The Impact of Mobilizing Americans For a Better Future
“Don’t antagonize, organize!” -Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
It was one of the first days of summer 2022, I had slept in. I woke up and checked my texts, and I saw a text from a mentor saying, “Did you see the SCOTUS ruling?” I had not, so I went to the New York Times app, and sure enough in big letters it read “ROE V WADE OVERTURNED.” I was furious. I could have used my anger to unleash hateful, bigoted, and repugnant rants on Twitter like some people would have. Instead, I chose to take action. I went to the ACLU website, signed up for a texting shift, and sent out thousands of texts to Michigan voters trying to get a pro-choice ballot initiative on the ballot. I chose not to antagonize, but to organize. I learned a valuable lesson that day, that when you are angry, and frustrated you do not yell or scream, you turn it into action.
When the Virginia Governor, Glen Youngkin was advocating for draconian anti-LGBTQIA+ and anti-choice legislation that would have taken Virginia back decades, we could have chosen anger, yelling, screaming, and divisiveness, but we didn’t. Instead, we chose to launch a concerted campaign to elect pro-choice, pro-family, and pro-LGBTQIA+ majorities on all levels of government in Virginia, and it worked. In November, Virginia voters rejected hate, extremism, and authoritarianism, and chose freedom, democracy, and choice. Virginia voters elected a pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA+, and pro-family majority, flipping the State House, and keeping the state senate. On top of that Virginia voters elected the 2nd transgender State Senator in National history, Danica Roem.
On that same November day, there was an election in the State of Ohio. There was a ballot measure, named Proposition 1. Proposition 1 sought to make abortion legal in Ohio. Before Proposition 1 in November, there was another Proposition on the ballot that August. That Proposition (also called Proposition 1), sought to raise the threshold to pass a ballot measure from a simple majority “yes” vote to 60% supermajority, and raise signature requirements to get on the ballot. This measure was designed by anti-choice, and corrupt Ohio politicians, who sought to stop Proposition 1 in November. Ohio voters rejected the August proposition by 17 points and voted to put a right to abortion in the state constitution by 13 points, in November. This moved Ohio from one of the most restrictive states in the country, with a near-total ban on abortion without exceptions for the health of the mother, rape, incest, or for minors, to a state where abortion rights are protected in the state constitution.
We could have complained, and incited chaos, mayhem, and havoc, but instead, we chose to do the work to change the law. We phone banked, we canvassed, we text banked, and we organized. We chose not to go down the path of divisiveness, and antagonism, but we instead launched a statewide effort to unite Ohioans and protect choice.
The elections in Virginia, and Ohio were just 1 month ago, but now we find ourselves, once again called to action. We have a majority in the House of Representatives that wants to not just take their states but take the entire country back decades. Just a few of their legislative priorities include putting in place harsh, severe, oppressive, and unrelenting anti-choice legislation, in addition to putting in place discriminatory homophobic, and transphobic legislation, as well as other legislative priorities that seek to further divide Americans and pit our most vulnerable against each other.
Our current Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson is distant from the ideas and philosophies of Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Johnson was elected after the most extreme, and radical actors in our government ousted the Former Speaker, sending the Country into utter chaos. Johnson has a long history. Johnson has a long history of homophobia, totalitarianism, bigotry, and prejudice. He has aligned himself with some of the most repugnant, and ignorant policies and perspectives in America. Johnson has argued that the root cause of school shootings is abortion, that passing LGBTQ+ inclusive laws will lead to pedophilia, that the 2020 election was rigged, and a myriad of other discriminatory, bigoted, and prejudiced views, and policy objectives.
Under the current majority, the House has passed extreme anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ+, and extremist policies that showcase the worst of America.
We have a Senate that is just a few seats away from extremist, anti-choice, and anti-democracy politicians taking over.
Even more daunting, we have a Presidential election where we are at risk of America falling into authoritarianism, and bigotry, and electing a leader who will take America back decades.
However, these ominous realities are not inevitable, and we can elect leaders who will drive us in a direction that makes America the best place in the world to live. However, this will not happen unless we mobilize, and organize our voters.
We have seen, over and over again that this is not just some unrealistic aspiration, but something that can be done, but only when we organize, and when we have people from all background canvassing, phone banking, text banking. This is why I hope you will join me, and thousands of other Americans in organizing for a better America.
No one is too old or too young to jump in the fight for lower costs, better families, more rights, and a better America. You can get involved today with organizations like Grassroots Democrats HQ, Common Cause, Swing Left, and more. It is with your help, that we will start a new chapter in American history, where we prosper, and safeguard fundamental freedoms.
In less than one year from now, America will have elections that will, in many ways shape what America is, what we stand for, and our freedoms. If we want to ensure a better future, we cannot sit out, and we cannot fix this country by throwing around insults, and names. If we choose to listen to Speaker Emerita Pelosi, and spend more time getting on the ground, and talking to voters about the choice between freedom, and prosperity or tyranny, authoritarianism, and ruin, Americans will choose our vision of an inclusive, and prosperous America every single time.
