I must wean myself from reading opinion pieces about the 2022 midterms and the national election in 2024. I think there is too much being written and talked about outlining the perils the Democratic party faces. Democrats are even giving interviews disparaging their own party when they know that there are so many circumstances that could not be avoided or remedied regardless of what party had the majority in Congress or was in the White House.
I was chatting with a colleague who said that “lack of optimism was killing us, and losing faith keeps us from investing in the moment.”
Although there is an abundance of pessimism and resignation about the outcomes of the upcoming elections, I felt hopeful when I heard the dynamic speech that Michigan Democratic State Senator Mallory McMorrow made a couple of weeks ago. I think that if more Democrats would fight fearlessly with words of outrage against blatant attempts to limit and roll back freedoms for all people, supporters would be animated to vote against the scourge of hate that is infecting not only the United States but countries all around the world.
McMorrow’s speech energized me. It was not just what she said. It was that I believed her.
Gwen Dungy 