On August 16, 1967, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr delivered a speech to the 11th Annual SCLC Convention in Atlanta that has become known as “Where do we go from here?” after the title of his last book Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? The book was written after most of King’s work for Civil Rights had already taken place. He was turning his attention to the structural changes that our society would require in order to achieve lasting change.
We find ourselves at another such point in history this week with the defeat of Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Indeed, many have written about the political fate of the Democratic Party over the last few days. The question is the same one King asked a half century earlier. Where do we go from here?
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What’s the answer? Do we really live in a nation of racists and xenophobes who are just more organized politically? Do Democrats have a “God problem”? Are we really the minority in the ways that count electorally?
Maybe. We certainly live in a racist, xenophobic system and the right has been out organizing us for at least thirty years. They’re good at messaging and they’re good at spreading fear.
But that doesn’t mean that Democrats need to cower in fear or turn to “centrist” politics and “moderate” stances. I believe it was Hoover who said that, given the choice between a Republican and someone who looks like a Republican, people will choose the Republican every time.
The biggest flaw, as far as I can see, with Ossoff’s campaign was that he allowed himself to be painted as an outsider. Couple that with his decision not to talk about the president and the politics he represents and you have another failed Democratic candidate.
So, what’s the answer? Keep taking our party back. Progressives live in every community in this nation. I know, I spent three weeks traveling it and meeting my fellow citizens. Stand up. Be counted. You don’t have to run for office but you do need to be seen. You need to do more than vote. You need to work for the progressive candidates in your community. You need to get others to vote along with you.
Don’t be disheartened for 2018. Redouble your efforts. Make sure that your current representatives see and hear you and work like hell to make them listen to you. If they won’t, work like hell to unseat them. It’s what I’m trying to do here in the heartland anyway.
Oh, and by the way, Tamir Rice would have turned 15 today. Rest in Power brother.
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from your humble diarist:
lostamerican nails it
from Mike The Liberal:
This comment from Flowergirl77 pretty much sums it up in "Personal Responsibility" by noweasels.
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