Connect! Unite! Act! is a weekly series that seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups meet regularly to socialize, get out the vote, support candidates, and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers that be. Visit us every week to see how you can get involved!
As we look back at the 20 years of Daily Kos, there are stories I’ve written that I’m very proud of and events that I’m proud of as well. One of the events that meant the most to me was a gathering of Daily Kos readers in Puerto Rico shortly after hurricanes left the island devastated. If you have not followed the writing of Denise Oliver Velez on the issue, go back and do so now. There are things I’ve written at Daily Kos about my family and friends that mean the world to me because of how they emotionally connect to my life and always will. When I think about the work done on behalf of Daily Kos for organizing, for building an understanding, and for growing our community, the work done in Puerto Rico remains a moment where I believe Daily Kos stepped up to fill a void left by a media that was not giving proper attention to an outright crisis. More than that, we helped our own community members. In the course of a few days, we helped provide clean water, cut away destroyed branches and limbs from roofing, and helped to set up a cleaner, safer kitchen. We delivered supplies to people who were desperately in need.
Seeing military veterans forced to live in poor conditions in the same week that Donald J. Trump would deliver a State of the Union that would not address the issue told me a lot about the strength of this community. We worked to help each other, we bonded together, and we put real work in in every way we could, trying to do our best to get the story told.
Denise would write passionately about what was wrong. Our editorial staff would continue to note what could be done and why it had to be done. And our community—through diaries, donations, support, and feedback—helped power all of us to get up every morning, stick with it, and move to create change.
All of this was made possible through connections. Uniting to get to know each other in person and see that we were human beings, not just keyboard warriors, and when called into action we knew people who were more than willing to help.
In so many ways, COVID-19 has removed many of us from that direct connection with each other. It isn’t as easy to have a public gathering, and many don’t feel comfortable doing so. I’ve received the vaccine and the booster, and yet I understand why people go into spaces and say, “I’d prefer to just stay home. Can we do that?”
So many of the fantastic regional groups here on Daily Kos were in the past some of my favorite visits. Going through the photos of all of the gatherings to help organize behind goals and candidates, I know that it is that connection that lets us all feel seen and appreciated.
So, this week in Connect! Unite! Act!, I’m asking a simple question, one I have posted to a few of our groups and communities: Are you interested in opportunities for virtual community meetups? If you already have one scheduled, please send it in and I will definitely list it within our Connect! Unite! Act! series. If you would like to get one scheduled, or if you want help in setting up a virtual gathering, could this be a way to build back some of the time that COVID-19 has taken from so many of us?