History and Truth

History and Truth

by Ted Miller

(originally published in Tumbleweird July 2021)

 

History was not my best subject. I thought it was boring. The homework always involved a lot of reading, and I could never stay focused. I preferred math and science, which for me were easy to get through as quickly as I could comprehend the concepts. History just seemed so irrelevant. What did something that happened so long ago have to do with what was happening today? How could history have any impact on my life? I wanted to think about the future of science, space, technology.

I grew up in a military family and attended many different schools, many of them overseas. I don’t remember a lot of the details in my textbooks, but I learned all the grade school stories about Columbus, Plymouth Rock, the struggling colonies, taxation without representation, the Declaration of Independence, and the writing of the Constitution. Great men doing great things. I remember memorizing the Gettysburg Address in the fifth grade, but the details I was taught about the Civil War were less about slavery and more about state’s rights. I don’t remember learning much at all about how indigenous people were treated, or how official government policy resulted in the deaths of millions as we ‘conquered’ the land upon which they had lived for millennia. Slavery and westward expansion were something I hardly paid attention to.

If any of the darker side of U.S. history was mentioned when I was in school, I would have thought it tragic, but irrelevant to America today. In my young mind, all the problems of the past had been resolved. I lived in the land of the free, where everyone had equal rights and equal opportunity, and anyone could achieve the American Dream through hard work and just a little bit of luck. I was lucky to be an American. 

And to be honest, the biggest reason I didn’t learn more about our complicated history is because I didn’t have to. 

I certainly recognized disparity in the United States. I witnessed abject poverty firsthand in many of the places I lived. I knew that white supremacy was real, and that racism existed, but in my insulated world of a military family, I didn’t have to think about it. I never considered how the systems of society and government that were explicitly racist in the past continue to have an impact today because they didn’t impact me.

But those systems do affect millions of Americans. Consider the continued racial disparity in almost every measure: wealth, income, poverty, education, health outcomes, incarceration rates. Whites, on average, are better off in every category. And the continued racial inequality is both stark and persistent. (For specific examples, visit inequality.org.)

Why is there so much inequality? To paraphrase Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, there is either something inferior about those racial groups that fare worse in our system, or the system in which we live created these disparities and has allowed them to continue for generations. The truth is, there is nothing inferior about any race. The system is to blame, not racial differences.

History shows that systems of oppression in America existed long before John Hancock’s famous signature declared how he and his fellow Americans were being oppressed by King George. The founders were both oppressed and upholders of their own systems of oppression.

 

Our history is complicated. The ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are worth striving for. But the men who wrote the founding documents of our nation were not perfect. They were wealthy, land-owning white Europeans who believed they alone should govern the country they were establishing. They did not believe that women, the poor, Black people, or Indigenous people were their equals. Many of them owned slaves. Did they really believe that all are created equal?

The United States has a history of strength, opportunity, and achievement. But it also has a history of violence, oppression, and racism. Our nation has managed to survive, and in spite of setbacks and uneven progress, it has worked towards a more perfect union. Through amendments to our Constitution and updates to our laws, we have become more democratic, more equitable, and closer to achieving those ideals the founders wrote about but didn’t live.

When I was younger, I believed that the strength of our democracy was unshakeable. That, no matter how messy and imperfect, the system would always work to uphold the Constitution. But history tells us that no government is perfect or permanent. We are not immune from those who wish to use our government for their own gain.

 

Democracies can slide into autocracy and fascism before the people realize what is happening. It happened in Germany and Italy less than one hundred years ago. It has happened countless times in history. The reasons the people don’t see it coming are complacency, ignorance of history, and not understanding how their own government works. 

The people of the United States are tired of the divisiveness. They are tired of Republicans and Democrats claiming the others are destroying the country. They are tired of the constant rhetoric and tired of hearing about politics, about racism, and about how our country is threatened from within. Like my younger self, they don’t recognize how fragile our democracy actually is. We really can fail.

Our history, in all its conflicting narratives — the good and the bad — should be taught to our children and young adults. The principles of how our government works, its strengths and its weaknesses, are essential to a well-informed electorate. If we are truly a government of the people, the people must understand and participate in their government. 

Hiding the ugly side of our history so that we can feel better about our country is a disservice to our children. Not facing the truth is unpatriotic. 

History is complicated. Multiple narratives and perspectives are important to gain a better understanding. We should hear them all. 

It is only through understanding the history of our past that we can create a better future for all.

Our Transgender Friends and Family Deserve More

Our Transgender Friends and Family Deserve More

by Ted Miller

(originally published in Tumbleweird June 2021)

 

If you had asked me twenty years ago how many transgender friends I had, I would have said I didn’t know anyone personally who identified as transgender. Actually, I’m not sure I would have even known how to answer the question. Twenty years ago, I had only a general understanding that some people express their gender differently than the sex assigned to them at birth. It was something I just didn’t think about.

 

Today, I have so many friends, family members, and loved ones who are transgender or non-binary that it would be impossible for me to tell you how many. I think that’s partly because my social circles have expanded over the years, but I think I just didn’t know how many transgender people there are. Until recently, gender identity was not something we read about in the news or saw portrayed in popular culture. And crimes against transgender people were never front-page news. Transgender people were not even acknowledged as an integral part of our society.

 

As trans visibility has increased, attempts to marginalize and criminalize our transgender siblings have intensified. Violence against the LGBTQ community continues at an alarming rate, with violence against transgender Women of Color being particularly egregious. On November 20, the Transgender Day of Remembrance, the Human Rights Campaign reported that 2020 was the worst year on record for transgender violence and murder. This year is on track to be even worse.

 

Why? Why the hate? Why the violence? How does someone’s gender identity threaten anyone else? 

 

Being transgender is as much a part of someone’s identity as any other characteristic. The American Psychiatric Association stopped referring to Gender Identity Disorder as a mental illness in 2013. Science tells us that gender identity is not a choice any more than sexual orientation or left handedness is a choice. 

 

Several years ago, a young friend I had known since he was a child reached out to a mutual friend in an LGBTQ support group for help. Although my friend had known since his earliest memory that he was a boy, he was born in a female body. He spent his entire childhood suppressing his gender identity because his family, his church, his social circle — everyone in his life — told him that what he was feeling was wrong, was sinful, and was something to be ashamed of. When as a young adult it became clear that living at home created more stress than he was able to handle, my wife and I invited him to move in with us.

 

Through many deep conversations, I learned first-hand that his gender identity was not a choice. Thinking back on how we just assumed he was a girl when he was a child, we now understand many of the signs of the trauma he was dealing with. 

 

Coming to terms with his gender identity and coming out to his family and friends wasn’t easy. Struggling for self-acceptance was difficult, and things got worse before they got better. He has learned to love himself, and is now on his own and doing well. I’m thankful that he is in a much better place today, but I know that every day of living as his authentic self is a challenge. 

 

My friend’s story is just one of thousands, and not every story has a happy ending. Many are ostracized or disowned by their families and have nowhere to turn. Youth suicide is highest among transgender youth. 

 

Awareness and support for those who are transgender is improving, but gains in acceptance of the LGBTQ community are being countered with anti-LGBTQ attacks in local and state governments. HRC reports more than 120 anti-transgender bills in state legislatures across the country. These bills have no basis other than irrational fear and a lack of understanding. The reality is that transgender people aren’t a threat to society; society is a threat to the lives and well-being of transgender people.

 

There are no credible reports of a man pretending to be transgender in order to assault women in a public restroom. We already have laws against sexual assault and any predator following women into a bathroom can and should be prosecuted. A law preventing people from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity will do nothing to prevent those assaults. To the contrary, such anti-transgender bathroom legislation only emboldens hate and encourages assaults against women who look ‘too masculine’ in the bigoted eyes of the ‘bathroom police’.

 

Similarly, there are no examples of transgender girls having an advantage in school sports. After signing West Virginia’s anti-trans youth sports ban in April, Governor Jim Justice could not name a single example of a transgender child having a competitive advantage in sports. When Stephanie Ruhle of MSNBC kept pushing him, Governor Justice said, “For crying out loud, Stephanie, I sign hundreds of bills. This is not a priority to me.”

 

Not a priority? How callous and arrogant to sign legislation that will cause harm to vulnerable children without any valid basis, thinking such consideration isn’t worthy enough of his time to make it a priority.

 

Every anti-transgender discriminatory law is actually a non-solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. Their only purpose is to score political points with the part of our electorate that believes some members of our society deserve contempt. Like every law that treats one class of citizen as somehow less than another, they are harmful and hurtful. 

 

Those of us who believe every human being is of equal dignity and worth should continue to speak out against these laws and discriminatory practices. Every human is unique, with their own sense of self, their own racial, sexual, and gender identity. Our government should not be dictating who is worthy of protection, and who should be marginalized just for living their lives as their authentic selves.

 

I love my transgender friends and family members. I want them to feel just as safe, just as loved, and just as accepted as I have always felt. Is that too much to ask?

 

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, call The Trevor Project for LGBTQ youth and young adults at 866-488-7386, or Trans Lifeline at (877) 565-8860.

Houselessness is not a Crime

 Houselessness is not a Crime

by Ted Miller

(originally published in Tumbleweird May 2021)

 

A few weeks ago, a local police department posted on social media that they were performing “extra patrols” to deter criminal activity[1]. The post said that they “frequently find people loitering or sleeping at the closed businesses” and that they usually ask the individuals to “move along.” In some cases they will cite them for trespassing. In other words, they treat them like criminals.

 

I found many of the comments from community members on that post to be cruel and heartbreaking. The assumptions and stereotypes of the homeless are yet another example of how we view “others” as somehow not worthy of human dignity. And we want them out of our view and out of our community.

 

Nicole Cardoza in Anti-Racism Daily recently wrote: “Like many issues in our society, houselessness is frequently positioned due to an individual’s actions. If you believe stereotypes depicted in media, a person’s addiction, violent tendencies, lack of academic commitment, money mismanagement, etc., led them to lose their homes. But really, the story of houselessness highlights the failings of a system, not its people.”[2]

 

Blaming the unhoused rather than the system doesn’t provide a solution. 

 

Although we do have a few shelters locally, lack of transportation, limited space, and restrictive requirements to be admitted make local shelters unavailable for some of our unhoused. And if a shelter isn’t an option for them, where are they to go? Telling them to move along or writing them a ticket for trespassing doesn’t address the underlying problem of poverty and houselessness.

 

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, in January 2020 nearly 23,000 Washingtonians were homeless. More than a third of those are families with children or unaccompanied youth. In Benton and Franklin Counties, there were 190 homeless individuals, with 32 of those considered chronically homeless. And these numbers were from before the pandemic. 

 

Using law enforcement as a way to manage the houseless is expensive. A 2014 study in Central Florida found that each chronically homeless person cost the community $31,000 per year, primarily due to the cost of arresting and transporting them for nonviolent offenses, jails, emergency room visits, and hospitalization. The cost to provide permanent housing and case managers to address their chronic problems was estimated at only $10,000 per year[3]. 

 

Providing a solution rather than criminalizing homelessness makes economic sense. 

 

Recognizing the need, there are some local and state initiatives underway to help the unhoused. The Kennewick Housing Authority is building a community of tiny homes that will provide housing for families, veterans, and people with disabilities. Resources including a case manager and access to employment services will help the homeless become independent[4]. And at least five bills have been introduced in the Washington State legislature for various initiatives to combat houselessness. That’s encouraging.

 

Expanding the resources to house those in need and providing access to services to allow them to find permanent housing and independence is the right thing to do, both economically and because every human being deserves adequate food and shelter. 

 

Blaming the homeless for an inadequate system isn’t a solution.

 

If you are struggling with houselessness in Benton or Franklin County, there are resources available to you at the Benton Franklin Health District Building, 7102 W Okanogan Place in Kennewick, 509 737 3946.

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[1] https://www.facebook.com/Kennewickpolice/posts/3940895632644089

[2] Anti-Racism Daily, April 1, 2021, “Protect the Unhoused Community.”

[3] Orlando Sentinel, May 21, 2014, “Cost of homelessness in Central Florida? $31K per person.”

[4] Tri-City Herald, January 4, 2021, “3.8M tiny house project will give Tri-Cities homeless a place of their own”

Voting Rights are Human Rights

Voting Rights are Human Rights

by Ted Miller

first published in Tumbleweird April 2021

 

If every citizen is truly equal under the law, every citizen should have an equal right to vote. If we truly value equal rights for every citizen, every citizen should have an equal opportunity to exercise those rights.

 

But there are those in power who work to disenfranchise those who threaten their hold on that power. They believe the votes of their supporters are more important, and they use aggressive tactics to suppress the votes of those who may vote against them. To paraphrase Orwell, they seem to believe that all voters are equal, but some voters are more equal than others.

 

I began writing this month’s column on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the day state troopers brutally attacked peaceful protesters on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The protesters were beginning a march to the capital to demand their right to vote. It took three attempts and the protection of federal officers for the marchers to reach Montgomery. The repeated violent attempt to keep Black citizens from their right to vote led directly to the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965.

 

Since then, attempts to undermine the VRA haven’t stopped. A key part of the VRA was a requirement for “preclearance” of changes to voting laws, a federal review to prevent disenfranchisement through voting restrictions. In 2013, supreme court decision Shelby County v. Holder gutted the VRA, specifically the provision for preclearance. In her dissent, Ruth Bader Ginsberg wrote, “Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.” 

 

As if to prove her point, Republican majority states immediately enacted a range of voting restrictions that eroded the protections of the VRA. 

 

One thing the 2020 election and its aftermath showed is just how fragile our democracy is. Blatant disenfranchisement of voters before the election, relentless attempts to overturn the results, and perpetuating the Big Lie that the election had been stolen culminated in the January 6 insurrection on the Capitol. The insurrection may not have prevented the certification of the Electoral College votes, but the attack on our democracy hasn’t stopped.  

 

Hundreds of bills have been introduced in state legislatures to make it harder to vote. These bills would shorten early voting periods, close polling places earlier and on Sundays (specifically targeting traditional Black church “souls to the polls”), severely limit absentee and mail voting, add more restrictive voter ID requirements, and even make it illegal to provide food and water to voters standing in line. Really? What possible reason could there be for prohibiting a volunteer from providing a bottle of water to a voter standing in line for hours (because other voting options have been eliminated) other than to discourage them from casting their vote?

 

News reports about these voter suppression initiatives indicate that Republicans acknowledge there is no actual evidence of voter fraud or irregularities, just that the public lacks ‘confidence’ in the election results. Study after study has shown that widespread voter fraud is nonexistent. But who are the ones crying about unfair elections? Who are the ones claiming fraud? 

 

"This isn't about voter suppression; it's about voter integrity," is the new standard for disingenuous statements.

 

Two bills currently in Congress will help restore voting rights. HR1, the For the People Act, will establish federal requirements for automatic voter registration, provide limits on district gerrymandering, expand mail voting, and limit voter ID and ballot collection restrictions. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will restore and improve on the portions of the VRA that were gutted in Shelby. 

 

Although unlikely to pass in the Senate without a change to the filibuster, these two bills would do more to ensure equal voting rights than any legislation since President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act almost fifty years ago.

 

The cumulative effect of voter suppression keeps a minority party in power even when a majority of the electorate disagrees with their policies. Voting rights are at the heart of ensuring every citizen is indeed treated equally under the law. None of the work for social justice—the fight to dismantle systemic racism, to end poverty, to combat climate change, to provide health care for all, to protect workers, to ensure the government works for the people—none of that progress is possible without the power of the people to vote. 

 

Those who want to limit your right to vote know they cannot maintain their power on a level playing field. Don’t believe the gaslighting about voter fraud. Don’t believe the rhetoric that divides us, claiming that voting rights advocates want to destroy America when they are actually working to ensure a democracy where all votes are equal. Non-existent voter fraud isn’t the threat to our democracy; the threat is the full-scale attack on our voting rights. 

 

If we truly believe in a democratic government of the people, voting should be accessible and simple for everyone. In Washington State, we have demonstrated that elections can be simple, convenient, and secure. Every citizen of the United States should be guaranteed the right to vote without burdensome and unnecessary restrictions.

 

The human right of self-determination begins and ends at the ballot box. 

 

Voting rights are human rights.

 

For more information about voting rights, see: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-february-2021

 

Against All Enemies

Against All Enemies

by Ted Miller

first published in Tumbleweird February 2021

 

The violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was the logical culmination of decades of right-wing propaganda that demonized our government and sowed distrust in the press. With four years of direct attacks on truth and democracy, millions of Americans no longer share an objective truth, but instead believe “alternative facts” originating from the White House and amplified by hyper-partisan talking heads and social media echo chambers. That a QAnon believer could be elected to Congress is an indication of just how deeply conspiracy theories devoid of any factual basis have invaded our collective conscious.

 

At the core of this ongoing insurgency against our government is something the Department of Homeland Security noted in the Homeland Threat Assessment in October 2020. Referring to Domestic Violent Extremists (DVEs), the report states:

 

Among DVEs, racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists—specifically white supremacist extremists (WSEs)—will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland.

 

This should come as no surprise. White supremacist violence has been a part of our history since before the nation was founded. And denial of white supremacist violence has always been the common response.

 

“This is not who we are” is the refrain we hear after every violent attack by white nationalists, and January 6^thwas no exception. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi quotes many of our leaders repeating the refrain in his January 11 essay in The Atlantic, “Denial Is the Heartbeat of America.” Kendi details the long history of white supremacist violence that we rarely acknowledge and that our history books often overlook. He concludes that we must acknowledge our history in order to overcome it. “We must stop the heartbeat of denial and revive America to the thumping beat of truth,” he writes. I highly recommend you read his article.

 

One need only look at the statements and symbols of the insurrectionists to see that a majority of them held a white supremacist ideology. Sweatshirts glorifying Camp Auschwitz, confederate battle flags, white supremacist tattoos, a noose and gallows erected on the mall, flags of white nationalist militias, and many others were proudly on display. The mob was not hiding their purpose or intent.

 

As more details have emerged in the days since the attack, it has become clearer how close the riot came to reaching lawmakers performing their constitutional duty. Had they captured or killed Members of Congress or Vice President Pence (there were repeated shouts to find and execute him), the outcome of the election would not have changed. Joe Biden was elected president by both the popular vote and the electoral college. There has been no evidence of widespread fraud and every state had certified their elections. No matter how violent and destructive they become, the murderous domestic violent extremists cannot overturn the election. 

 

But the damage inflicted extends well beyond the physical damage to the Capitol Building. Millions of Americans still believe the election was stolen. Faith in our democracy has been severely undermined. And our country remains extremely divided. 

 

Healing the nation will take time and determination. But healing must begin with recognition of the truth. We must accept that a large number of our fellow Americans believe, at some level, the myth that this nation belongs to white Christians. We must honestly reckon with our history, not to erase the past, but to acknowledge the truth of America’s original sin.

 

I’ve heard more Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln quotes in the last week than during all my time in high school American History. But those quotes resonate with where we are as a nation today. Democracy really is a fragile thing, and our nation can only survive if its citizens continue to support the Constitution and our system of government with its checks and balances. 

 

We have the power to call for changes in policy that work against systemic racism. We can educate ourselves and seek out the truth. We can call out white supremacy when we see it. We can hold domestic violent extremists accountable for their actions. We can all defend the Constitution against our enemies, including those who seek to destroy us from within. 

 

The insurrection of January 6 showed us who we are. Our resolve to live up to our country’s ideals can lead us to who we want to be – a more perfect union based on truth, justice, and equality for all.

 

Our Democracy is Under Attack

 Our Democracy is Under Attack 

by Ted Miller

first published in Tumbleweird January 2021

 

In a democracy, the people choose their government. For the people to maintain the power of government, a democracy must have an equitable voting process, a shared understanding of objective truth, and faith in the electoral process. These things are currently under attack by some of the same people that have sworn to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

 

By the time I was old enough to vote, I was already serving in the military and had made that same solemn promise. I have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The oath of office, which every person in the military or in public office in the United States makes, is a promise to protect the fundamental principles on which this country is governed. We swear allegiance to the Constitution, not to a party, not to a person, not even to the President of the United States. 

 

One of the hallmarks of our history has been the peaceful transition of power. When ballots have been counted and the election certified, the newly elected government is sworn in and takes charge, providing continuity in leadership. Stability in government, no matter who is in power, is essential for the stability of our nation.

 

And yet Donald Trump and the Republican Party have attempted to destabilize this transition, undermining confidence in the election with baseless claims of conspiracy, voter irregularity, and election fraud. Polls show that a majority of Republicans believe the election was unfair or stolen. The people remain deeply divided. Confidence in the authority of government has been compromised.

 

The 2020 presidential election is over. Joe Biden won the Electoral College (the constitutional process by which we elect a president) 306 to 232. He won the popular vote by more than 7 million votes. All fifty states have certified their elections. After more than fifty court challenges, there is no credible evidence of fraud and no legal basis to challenge the results of the election. 

 

But attempts to overturn the election have continued. Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the election results in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.

 

Donald Trump quickly signed on to the case, followed by seventeen Republican led states. Then, 106 members of Congress, including our own representative Dan Newhouse, signed on. 

 

The Supreme Court rejected the case. 

 

That so many in the leadership of the Republican Party would seek to disenfranchise millions of fellow citizens to overturn an election is an attack on our democracy. They don’t care about the will of the people.

 

When asked about this threat to democracy, Dr. Heather Cox Richardson said:

 

“I think we are in probably the biggest crisis America’s ever had.… We have in power a political party that does not believe in democracy.… I think they are ideologically committed to oligarchy. And the idea of getting rid of poor voters, people of color, women, I think that that’s part of making sure that, in their minds, wealth can’t be redistributed. They consider having any kind of a government that provides a basic social safety net or regulates business or promotes infrastructure as being… a step towards socialism. Because it redistributes… wealth upward, the way it’s moved so dramatically since 1981.”   

 

—Quoted from Bill Moyers’ Podcast: Democracy on the Edge, December 10, 2020 (https://billmoyers.com/story/podcast-democracy-on-the-edge-cox-richardson)

 

I am not alleging that every registered Republican is working to destroy our system of government. But it is clear to me that the leadership of the Republican Party is working harder to stay in power than they are working for the people in this country.

 

For now, efforts to undermine our democracy have failed. For now, every vote is still counted. For now, the people still hold the power.

 

But that power is not guaranteed. 

 

We the people have the ability to keep the power of our democracy. We must demand equitable voting rights. We must pay attention to what our elected officials are doing and hold them accountable. We must keep ourselves informed, seeking out the truth and resisting the temptation to feed in to the disinformation plague that infects our public discourse. And we must organize, advocating for policies that work for everyone, not just the few at the top. 

 

And we have to restore confidence in our electoral system. When we stop believing that our voice matters, those who don’t want to listen to our voices will win.

The Election Hasn’t Changed Anything

The Election Hasn’t Changed Anything

by Ted Miller

(published in Tumbleweird December 2020)  

The 2020 presidential election is over, but now is not the time to become complacent. Although we may have pulled ourselves back from the brink of a descent into authoritarianism, replacing Donald Trump with Joe Biden isn’t going to solve the formidable problems facing the United States and the world.

 

We remain a nation bitterly divided, more so than at any time in modern history. In many ways, the right and the left live in alternate realities. The echo chamber of social media and political opinion masquerading as news isn’t going away. Disinformation and the lack of a common truth continues to threaten the stability of our government. 

 

After decades of hyper-partisanship and four years of Trump accusing anyone who disagreed with him as the enemy of the United States, healing the country will take years. We cannot rebuild the trust among Americans overnight, and we certainly can’t just sit back and hope politicians will suddenly drop the partisan rhetoric and start working together. 

 

We are now in the third surge of COVID-19 cases with rates increasing exponentially across the country. The pandemic doesn’t care about politics, but the impact of the disease disproportionately affects the poor and communities of color. With nearly a quarter million dead, Congress is still incapable of working together to pass reasonable legislation to combat the disease while mitigating the economic impact of COVID-19 controls to small businesses and individuals.

 

Black lives still matter. Little has actually changed since the protests this summer. Unarmed Black Americans are still killed at a higher rate by police than their white counterparts. Black men still represent a disproportionate share of prison populations at all levels. The system that allowed Breonna Taylor and countless others like her to be killed with impunity still exists.

 

Climate change remains an existential threat. International cooperation is essential to avoid climate disaster, but we have abdicated our role in international leadership. Effective action to reduce carbon emissions is being blocked at every level by political lobbying and corporate interests.

 

Immigration policy remains chaotic. The future of DACA is uncertain, asylum seekers at the border are treated like criminals, and hundreds of children remain separated from their parents. We rely on the labor of millions of undocumented immigrants, but we have no plan to authorize their work status or to replace them as a labor force.

 

The wealth gap continues to widen, with wealth concentrating at the top while millions live in poverty. One in four children in America are food insecure. Even with full-time employment and multiple jobs, too many working families struggle to make ends meet. 

 

Twenty-seven million Americans are without health insurance, a number that is increasing as a result of the pandemic. Many families are one health crisis away from bankruptcy. No other wealthy nation fails to guarantee basic health care to their citizens.

 

We are still engaged in the longest war in U.S. history. 

 

And these are only some of the many problems we face, any one of which seems overwhelming. But they aren’t insurmountable. There is always hope.

 

Change doesn’t happen automatically. Collectively, we must continue to pay attention, to call for action, and to hold our elected leadership accountable. Collectively, we can make a difference.

 

Voting is essential in a democracy. But voting doesn’t create change without the electorate demanding it.

 

Pay attention. Stay engaged. 

 

“All politics is local,” even when the problems are big.