I know it’s the next day, but I didn’t see a story about the Seattle rally. It was one of the best rallies I have ever been to, so well organized and compelling from start to finish. Pramila Jayapal, our new Congressperson, was magnificent, both as an orator and an organizer. It was heartening and energizing to see her be so clear and strong -- since she is likely to be our Congressperson for Life (unless she moves on to higher office).
The spokesman from the SEIU gave the seminal directive; go forth from this rally and think of yourself as an organizer. If each of us organizes even a little, reaches out to those even in unlikely arenas, and draws a few more to stand up, that is powerful. Pramila shared her organizing for resistance plan:
be 1) truth-dwelling 2) story-telling and 3) specific and compelling.
What she meant by the first was facing up to both the truths about our strength and ability to make something happen, but also realistically facing up to what we are up against. I think we are finally beginning to get it that stories — in their telling and retelling — are what touch the hearts of others and light sparks for change. Congresspeople on our side are collecting stories, so write them out, with enough specifics and send them on.
For the third directive, she gave examples from her two weeks in Washington, standing against the electoral ratification to get it on the record what she was specifically wanting recognized, that voter suppression, fake news, foreign intervention are what delivered this election.
Specifically. She will require that the record reflect these specifics.
No one spoke too long, each speaker was indeed compelling, and each told important stories. Our toes were very cold, but I was rapt the whole way through.
In addition, I learned a lot about the outreach for this event. I have a very well connected friend, much better connected than I am, who only heard of this event through me. I heard of it here. It was all over Our Revolution and Sen Sanders website, and there were numerous unions, organizations for health constituencies who got people out for this. But it looked like outreach to Clinton supporters and the old Obama coalition, unless they landed in the groups above, was missing. Even on Facebook, my friend, a Clinton supporter, did not encounter info about this rally day.
Sen. Sanders now has an official position in the Senate Caucus as head of Outreach. So I had the thought that if you know Clinton supporters who may not read dailykos, suggest they sign up again with Sen. Sanders email list. The Democrats are just learning how to do this, put on national local events and we can help spread the net wider. I am also going to write those who may control other lists and register disappointment that they didn’t put this word out either.
It sounds like I am disappointed in the size of the rally today. No, not for today, there were 2,000 and that exceeded organizers’ expectations. But can we do much better?
One of my friends struck up a conversation with two women on the bus who had been to the rally, who knew nothing about the Womxn’s March in Seattle next Saturday. A cautionary tale about finding out/not assuming who needs information. These women are now fired up and ready to go.
I also met a woman who wished she had a camera to take a picture of the “Full Coverage” costume person below. I sent her the picture and she wrote back that two people she showed it to had searched out the organization connected to that message and joined it: Health Care for All WA. This is definitely how it happens.