Hello reader, and here we are with another month! Same madness though, with just a few more twists?
I want to change it up a bit this month because, well, I’m the writer and I can do that. I’ve read some of the responses to previous columns and, per usual, it’s clear that the entire point was missed.
At times, it’s genuinely easier to have an intellectual conversation with a houseplant.
Anyways, minus some of those who write back … who probably shouldn’t, and who maybe should read the entire article, then read it again, and then consult Google … I greatly appreciate those who message me or pull me aside for genuine conversation.
Just recently, a local column writer approached me. While our discussion wasn’t about the content itself, and while we agree on really not much at all politically, it was still something I greatly appreciated. To me, at the end of the day, we really are all people.
I’ve said this throughout my campaigns, during my terms in Democratic leadership positions, and currently: We should always strive to do things together. I say that because I’m a firm believer that we always want the same things — we just have different approaches to achieving them.
Over the weekend, I had the privilege to represent our great state at the Young Democrats of America Spring Meeting as one of California’s two National Committee representatives. We gathered to discuss issues and engage with representatives from the Democratic National Committee. It was incredibly cool to witness how vast and different our nation is, yet also how remarkably similar. I couldn’t help but think: That’s just how we are as Americans.
Yes, as parties we differ on policy regarding taxes, budget ideology, and countless other issues. But at the end of the day, we all face the same concerns at the dinner table: budget, how we’re going to feed our families, when the next paycheck arrives, whether we can afford that unexpected car repair or medical bill. These aren’t partisan issues. They’re human issues.
I think that’s really where we’re missing the point, and what flabbergasts me every time I turn on the TV. It’s never really Democrats vs. Republicans. It’s always been Us vs. Them, and “Them” isn’t your neighbor who votes differently. “Them” are the lobbyists paid by the ultra-wealthy, the elite, the corporate interests that have captured our political system.
The real divide isn’t between working-class conservatives and working-class progressives. It’s between people like you and me: educators, nurses, service workers, small business owners; and then those who can afford to hire lobbyists who can fly to Washington every day to advocate for their interests, who have unlimited resources to ensure their voices are heard.
We’re operating in a system that was meant to be for you and me, yet we can’t even afford to play in it. A system supposedly making decisions on our behalf while we’re locked out of the rooms where those decisions happen. We’ve seen both parties take money from the same corrupting influences. The only difference right now is that we have the absolute head of corruption serving as captain of this sinking ship.
But there is hope for us, and there are midterms coming up.
I was never a believer in the comforting lie that “it can’t happen here because America won’t elect it.” That kind of thinking becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of complacency. America absolutely can elect authoritarians, can embrace corruption, can abandon its principles, because we have before. History doesn’t repeat itself exactly, but it certainly rhymes.
That’s what we used to understand about ourselves. We used to recognize that democracy requires constant vigilance, that freedom isn’t free. We’ve gotten lazy. We’ve gotten comfortable. We’ve allowed ourselves to believe that our institutions would protect us without our active participation.
We must return to that understanding. We must become re-engaged in our civic life, not just during presidential elections but every single day. We must care for one another again. Genuinely care, not just perform caring for political advantage every two years either.
This means having difficult conversations with people we disagree with. It means showing up to local meetings even when it’s inconvenient. It means voting in every election. It means recognizing that the person across the political aisle probably wants many of the same outcomes you do, even if they have different ideas about how to achieve them.
The ultra-wealthy and their lobbyists understand something we’ve forgotten: They win when we’re divided against each other. They win when we’re fighting about culture war nonsense instead of demanding economic justice. They win when we’re too exhausted to participate.
So let’s stop letting them win.
Here’s to the next article, reader. Maybe it’ll be a little more spicy, or maybe it’ll continue this theme of finding our common humanity amid the chaos. Either way, I’ll keep writing, and together we’ll keep pushing for the democracy we deserve … It’ll be both. I miss the spice.
Till next time!
Andrew Taban is a former legislative staffer. “Democratic Voices” appears Tuesdays and rotates among several local Democrats.
