“But we must accept one central truth and responsibility as participants in a democracy: Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”
John Lewis, Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America (2017)
Last night, Democrats gained ground in many places, expected and unexpected. They won big battles, challenging battles, small battles, surprising battles; they flipped some of the reddest seats in the ugliest most racist parts of America. They broke glass ceilings, they broke new ground, they broke turnout records. But they also suffered bitter losses and will have to, once again, face a very simple fact that white supremacy is so deeply entrenched, so dearly cherished and protected, that Whiteness would believe any irrational lie in order to hold on to privilege and entitlement; and that far too often, America’s Fourth Estate is its complicit partner, gleefully amplifying white supremacy’s latest delusional fabrication and fearmongering, giving its most toxic elements constant and wider coverage, further legitimizing it in the process.
Far too many will bombard you today with the vilest takes, disconnected takes, fact-less takes, and the objective will remain the same as it’s always been: Surrender, become apathetic, and let white supremacy rule and reign unchallenged.
DON’T, Politicadoes. Don’t surrender. Keep fighting for all the beautiful diversity that make America so much better! Celebrate the wins, study the whys of the losses, be honest with each other, with yourselves, and keep moving onward. Have a very great Wednesday!