men to my left is the worst — their privilege will protect them while the people they say they fight for will suffer.

I’m distrustful of those who this cycle did nothing but complain, critique, be uncommitted, and chaffed those supporting Harris and doing the work.

I am scared about what happens next.

I don’t know if four more years of organizing and holding to account will stop project 2025, fascism, and all the local issues we face: market rate rezonings, casinos, failing overburdened public infrastructure, our Mayor, etc.

This year in an IMAX theatre I watched “Civil War” about civil war here in the near future. And at Film Forum I rewatched « L’armée des ombres » about the French résistance.

Excellent but frightening films that make me question how we survive and sustain in what’s to come.

I don’t know the answer. I don’t feel hopeful.

But I am thinking about the women in Liberty doing the work for their community tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.