”It’s not top-down anymore. It’s bottom-up,” said the commanding woman at the front of the packed room. “And honestly, in truth, THIS is democracy. Democracy means: taking it in your own hands.” So spoke Andrea Cabral—formerly elected sheriff of Suffolk County twice, first woman in the state to hold the post, and a woman of color, to boot. “Part of the reason that history repeats itself is because we think—that can’t be it. But it is it. It’s even worse than we think.”
A silence fell over that packed town meeting last week, as I scribbled her quotes into the margins of my agenda. I’d come to the meeting feeling desperate, I told her as people filed out. But she spoke directly to me. From her heart. It made me feel better. “Listen,” Cabral told me from the armchair where she gamely shook hands with my fellow white suburban admirers. “Just back anyone else. You don’t have to agree with everything they think. Don't need to live near them or be a constituent. Other side never cared about that. Anyone is better than the extremist alt-right. We need to stack the decks on school committees and everything else—like the other side did.”
Just like that, Cabral snapped everything into perspective for me.
The next day I noticed an article called “Flip This Seat!” in my inbox. Someone backed by civil rights hero Representative John Lewis was running for Congress. A civil rights advocate — running in a special election in April — for Congress? That was all I needed to know. I clicked the link and donated $20.
But then I took the next step. I emailed the head of our local Democrats’ group and told him about the campaign.
And then he took the next step. “Would you hold a roots-raiser for this candidate?” he asked. “I could get a state rep to come speak at it, I think.”
Of course, I said no. I have two small children, work, more work, school volunteering, you get the picture, plus I don’t know anything about Georgia’s 6th district.
But it nagged at me. Andrea’s words wouldn’t let me go.
He called me the next day.
“My house isn’t very big,” I said to him. “I’m sure it’s fine,” he replied.
My neighbor told me that she’d help me organize and think it through and invite her own contacts. Having her support gave me that last push I needed.
“I’m in,” I told him.
I emailed and tweeted the campaign, and Jon’s LinkedIn page, until someone reached back out to me. I got a dedicated fundraising link (please donate!). The Dems leader set up an RSVP Google page. We set a date when the state rep could come — one week from today.
Though space was capped at 45, I asked people to donate if they couldn’t come. I asked family members in other states to forward it to people they know.
Invites went out on Sunday night — that’s 48 hours after I’d first heard of Ossoff, or the term “roots raiser.” By Monday night, the campaign let us know we’d raised almost $1000.
Like me, people are desperate to do something effective. Going to a meeting, reading Twitter, posting on Facebook are all actions that have value — in terms of educating oneself and perhaps others. But those actions don’t change things. Changing Congress is a way to change things.
That said, this special election is a long shot. Jon Ossoff is going to be running against a Trump surrogate — Bruce LeVell, in a red state. But come on. I know we can make a difference. We can fight these monsters together — if we all focus on it.
My point? Hold a fundraiser for Jon Ossoff. It will build community, and capital, too. Mine is still a week away, and it’s contributing to the campaign. Have yours next week too, or the week after. April is coming up fast, but by acting now, we can make a difference by making sure the people of Georgia realize that they have a choice: a choice to choose civil rights advocate that stands for democracy at a time when it seems to have never been so fragile.
Want some wording for your invite? Feel free to use mine:
All - I've never held a political fundraiser, but I believe that now is the time to engage the democratic process to get behind a civil rights candidate in Georgia.
This is a rare opportunity to influence a special election for Congress without leaving your neighborhood. This election is coming up in April. If we act now, we might have a chance to flip this seat.
Please join us for a low-dollar fundraiser for candidate Jon Ossoff as he tries to help Georgia stand up to Trump.
Ossoff is a journalist, filmmaker and former Congressional aide and he is backed by Congressman and civil rights pioneer John Lewis. He's competing for a seat in Atlanta's 6th district as part of a special election. He stands in opposition to the Trump agenda. I think that if we help him, he has a chance.
Event details
Monday, Feb 6 from 7:00-8:30pm
At our home
Featuring speakers including: State Representative Kay Khan
Your role: Show your support with your presence and with a small contribution to the Ossoff campaign. Five, ten, fifteen, or twenty dollars are all good amounts – whatever you can give.
Space is limited. Please RSVP by signing up here: [xx]
Can't attend? Donate here: secure.actblue.com/...
To learn more
A summary of the campaign:
www.dailykos.com/...
Campaign site: electjon.com
Background on Jon Ossoff: skoll.org/...
The stakes are very high; Trump "diversity" campaign aide Bruce LeVell is set run against him and will have Trump’s backing:
www.rollcall.com/...
“This is a red district with deep anti-Trump sentiments. Mitt Romney won here 61-37 margin in 2012, but Trump could only scrape by with a 48-47 win—a stunning 23-point collapse for the GOP, and a huge opportunity for Democrats today.” - DailyKos
Together, we can!