We are the United States not Blue States and Red States; we are tied together in a single garment of destiny.
Marvin Gaye singer and songwriter of many popular hits in the 60s and 70s, had an album titled ‘What’s Going On’, originally inspired by police brutality. Marvin Gaye sang about the Vietnam War, Climate Change, Police Brutality, Panic and Riots on the streets, Inequality, and Bad Politicians
Now 50-years later we are still dealing with the same issues.
As a Minister of the Gospel, I recall the words of Fannie Lou Hamer - American Voting and Women's rights activist and a Leader in the civil rights movement. Her words were, and I quote, ”You can pray until you faint, but if you don’t get up and do something ain’t nothing going to happen. God is not going to put it in your lap”
As some of us know that many politicians believe their way to preserve their power is to impede the ability of voters to be heard. Typically they target people of color, young people, and they target the poor. Well our combined power this year showed that progress is not only possible, it is inevitable. Senator Doug Jones did not win the Senate race, but he won many of our votes. Who knows he might be our next Attorney General of the United States; just saying.
We all exhaled Saturday Evening when Vice President Joe Biden was announced President Of The United States. President Biden is certainly a man with many years of experience in governing. The country has chosen by majority over 77 million popular votes and 290 electoral votes thus far. It’s disappointing and frustrating when Donald Trump knows that he lost and yet refuses to admit it. I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime. I remember what Representative Elijah Cummings said before he passed away in a committee meeting I quote “We Are Better Than This.”
If there were ever a time when we needed Leadership in our nation - it’s now. President Joseph Robinette Biden is not perfect, neither are we. I am reminded of the words of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall when he said that "The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.” We all have witnessed the kindness and empathy, and respect that President-Elect Joe Biden exemplifies. We should rather be known by the power of our example, and not the example of our power. As our President-Elect has told us, we are the United States not Blue States and Red States; we are tied together in a single garment of destiny. Now Let’s Do Something About It!! Vernon Presley, Vice Chair, Calhoun County Democrats