Clear and Present Danger
And what you can do about it!
Things That Democrats Have Done Lately:
Passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the largest investment in addressing the climate crisis in history, while also reducing health care costs
Passed the first major gun control legislation in decades to make people safer
New Mexico joined 15 other states in passing paid sick leave legislation
Virginia, Vermont, Oregon, and Maryland banned the “gay panic defense” in 2021
Six states with Democratic majorities passed legislation that bans hair discrimination
Washington banned insurers from denying or limiting coverage for gender affirming health care
Democrats in New York and Delaware outlawed ghost gun kits
California approved funding to establish universal pre-k
Democrats in Virginia gave teachers a 5% raise and made community college for thousands more (pre-election of Glenn Youngkin obviously)
Things That Republicans Have Done Lately
The Miami-Dade School Board rejected LGBTQ history month out of concern that it would violate Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.
Pregnant women held in Alabama jail for months to ‘protect foetuses’
State investigations into the parents of trans children for helping their kids with transition are traumatizing families
Nominated election deniers to fill public offices from state legislatures to governor’s mansions and the U.S. Senate
Banned abortion, whether through trigger laws that went into effect as a result of the Dobbs ruling, or in laws passed after the Dobbs ruling, like in Indiana.
Pass legislation to ban books and teaching accurate history in schools, removing thousands of books from school systems across the country
Plan to slash Social Security and Medicare as soon as they regain control of Congress
The stakes could not be clearer and the importance of this election could not be more certain. While Democrats fight, however imperfectly, to create a country where we all can thrive, Republicans are hell bent on destroying our planet, controlling our bodies, interfering in our families, and stripping our democracy for parts.
The problem is that however obvious the choice seems when laid out like this, the outcome of this election is anything but. When the President gives a speech on the growing threat to democracy by right-wing fascists, the prevailing media narrative questions whether this is too divisive, whether the presence of Marines is too political. The bigotry directed at the queer community, the racism demanding we white wash our history are treated as midterm strategies rather than a clear and present danger to the lives of children and families all over the country. And any expert you ask will explain that the first midterms of a new president’s tenure are a bloodbath for the party in power.
Still, we are not passive observers of this narrative. We have the opportunity to change it. If you want to fight for a government that protects our rights, and our planet, pick one thing to do this week:
Write letters with Vote Forward. This is a really easy and incredibly effective way to contact voters and increase turnout in this election. Vote Forward combines a printable letter template with a personalized message to encourage voters to turnout in key elections. If you have access to a printer this is easy and impactful.
Text voters! Text banking is probably the most efficient voter contact method. You can reach hundreds of voters in just an hour or two, and you can make sure they have access to everything from registration info to events to their polling place. You can text voters with NextGen, Working Families Party, or Field Team 6.
If you’re going to donate to campaigns, don’t wait! Your money goes much further now than it will in six weeks. Right now, money goes to organizing and making actual connections in the community. In six weeks it’s just going to go to ads. Consider donating to the Swing Left Immediate Impact Fund which disburses funds to races where your money will go furthest.