Given the horrific incident in Virginia, it would be easy to get bogged down in a lot of “woulda, shoulda, coulda” type thinking. I want to suggest a different approach to showing our solidarity with the people of Virginia.
There are certainly safety protocols, and guidelines for permits that may have prevented this act of terrorism, but I want to focus on how to prevent it in the future.
You see, this stuff has been happening in Virginia since, well, since forever. You can see a poster for a rally in the same city, 97 years ago. It was happening way before that too, the 1920’s just happened to have had a particular spike in KKK membership. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center the Klan had 5 million members in 1925, the most since 1871 when there were 550,000 members.
This isn’t new for anyone alive today, this ugly racism and violence is the same as it ever was. What can we do to change this pattern? To make sure it doesn’t happen again? The answer to that is the same as it ever was — Get Out The Vote.
One of the best ways I can think of to channel our grief and horror, our anger and concern; to turn those feelings into concrete support for Virginians, is to help them with their upcoming elections. They have a Special Election August 29th and the VA General Election is November 2017.
We here at Daily Kos can help spread the word, raise funds and do what we do best; help elect more and better Democrats.
The Special Election August 29th is one that’s guaranteed to get anyone fired up enough to act. This election is for a seat on the Fairfax County school board currently held by a Republican. She was resigning due to her spouse being transferred overseas. The Republicans pressured her into retiring early so that they could hold a Special Election in the hopes that Democrats won’t show up to vote.
They actually call this their “Scalia seat”, they think they own it. I’m hoping the people of Fairfax County will show the Republicans exactly how they feel about their hubris and lack of fiscal conservatism. This election is costing taxpayers an extra $200,000 because the Republicans didn’t want to risk losing by waiting the two months until the November 21017 General Elections.
The folks who live in Fairfax County can send a very clear message by voting for the Democratic candidate Karen Keys-Gamarra. Some great diaries have been written about her here on DK:
Republicans think they own this seat, let's make them fight for it!
Republican Dirty Tricks
This School Board Race is so Critical the GOP is Playing Dirty Tricks to keep it
Republicans hope you don't even notice my election - by the Candidate herself
The anecdote to the Women of R.E. Lee KKK Klan might just be the 30 Democratic Women who are challenging incumbent Republicans for the seats in the VA Assembly this fall. Let’s support these Amazing Women!
To combat this crazy making stuff I think we have to focus on the elections in Virginia this year. We can send a strong message to the Republican Party:
The Democrats support the UNITED states of America. In every election, no matter how big or small, we are coming, all of US, to a city near you.
Unlike Trump, numbers don't lie
Defeating El Loco by going local
You can read more about these elections at 90for90 and here on Daily Kos at Virginia Elections.