Something more upbeat from a plainspoken activist in NJ

Posted l by Laura Merz from NJ 11th For Change:

I don't know who needs a pep talk today but by god, you're going to get one so buckle up. There will be swearing.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg did not last for 3.5 years with pancreatic cancer for us to lose all hope and give up upon her death. Fuck. That. Noise.

No. I refuse to accept it. I'm not saying the fight won't be a lot harder. But I refuse to be fatalistic. There's a blog that I follow where the author has repeatedly said "Hope is a discipline."

I don't know if you all remember, but in 2018 we blue waved the fuck out of this country! We had a map that was hideously against us and we lost ground in the senate by only one seat. Only one! And let's face it, Florida and Georgia were totally rigged. Despite the horrific GOP gerrymandering, we gained 40(!!!!) seats in the house. In 2017 when
the GOP held the senate, house, and white house, we save the ACA. Not RBG. Not the supreme court. We did that! We pressured and showed up every day and we saved that vital first step in getting us all healthcare. 

You know what has happened since then?? We. The. People. voted to expand medicare in multiple states. We. The. People. elected
governors to expand medicare in other states.

 So I don't want to hear"We're doomed." or "We're powerless." Fuck. That. Noise. We the people have the power. We are coming up to
an election where we can flip the senate, get rid of the filibuster, and pack the court. Can we save this iteration of Roe? Maybe not. But
can we enshrine reproductive choice and justice into federal law and thus take away the need for court battles every few years? Yep. We sure can. Can we save the ACA in its current form? Maybe not. But can
we pack the court and enshrine medicare for all into law? Yes we can!

Remember the panic when we were terrified that Rosenstein would be fired and then Mueller would be fired because he was going to save us? I do. And you know what? They didn't save us. We don't need them to
save us. We. Save. Us.

Is it going to be easy? No. It wasn't easy when John Lewis and a whole bunch of brave Black activists marched for voting rights. Police Dogs,fire hoses, and batons greeted them. They still marched. And they won. Black men and women survived generations of slavery, Jim Crow laws, red lining, and police brutality to this very day. And you know what?
They're organizing and protesting and getting laws changed. Is it dangerous? Yes. Is it difficult? Yes. Are they scared? Yes. Are they
still doing it? Yes. 

That's where we must be. I know you feel scared and hopeless and helpless. That's how autocrats come to and hold on to power. But you aren't helpless. And you shouldn't be hopeless. When the freedom riders started in the 50s, when the march for civil rights happened in the 60s, do you think they
believed that they'd see a Black president in just a few decades?! 

The seeds of change are being planted now. We are seeing a great awakening of young people. We are seeing people who have never been interested in politics before jump in. We are seeing people who were GOP jumping into the fray for Biden. We are seeing coalitions that we never thought would happen.

RBG didn't back down from a fight. So god damn it, I'm not either. I'm going to mourn her in the only way that honors her - I dissent! I
protest! I will stand up for the marginalized communities. I will protect people. I will gather up my people and I will fight for the
rights of everyone. I expect every one of you to do the same. We didn't ask for this fight, but we are the ones who will fight it.

We may see some setbacks in the next few years. But by the time my niece (who is 6) turns 16, I'm giving her a country that respects her rights, that stands for liberty and justice for ALL, and that provides for her health and education in a way that we can't even imagine right now. So get ready to flood phone lines. Get ready to protest. And get ready to put yourself on the line. Because the only way we ensure our children have the future we want for them is to elect people who will deliver for us and hold those people accountable.

If you aren't plugged in with a campaign, tonight is a damn good night to start! There is no room to stay in your comfort zone. And you can't stay where it's safe if you are opposed to trump and what he represents. 

If you mourn RBG, do it right and dedicate yourself to this fight. I'm scared. But I'm not giving up. And I'm not giving up hope either. 

Hope is a discipline. Work at it every day. RBG and John Lewis passed the mbtorch. I'm picking it up and running with it. Join me.