“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Yes, she did.
How She Persisted
By now, we all know what Senator Elizabeth Warren tried to do during the confirmation hearing for Senator Jeff Sessions Tuesday. She began to read aloud the extremely relevant letter written by Coretta Scott King in 1986 to oppose Sessions’s appointment as a federal judge. Republican senators, engaging in a masturbatory bout of misogyny, racism, and/or blatant partisan hypocrisy and led by the execrable Mitch McConnell, shut her down. Afterward, male Senators Tom Udall, Jeff Merkley, Sherrod Brown, and Bernie Sanders each read some or all of the letter (and good on them for doing so) and were not silenced. Hey, at least it got in as part of the official record. Even in Congress, apparently, we need allies.
Afterward, Warren took to Twitter to continue to lambaste Sessions, and she did not pull her punches.
I will not be silent about a nominee for AG who has made derogatory & racist comments that have no place in our justice system.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 8, 2017
Predictably, though, might prevailed over right, and on Wednesday morning, the Republican-majority Senate voted to confirm Sessions.
We all knew it would happen, but even so, it was disheartening. Disappointing. And especially for minorities, frightening. As such, the confirmation of Sessions fits right in with the other actions the “fascist, loofa-faced, shit-gibbon” and his wretched minions have tried to undertake in their race toward fascism.
Sometimes it feels like there’s just no point.
Why We Persist
The thing about feelings, though, is that they do not always reflect reality. And when it comes to fighting Lord Dampnut and his flying monkeys, there absolutely IS a point to keeping on keeping on, remaining engaged. Multiple points, actually. Let’s review.
- The longer and harder we fight, the more likely it is that some Congressional votes will go our way. Look, senators from solidly red states will be more than happy to, for the next four years, wrap themselves in the flag and shit all over the Constitution and 200-plus years of progress, all while whistling “Dixie,” getting all up in our bedroom business, and making sure big companies run by rich men have all the flexibility they need to easily destroy the planet. And their constituents will probably applaud every terrible decision they make. BUT. The reality is that 45 and his nefarious accomplices were unpopular with the majority to begin with and are losing ground as they go. As time goes on, Republican members of Congress from purple states are going to be under tremendous pressure from their constituents to skew progressive. We just have to keep up the pressure. Sometimes we will win in Congress. And sometimes we will win in the courts. But we WILL win.
- Speaking of Congress, 2018 elections are coming up. It may seem like a long time down the road, but assuming that we’re all still here, chances are good that even more of us are going to be tired, angry, and frustrated by the bullshit these assholes will still be pulling. GOOD. We need to stay invested. And every little thing we push back against from now till then, whether we win or not, will keep us where we need to be emotionally, as well as giving Democratic candidates for the Senate ammunition for their runs. (Thanks, you reprehensible man-turtle, for giving us “Nevertheless, she persisted,” by the way. That one is super awesome.) Side note: Democrats are historically weak at the polls. That’s a big part of what got us in this fucking mess. Make up your mind NOW to vote in 2018, whatever the cost.
- Keeping the heat on national politicians is great, but don’t forget that they aren’t the only ones impacting our lives. State, county, and local elections and activities are important as well, and influencing those will generally have more immediate and direct impact on your life and the lives of those around you than trying to influence national elections. School boards to the White House—it’s all important. Show up. Speak your mind. Do the thing.
- Most crucially, for the long run, we are making history. This is the world your children and their children and their children’s children have to live in. What we do today matters. It has impact. I didn’t just pick the photo collection that goes with this post at random. Along with Warren, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King are some of the most influential women in US history. Everything they did mattered when they did it, and it STILL matters. Maybe you’re not a civil rights leader, but you are leading the littles in your life. Teach your children well.
Balance for the Long Haul
This footrace is not a sprint, though. It’s a marathon. And it’s also your life, so make time to live it. I know it’s hard, trust me. Every single day there is something new to be outraged about, it seems. It’s difficult to step away from the computer, turn off the TV, put down the phone. Sometimes the only reason I do is because my boyfriend tells me I’m “getting that look again.”
But you gotta. I gotta. We’re in this to make a difference, not just to inhabit an angry echo chamber, right? And if we get burned out, we’re not only going to be cranky and stabby—which is no way to go through life—we’re going to flame out, which will let the assholes win.
So be determined. Come up with a plan. Execute on it.
Just make part of that plan family time, hanging with friends, hiking alone, playing with your dog, reading a good (preferably non-dystopian) book, making things—whatever works for you. And laugh. Especially laugh. (It is acceptable to kill two birds with one stone and laugh AT these idiots.) As a wise friend of mine said a few days ago, “Never sacrifice humor and laughter to the times we’re living in.” Set the outrage down for a while. It will be there waiting for you when you’re ready to pick it up again.
Take a break, then pick up your tools for a while, then another break, then back to it again. That is how we persist. That is how we win.
“Reprehensible man-turtle” is awesome. Great post, Ev!