Don’t let the Supreme Court fall without a fight.
It is hard for me to put words to feelings in a haze of sleep deprivation today. Last night’s election taught me the power of “it’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for.” My guard is up, searching for clues about how strangers may treat women, people of color, people with disabilities, and religious minorities. I no longer trust my religious advisors or those who share communion with me. I am worried that the quiet – those who took to the ballot with views far different than what was alluded to in polls – will now become much louder and my voice will be silenced.
While some people would like to “just see everyone get along,” I’m not prepared to be so accommodating. To be sure, I am committed to not attacking others for their beliefs – that is a right we should all enjoy. But to settle in and watch how things go down as if I were enjoying a four-year Hollywood flick is also not an option.
Our big fight remaining – and it is a huge fight, but an important one to fight – is on the Supreme Court. To have a united White House and Congress is one thing, but a check can still exist in the system. We need to be as outraged about Mitch McConnell’s declaration to not act on any Obama nominee (a travesty the media and citizens let slip right on by) as those on the right were about feeling left out of the new economy (which isn’t bad, by the way, and I’ll go on record saying that a “shake up” will be more likely to devastate the very base that clamored for it, as well as, well, pretty much everyone else). We need to demand that the Senate do its job. When it doesn’t, we need to protest unreasonable nominees with the same vigor we give to the Superbowl or Brangelina’s Breakup, or any other number of superfluous deities that capture our attention.
What’s at stake? The right to have health coverage if you have a pre-existing condition, reproductive rights for women, gay rights, and so much more. Please read the article I pasted here, please care, and please, let this government know that while we are civil, we are not silent.
swansong 