Credit: Author
I was asked if I was proud to be American.
I am. I think one should be proud of where they come from because the nation is the legacy of so many people who came before them to carve out an identity.
So yes, I am proud of being an American. I love my country. It has failed me and others so many times, but there are people and ideals worth fighting for here in this nation, and I am proud to fight for them. Just because I believe in and love my country does not mean it is above reproach. It means that I am willing and happy to criticize its shortcomings and extoll it to become better because I love it with all my heart. I want it to be the best version of itself, that does the best for all of those under its protections, citizens and noncitizens alike.
America is so much more than just the headlines and stereotypes. I hold my head up high because I live in a nation which can sit here and so thoroughly reject its worst impulses like we did yesterday. I hate that it gave rise to Trump, but I love the fact that it has brought us together to fight the evil of him and his supporters. That its challenges have taught us to work within our community, and lead with dignity, grace, and care for others.
How could I not love a nation founded on the principle that it can always do better?
In a year which felt like its 250th Anniversary celebrations were more of a funeral for a once-great nation ruined by systemic inequality and the capture of the political apparatus by the sycophants for one tinpot dictator, America reaffirmed its commitment to the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and renewed the promise of the America spoken of in poem, prose, and song.
There are times when the struggle seems impossible. Yesterday was the proof that it isn’t. It is proof that the people’s voice does matter, that each vote has an impact, and that we can do great things when we act as a community throughout the country. We join the ranks of Hungary, Serbia, Brazil, and others who cast off their authoritarian leadership and rebuked those who ignore the will of the people for their own self-interest.
Decisions are made by those who show up. We saw that in action yesterday, and we need to continue to carry that forward not only into tomorrow, but we must continue to show up day after day, year after year, through the next Presidential election and beyond. A great ship turns slowly, and it will take a long while before a palpable change in direction is felt. However, the wheel has been turned, and we are on the first steps towards correcting our course as a nation. It will be filled with setbacks and struggles. The Republicans engineered a situation where the worst effects of the Big Beautiful Bill will be felt after this election so that the Democrats will be blamed. Do not fall for the lies.
The idea that voting does not help is being peddled by the people who just got voted out. It isn’t some profound truth about America being some sort of fake one-party evil conspiracy that is pointless to fight by taking part in the democratic process. The people who try to convince us that is the case are the ones who stand to lose – and indeed did lose yesterday – by ordinary people voting in such mass numbers that it is impossible to cast aspersions on the validity of said results. A total blowout, a blue wave/tsunami, putting belt-to-ass, or however you choose to describe yesterday’s results are absolute proof that voting does matter. When we come together, and stand as one, we can vote in numbers too big to rig. This is proof that you should vote for every election in your life.
We witnessed history yesterday. The first Muslim elected to the United States Senate (Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan), the first black woman governor in the history of the nation (Keisha Lance Bottoms), the first Latino governor of Texas (Gina Hinojosa), the first Democratic senator from Kansas since 1932 (Adam Hamilton), first Native American governor in US history (Deb Haaland), the first woman governor of Ohio (Amy Acton), the first openly gay person to be elected senator (Chris Pappas), the first Latino governor of California (Xavier Becerra), and the first black governor of Wisconsin (David Crowley) on their own make history, but even more noteworthy is the fact that this is the best Democrats have ever done in midterm elections in the history of the party. The majority of candidates who won were not Washington insiders but people who understood how to speak to their community. It just goes to show how America is clamoring for leaders who represent their beliefs and fight for their issues. And in so many of the acceptance speeches, we hear newly elected office holders promise to do their best for all of their constituents, even those that didn’t vote for them.
The next step is for these newly elected leaders to fulfill their campaign promises as best they can when they reach Washington DC or their respective state capitals. We will hold them to account. We will keep their feet to the fire while we keep our feet on the gas. But we will also take some time to celebrate. This could never have happened without our collective efforts, and while there is far to go, we have to take a moment to revel in this feeling lest we forget what we’re fighting for. Lest we forget that our vote does matter.
And with all this, I leave you with the ending to Return of the Jedi.
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