Six Days and Counting

Dear Leading Ladies,

Leading Ladies refrains from endorsing particular candidates, but we do clearly support certain causes and positions. Indeed, our mission expresses our commitment to equal access for all to education, health care (including a woman’s right to choose), housing, food, jobs, and political representation, regardless of one’s ethnicity, race, religion, or sexual identity. We are also committed to common sense gun laws, humane immigration policies, and the sustainability of our planet.

In six days, what we consider human rights will be challenged, perhaps as never before in our lifetimes. The progress that has been made to end systemic racism in our society, to deal with the rapidly encroaching and disastrous climate change, to assure voting privileges for all Americans – is all in serious jeopardy.

Just as Judeo-Christian-Islamic religions say that God created the world in six days, those who may control the House of Representatives and the Senate may hold the power to destroy our world as we know it in six days. Is this hyperbole?

Miami Dade County

Our world could change

In some ways, perhaps. But we need to take the threats we face very seriously.

The report last week from the United Nations stated, “With current pledges leaving the world on track for a temperature rise of 2.4-2.6°C, unprecedented cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.” Climate change deniers in government will not heed the call; the results could be devastating and life-threatening within our children’s lifetimes.

The overturn of Roe v Wade has sparked justifiable fear that other legislation will follow, curtailing rights to gay marriage and perhaps even marriage between those of different races, previously called miscegenation. This would herald a real throwback of human rights in this country, but one that is quite possible if decisions are given back to the states.

And forget about any gun control advances. We can expect more state laws struck down like the one on October 20 when, according to the New York Times, “A federal judge temporarily blocked part of a new New York State gun law that prohibited firearms in churches and other places of worship...” The judge claimed the law was “inconsistent with the nation’s historical traditions, impermissibly infringing on the right to keep and bear arms in public for self-defense.” Really? And this is New York, not Texas or Georgia.

And let’s not even think about how our Social Security benefits may be gutted. Needless to say, Biden’s agenda items that were never passed because of disagreements among Democrats, including his new package of social and economic programs, will be dead in the water with a Republican-controlled Senate and House. Because of the unprecedented polarization of the parties, the bi-partisan reaching across the table that characterized Biden’s many years in the Senate is of no use in today’s politics.

So what can we do?

Being happy that we live in Massachusetts is far from enough. Joking about moving to Canada only goes so far. (They don’t want us anyway.)

Number one: VOTE! Vote for the candidates who will support your values most ardently. If issues are going to be sent back to the states, we need to make sure our state provides rights and privileges to those who live here now, as well as those who may choose to live here in the future…or come here for medical or legal services.

Number two: It’s not too late to send money to candidates in other states who are running for either federal or state positions. Think Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Beto O’Rourke in Texas, Raphael Warnock in Georgia, Mark Kelly in Arizona and more. Read their platforms on their websites. If you like what you read, help them get elected.

Moreover, looking at the big picture, we need to turn to our young people and make sure they are educated about our system of government, our environmental threats, and our history of systemic racism. Only then will they be able to institute meaningful change and progress. As we have seen and learned, our teens are ready and eager to take the reins of leadership. Our job is to make sure they have the tools. That means that on a local level, we need to make sure our schools and other youth groups are teaching the truth and providing children opportunities from kindergarten on up to participate in improving their local and world communities. For us, as parents and grandparents, that means checking out how our schools and community organizations are approaching this task, as well as engaging with our youngsters in “change” activities.

The world looks grim to many of us right now. As hopeful as we try to be, we can’t turn away from the threats to our environment, to our freedoms, to the rights of all Americans. Yet, our country has withstood bad times before and survived. Not without pain and suffering, it is true. But still survived.

The concepts of “Tikkun Olam” in the Jewish religion and “Islah” in Islam both refer to an obligation to repair the world. Christianity, of course, also espouses a responsibility to do good deeds for society. It is an age-old call for action, needed now more than ever.

Hoping for the best, readying for what may come,

Therese (she, her, hers)
Judy (she, her, hers)
Didi (she, her, hers)
Mackenzie (she, her, hers)
Leading Ladies Executive Team
Leadingladiesvote.org
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org