We’re a few days away from a hyper-critical election. Tension is through the roof. Fear is high. We’ve had a major escalation in political violence with an assassination attempt on the Speaker of the House. Bigotry, aggression, and intolerance are on the rise. People hang
I submitted my ballot...got confirmation it was received and my signature validated...now I'm waiting for it to be counted. I live in a bubble in a blue state. Seattle is one of the most liberal cities in the country. Washington state, not so much. Especially this year. We are being tested to see whether we will maintain our strong blue edge in Congress. Patty Murray, running for a sixth term, is in the battle of her political career; she often gets nearly 80 percent of the vote. That's not going to happen this year. We are in danger of electing a Marjorie Taylor Greene mini-me in Joe Kent. He is a veteran, charismatic--and as wacko and dangerous as she is. The House of Representatives may lose its only female doctor, Kim Schrier, who has been extraordinarily effective for her wide-ranging (urban/rural) district. My point in sharing this information is that a state as solidly progressive as Washington is facing the same kinds of challenges as the rest of the country. Oregon, another progressive bastion, is facing a similar array of challengers to its liberal representation. If states like these lose our strong Democratic base, it will have an impact on the entire country. Anyone who thinks just because she is fortunate enough to live in what is currently a progressive state is "safe" is deluding herself. We must all vote--we cannot afford to sit it out and assume that all will be well. And whatever the outcome of the election, we need to be prepared to take action to protect our democracy. Moral courage will be the currency of the realm. We need to dig deep and prepare ourselves for the task ahead.
Thank you so much. Excellent to hear more depth in one area of the country. Of course none of us can keep up with it all, but hearing people's stories give us a perspective on what it looks like in an area we're not in.
Agree with you. We do need to dig deeper indeed. Much to come. Glad to be walking the path with good people. -Vanessa
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
Right?? Thank you so much! More to come -
-Vanessa
I submitted my ballot...got confirmation it was received and my signature validated...now I'm waiting for it to be counted. I live in a bubble in a blue state. Seattle is one of the most liberal cities in the country. Washington state, not so much. Especially this year. We are being tested to see whether we will maintain our strong blue edge in Congress. Patty Murray, running for a sixth term, is in the battle of her political career; she often gets nearly 80 percent of the vote. That's not going to happen this year. We are in danger of electing a Marjorie Taylor Greene mini-me in Joe Kent. He is a veteran, charismatic--and as wacko and dangerous as she is. The House of Representatives may lose its only female doctor, Kim Schrier, who has been extraordinarily effective for her wide-ranging (urban/rural) district. My point in sharing this information is that a state as solidly progressive as Washington is facing the same kinds of challenges as the rest of the country. Oregon, another progressive bastion, is facing a similar array of challengers to its liberal representation. If states like these lose our strong Democratic base, it will have an impact on the entire country. Anyone who thinks just because she is fortunate enough to live in what is currently a progressive state is "safe" is deluding herself. We must all vote--we cannot afford to sit it out and assume that all will be well. And whatever the outcome of the election, we need to be prepared to take action to protect our democracy. Moral courage will be the currency of the realm. We need to dig deep and prepare ourselves for the task ahead.
Thank you so much. Excellent to hear more depth in one area of the country. Of course none of us can keep up with it all, but hearing people's stories give us a perspective on what it looks like in an area we're not in.
Agree with you. We do need to dig deeper indeed. Much to come. Glad to be walking the path with good people. -Vanessa