I went to my first precinct meeting [Feb. 25] in my entry into what it’s like to be an involved citizen. The room was full to overflowing, and we heard all the other precinct meetings were as crowded. I had the same wild joy I did at the Women’s March in Washington — so many of us, such fervent faces. Now I am meeting people outside my tribe. This is what I wanted: to get larger, to work in community, to hear other stories, to stop recycling my own.
Seems the only way to rise above the grief and dread I wake to every day is to be active, to be learning how to make change, not just talking about it. I’m such a newbie, but I show up, I listen, ask questions and read — a crash course in democracy. I remember one of our chants as we marched down the Mall, “This is what democracy looks like!” It stirs my heart, seems one of the most creative ways I can channel all the feelings I carry around like an underground river that rushes beneath my waking consciousness — but I hear it.
Every conversation starts with the state of the country, not “How are you” or the weather. It’s as if we are pouring words into the chaos, pulling each other out, throwing lines. The more obvious river is the one we are all surging forward in: this new reality that is a flood. We are being carried forward and not to where my worst fears live. As I look at everyone’s faces at the meetings, I see others like me who care enough to show up.
That phrase, a thousand points of light — that’s us, but a thousand is a modest estimate. I heard that there are over 7,000 Indivisible groups across the country, and that’s just one of many organizations working for change. The sleeping giant has awoken. I hear its roar, and that sound is music to me. We are not alone. I look around the tables to the faces of my neighbors, young and old, seasoned veterans and new recruits. Beautiful.
I signed up to be a delegate to the county convention where I can have a voice in the Democratic platform going forward: a new voice, one of many much-needed voices. Who would have thought.
— Ginger Graziano
Asheville
LOL! If anyone’s still brainwashed into thinking we are an Democracy; I’ll pray for you. We are without question an Oligarchy!
Hang in there, Ginger.
I though the Women’s March was necessary after Trump was postponed in the White House. Btw, there was a female Speaker of the US House of Representatives for a short time a decade ago. She was the first and still only woman Speaker of the US House of Representatives. I thought she was great and she brought vital ethics reforms many worked hard to identify as necessary.
What we all are dealing with is a Battle of Ethics as to whether ‘conservative democracy’ beats innovating classic liberal democracy. If people do not understand what liberal democracy is over republican capitols and things like pure libertarianism, there’s not much point is writing To Do lists for the NCDP and DNC platforms.
Because we are all vulnerable to anti-democratic attack without agreeing these vital words are still the baseline for our national strategy:
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” – Preamble to the US Constitution
If we don’t know what we have to lose, it’s easy to be beaten up by the nastiest, low down, back channel bullies folks can possibly imagine.
Not looking promising.
Divide and conquer has been thoroughly achieved in the USA …….. because humans = sheep.
We are now in the Bread and Circuses phase and it’s a very slippery slope from here. History repeats itself; same as it ever was.
I agree with you on the whole but right now it is a lot of circus and very little bread for those of us who do not live in the upper financial atmosphere.
However, everything is relative, right? Meaning, what we have now is plentiful compared to what a point in the future will bring. And our lives are utterly charmed versus the most of the globe — which is composed of primarily developing nations. Just saying.
This will not end well. http://www.usdebtclock.org/ (also tap the tabs at upper left: State and World Debt Clocks – staggering). Notice how much the national debt has increased since 2000 — it has more than tripled!! http://www.usdebtclock.org/2000.html Ain’t “democracy” grand?
hey Ginger…do you know the literal definition of ‘democracy’ and WHY the word does NOT appear in the US Constitution ? ? ?