America: Who Are We?
I am writing this on the eve of the swearing in of our new President, Joe Biden, and our new Vice President, Kamala Harris.
It has been a long four years. The tensions in the wake of the insurrection on our Capitol on January 6 remain high. The death toll from a virus that our government would not acknowledge continues to climb at a staggering pace. The unjustified killings of Black people continue despite the murder of George Floyd. Despite the murder of Breonna Taylor. Despite the murder of Ahmaud Aubery.
And yet, it is not a minor thing for you to have helped elect our new President and Vice President. For the first time in our history, we have elected a woman as our Vice President! A Black woman! The persons appointed by this new administration are significant in their diversity. As I read the news today I learned that the first transgender person has been appointed to serve as assistant health secretary. This would not have happened even ten years ago.
We have a calm, steady voice in Biden. I was struck by comments from Senator Amy Klobuchar who was describing what it was like for the Senate on January 6, 2021 as they suddenly heard the voice of Biden speaking to them in the Chamber during the chaos. She talked about how everyone stopped. How there was sudden quiet. And how reassuring it was to know that we had a leader again.
We were instrumental in pulling our country out of the ditch. We were instrumental in electing a young Jewish man and a Black preacher to the Senate from Georgia. John Lewis and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and countless others, paved the way, and inspired us to stay in the fight.
And stay in the fight we must. We must make the promises of this country into a reality. The Woody Guthrie anthem “This Land is Your Land” is a feel good song for those who don’t know all the words. Guthrie was a rebel, and he fought to make the promises into a reality for all. The last verse of his famous song is as relevant today as it was in the 1940’s:
One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple,
By the relief office I saw my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there wondering if
God blessed America for me?
We know that voting is the key to making changes in this country, and those changes start at the lowest place on the ballot in the smallest of local elections. There are big issues to tackle: Covid-19, racial justice, immigration and health care to name a few. Change has always happened at the grassroots level, and not at the top. We have seen how easily this country can go to a very dark place. What are our priorities now? What is our vision for the future? Each of us has agency to shape that vision. Biden and Harris need the support of elected officials at the local level across this country to help them make their vision a reality. Rideshare2Vote operates year-round. We take voters in municipal elections as well as Presidential elections. Stay in the fight with us so that we can keep up the momentum we have. But first, enjoy January 20, 2021 – you’ve earned it!
