I've seen many of you struggling as well. Lately it feels like we've been bombarded with a new wave of hate, ignorance, racism, fear and misinformation which seems spear-headed, legitimized and emboldened by our own president.
And as the fear/ignorance/hatred gets louder and harder to ignore; many have been forced to take a stand, have uncomfortable conversations and let go of treasured relationships.
I can't lie, after each national or global tragedy occurs; I feel a tinge of
hopelessness. I feel as though my heart can't possible handle watching another innocent person get murdered in the streets. I feel as though I can't possibly read another comment trying to minimize the reality of what's happening in our county. I worry that the normalization and rationalization of the xenophobia, racism, sexism, homophobia, elitism, classism and all the other phobias/isms has become so pervasive in this country; that it will ultimately lead to our downfall.
No, these manufactured "divisions" are nothing new. And our minority communities have lived with and struggled with them on a daily basis - since the inception of this country. However, we can't deny the danger that these views carry when it becomes more and more acceptable for our elected leaders (much less our president) to voice and condone them.
However, here's the flip side.
While I see these terrifying, outrageous and unacceptable acts of hatred rising in our county, I also see the juxtaposition.
I also see the plethora of people rising to the occasion and taking a stand in the name of justice. I see people's apathy and willingness to distract themselves fading away.
I see counter-protests filled with love, understanding, acceptance, demands of equality and a resignation to non-violence springing up everywhere.
I see people having tough conversations, pushing themselves to grow and learn, refusing to be silent, forming coalitions, organizing, fighting back, educating themselves, arming themselves with knowledge, refusing to submit to fear and/or bullying, taking a stand and pushing back in the name of progress as opposed to regression.
For every blow we take; I see am continually surprised to see us pick ourselves up, lick our wounds, find our common ground, grow stronger from our disagreements, unite and find a new way to make progress - together.
They might be small wins for now. But hey, I'll take what I can get. And while it may not be as quickly and as seamlessly as we'd hope; I see the resistance coming together. We are growing stronger through our disagreements. We are learning from our mistakes. We are leaning into each other, even when it hurts. We are discovering where we intersect and what power resinates from that intersection.
We are reflecting on what we have settled for in the past and are demanding more moving forward. We are collectively finding our self-worth and our personal boundaries.
On days where I feel hopeless, I look to my community for support and inspiration. I look to my friends and allies (old and new) who refuse to be quiet in times like these. I look to the streets of Philadelphia and Boston where thousands and thousands of people march in opposition of the darkness that is trying to destroy the strength and diversity of OUR country.
There are seeds of hope and change being planted all over our country. Now we all must be committed to watering and nurturing them together. We must all be reminded of our holistic connection to each other as community, a state and a nation.
We must understand that as we lift up members of our own communities, we lift ourselves up. The more members of our communities that have access to healthcare, education, livable wages, quality food and water, transportation, equality and dignity; the better our communities become holistically.
The divisions that we see between are manufactured so that we are too busy fighting amongst ourselves to notice the corruption and abuse of power that is happening at the top.
At the end of the day, the only thing that defines you are the choices that you make in your life and how you treat yourself and other people. Not your skin color, your religion, your wealth, your gender, your age or any of the other ways you chose to identify or define yourself.
We are all one.
I really believe that good will triumph in the end.
President of the Democratic Progressive Caucus of
Tampa Bay
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