Moving Forward with Power

Last year as Kamala Harris ran for president I felt hopeful, that we would have a brilliant woman as our president and that we were headed in a new direction that would enfranchise people and bring us all together. That Harris’ leadership would enable us to enact more policy at all levels of government that would help my community, my family, and myself. That the election of Harris would help alleviate the toxicity that has become a feature of engaging in civic life and our lives in general.

That was not to be. Instead we got slapped in the face by the misogyny, racism, all the hate endemic in our country.

The time ahead is likely to be filled with strife, uncertainty, anxiety, and worse. Likely far far worse than the last time Trump was in office.

I’m not sure that all of my local elected leaders are interested or prepared to listen, protect us, fight back, do their job working for us over what is politically expedient for themselves.

And so much activism/advoacy divides and disenfranchises us, often it is a tool for the power and control of a few not for the progress of us all.

I write this today feeling sadness, hopelessness, fear, anger, and the realization that we should not and I will not continue in the way we have been. We have had wins but we are not winning — we are going backwards.

How we move forward should be purposeful, effective, and sustainable.

Grounded in civic engagement, discourse, democracy, community, holding to account, and smart resistance.

Focused on what we can achieve, where we can make a difference, how we can stymie or stop in the immediate.

For me that means the policy, actions, and candidates that stand up to Trump, his agenda, and fascism and stand for myself, my family, my community, and our democracy.

It’s about what moves us forward in tangible ways, not what doesn’t.

No more performative resistance or reactionary outrage that doesn’t drive real or lasting change.

No more movement building over community building.

No more being an all-purpose, unquestioning advocate for every progressive policy or candidate. If you want my support and free volunteer hours, show me how it helps my community, listen to and act for my community.

No more buying into bad actors out for only themselves.

No more giving relevancy to purity to an ideology or unquestioning loyalty to a leader. Purity tests and loyalty without accountability are ways to control us and take our power.

No more cult of personality politics. I do not engage in civic life because of Barack or Bernie. As no leader has any power without us.

No more being constrained and divided. by the idea of small d democracy. It’s not big or small, it’s just democracy — we are all connected, all neighbors, all in this together..

Instead, as I engage in civic life, I will relish the many different opinions, discourse, and coming to consensus while pushing back on polarization and maximalism that deadlocks and disenfranchises.

I will work to uplift, protect, strengthen, and grow our of our democracy.

I will continue to talk with people all over at doors and tables.

I will stay with the Democratic Party that has always been my political home and push for it to build on what is working while changing what is not.

And let me clear, I will continue being vociferous, even louder than previously, on what is unacceptable and non-negotiable. Hold my elected leaders to account. Do my part to call out all the nonsense, stupidity, greed, and hate that I see or experience no matter the source. And I will not be gaslit into thinking it’s not there or unintentional.

I will not give up any of my power.

That’s really what it’s about, not giving up any of our power to Trump or anyone else.

Onward, in power.