The Fight We Could Be Having
Anyone else following @IfHillaryHad? It’s one of those things that’s scathing, hilarious, poignant, and kind of painful. The thought of a world in which Hillary Clinton (or anyone else really, perhaps an actual bag of Cheetos) was running the country instead of the cartoon villain currently in office is a nice dream.
It also draws attention to the general state of progress in the country. Over the last few months we’ve seen an unprecedented surge in activism from the average citizen. Calls to congress, donations to nonprofits, and local actions like marches and demonstrations are up all across the country. It’s something we may have never achieved without so many of our rights in constant peril. However, it does beg the question of what we could be doing with this newly awaked social awareness if we weren’t just holding the line.
What fights could we be having if we were sure that the ACA would be held, made stronger, instead of torn down? What fights could we be having if we didn’t have to worry about an arbitrary rule banning friends and family from Muslim majority countries from entering the US? What could we be talking about if we could trust that the Russian interference in our election would be fully investigated, the sanctions upheld, our own security systems strengthened?
Hurts a little to think about, right? It’s okay. We’re all in this together.
That’s what this series will be about. The fights we could be having if things were “normal,” the progress we could be making, the things near and dear to our hearts that we may feel like we’re setting aside for the time being. They are issues like:
Education
Voting rights
Sustainability
The wage gap
Policing
Immigration
Gun control
…The list goes on and on.
They are the things we’re still thinking about, but perhaps haven’t taken a direct action on in the weeks and weeks of begging congress not to vote for the AHCA.
Every week (or some variation thereof, we’re still figuring this out) we’ll post another rundown of an issue we deeply care about (and hopefully you do to) that is a fight about progress, not just stopping the other side but moving us forward as a country. There will be resources for folks that are carrying on the fight, ways you can get involved, and talking points for when you’re bored on a first date or at a cocktail party.
Here’s an action to take right now:
Post on your Facebook (and in the comments below) about an overlooked social issue. What are the fights YOU think we could be having?
