Resist. Persist.

“Nevertheless, she persisted.”

You’re goddamn right she did, just like countless brave women and men who came before Senator Elizabeth Warren and laid the foundation for the ground she stood on when she took the Senate floor. I’m not sure Senator Mitch McConnell realized that his attempt to silence Senator Warren would speak volumes to millions of women and men–but it did!  We have a chance to use this and other missteps by out-of-touch Senators on both sides of the aisle to foster change.  But we should offer more than space in our tent. We have to honor the experiences of the people who work with us even if we ourselves do not have those same experiences.

Just as McConnell was wrong to try to silence Warren because he disagreed with her (what a great free speech advocate he is!), Democrats (progressive, liberals, whatever label you identify with), we must stop policing each other’s priorities. We are all working on the same general platform and a platform is always going to have more than one issue. You don’t have to care about my work on women’s issues, but maybe don’t yuck my yum. I can be better about this too.  The party is big enough to encompass us all.

Sticking with this theme, we shouldn’t silence people or groups we don’t agree with.  We should engage with them, or at least understand why they don’t agree with us.  That is the real path to fostering change.  For example, white women did NOT cost Hillary the election.  To be clear, I’m not happy that anyone voted for President Trump (and the reasons are too numerous to recount here).  But in the last five presidential elections, white women have consistently voted in a slight majority for Republicans. And, a fairly consistent low to mid-40% of white women have voted for the Democratic presidential candidate.  I assume this is because they are just as complicated as the white men who voted against their own economic interests this year and every other year.  Hillary actually did better with white woman than 3 of the last 4 democrats (and she and “2008 Obama” tied with white ladies).  But what should we take from this?  I’d suggest we engage in a respectful discussion to draw in white women (I’ll take white men, too!); because I want to win elections going forward and push a liberal, progressive agenda.  And, we need more voters to do it.  But, saying white women cost Hillary election ignores past election results, and doesn’t help move us forward.

What can we do to move forward?  For one, we have an important special election in the 10^th Senate district right here in Delaware.  Volunteer to drive people to the polls on Saturday, February 25^th. Call the Hansen campaign and see what they need. Not interested in helping in the 10th?  Call an organization that speaks to your soul and let your freak flag fly with them. Planned Parenthood, ACLU, shit if you hate people, call the ASPCA, my guess is funding for them is going to be reduced as well–we have a $300 million budget shortfall, and Christ knows it’s illegal to raise or even consider raising taxes.

Call PBS, ask what you can do. If you live in a state where gerrymandering is making competitive elections obsolete, gather facts and speak before your state legislature like people in Minnesota did this weekend. Hold a fundraiser for a candidate or a cause, and let people help you even if they aren’t dry-humping your cause first.

If in the last election cycle you just woke up, you just stood up, we’re excited to have you stand with us now. The progressives have a place for you. If your fight is immigration, we’ll help you tear down the wall. If your passion is healthcare, come help us heal the divide and the sick. If your fire ignites for education, teach us and the world. And baby girl, if your passion is reproductive freedom, I’m saving you a seat, because there IS room for your dedication to uniquely women’s issues too.

Resist. Persist!