Good representation is important.
Bad representation is a source of shame.
Amidst the horror of everything else that this administration has done and been, one of the things that makes me most sick is how far our stature in the world has fallen. Gone is the humble, servant leader who represented the very best of our country.
Now we have… oh dear.
But he’s not the only person who has embarrassed me through their (mis)representation of me, my family, my friends, and my neighbors.
- When he was my state representative and then my congressman, Justin Amash repeatedly voted against reasonable, common-sense legislation — often being the only one to vote no.
- My governor allowed a city's residents to be poisoned.
- Just hours after the death of a highly-regarded diplomat, someone who represents my state in a national organization posted a conspiracy theory about 9/11 and said diplomat.
- At least one person who represents Democrats from my area in a statewide organization voted for Jill Stein… and she considers it a point of pride that she didn't vote for the qualified woman.
All of these embarrass me, which is why I often feel a need to speak out and condemn such behavior.
But it’s not all bad. After all, I’m represented in the Senate by the dedicated, humble trailblazer Debbie Stabenow and by the workhorse Navy veteran Gary Peters. And having seen Keith Ellison speak today in Detroit, I’m proud to be part of the Party that he helps lead.
Hopefully, we can fix some of these issues of (mis)representation in the coming years. I sure plan to do my part.
So what’s your effing problem?