Once upon a time I was a republican. It was thanks to a handful of friends in my life that I realized I’m not a republican. If I believe that basic necessities like healthcare and housing should be something we all pool our resources together for then the republican party of today does not represent me. If I think the free market should be kept in check by the government, if I support strong city planning that encourages walking and biking over the automobile industry, then the republican party of today does not represent me.
Over the past 7 years I’ve been involved with single issue based activism, like voting rights restoration, marijuana decriminalization, and climate strikes, all the while registering people to vote.
When I learned about the war on drugs and the prison industrial complex, I was ready to join leftists in their activism even if I had some conservative tendencies. For me, it’s always been about joining the best fight. If someone is doing something good, I’m interested in that more so than what party they’re with. Overall I’m interested in learning, and that’s the difference I’ve seen between people I have done activism with and the Christiaan right I used to know.
I think ultimately it’s important to get with people to accomplish a task you both think needs to get done, and not be distracted by what you disagree on.
In 2020 I ran for state senate as a Democrat because democrats were the ones organizing for climate, and looking for strong environmental candidates. At that point I was a registered Democrat because they are the ones advocating for all the things I was. To be fair, the Young Democratic Socialists on campus were actively educating people about the corrupt industry of prison labor and its origins, showed up to door knocking events for Bernie, and held weekly meetings. I have them to thank for my stance on prison labor.
I’m writing this because my evolution to the Democratic Party involves people who don’t call themselves Democrats, but who end up voting Democrat because they are the party with the most power that is most left. Though I’m a registered Democrat, I ran for office as a Democrat, I may not be told that I am a Democrat by a political compass test.
I am a person who believes that climate, health, and environment need to be the top priorities of our government. The Democratic Party is the major party that prioritizes those things at all.
Getting to know the party and its internal structure, it is clear to me now why leftists don’t think the party is left enough. It is because the left has left the Democratic Party. The party is structured by subject based caucuses: women’s caucus, environmental caucus, Public education caucus, disability caucus etc. and within each caucus there are committees, for example, I formed a Right to Clean Water committee within the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida (DECF). Though Right to Clean Water is not a Democrat or leftist organization, I am a Democrat and I am in Right to Clean Water and Right to Clean Water is an environmental thing…and that’s all the correlation that is needed. See, let’s say you are more left than the Democratic Party and you think there are others in your area who feel the same way and who also vote Democrat, you could start a “more left than left” caucus or committee. Realistically you might wanna call it a “leftist” caucus, or “progressive” caucus.
The Democratic Party is made up by its caucuses and committees and if no one has started a caucus that you identify with in your county then that’s why you feel unrepresented by the party. If there is a lack of representation, you need to be the representation by starting a committee or caucus in your county’s Democratic Party.
I am new to all of this and I find it fascinating. I hope there’s someone out there who will find this information useful.
I have many friends who have criticisms of the Democratic Party, but if you’re in Florida you see how dangerous the republican party is and if you are at all leftist, maybe you are scared like me. Maybe, you know that Bill Clinton, a Democrat, had a large hand in the prison industrial complex, and that Bidon was a huge hand in the violent crime bill, and that overall there is no way to truly vote for your interest.
As a conservationist I dream of the day that the Democratic Party replaces the right and the Green Party replaces the Democratic Party. Maybe I am wrong, but the first step in my mind is defeating the Republican Party of today.
Consider getting with your local Democratic Party. Consider, getting them involved with single issue things like a ballot initiative. They might help. You might be surprised.
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