By Merrilee Wineinger
When did the word “progressive” become a four-letter word? The origin of the word is from the word progress, which is from progressus ‘an advance,’ from the verb progredi, from pro- ‘forward’ + gradi ‘to walk.’
I’m proud to be called a progressive because to me it means we are moving forward; we’re advancing in our acceptance of others – regardless of race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, political positions, or age.
My orders as an ordained minister are to bring compassion and justice to the world. How can we do that if we’re not moving forward and advancing as a society? Without advancement, we would still have slavery, child labor, the inability of women to vote or own property (much less make decisions about our own healthcare), and much more.
Does this mean that as a progressive I won’t work with members of the other party or those within the Democratic Party whose positions differ from mine? Absolutely not, and my work as an advocate for health care reform, immigration, civil and social rights, etc., has proven it.
I have worked with people of other faiths, cultures, races, and from all socio-economic statuses on issues for which we all shared a common goal – advancing the issue at hand to benefit people in need, neglected, or disenfranchised.
The Democratic Party is known as the inclusive party, which means we welcome people from diverse backgrounds who have differing viewpoints. That’s what makes our Party the true party of all the people.
My pledge to voters is to be fiscally responsible with YOUR money; to listen to the concerns of all people in the district; to vote on legislation that will move our state and nation forward to a better society; and to be true to my values of honesty, humility, and hope. These values are missing in D.C, and I want to take them to D.C. as your next Representative for the 6th District.
I also promise to remain true to the inclusiveness of the Democratic Party and welcome people differing thoughts and viewpoints to the table to create a dialogue. There is much we can learn from one another – if we’ll just truly listen.
And last, I will not bow to whatever political winds are currently blowing just to get elected or stay in office, because if one will do that, they will bow to other pressures when it comes to voting to protect your rights, to keep you safe, and to move our country forward.
I leave you with these words from John Lynch, former governor of New Hampshire:
“We will not agree on every issue. But let us respect those differences and respect one another. Let us recognize that we do not serve an ideology or a political party; we serve the people.”
And that is what I will do as your next Congresswoman – serve the people.