Dear Congressional Democrats: What the Hell Have You Been Doing?

Is This Your Definition of Courage in The Age of Fascism?

Dear Congressional Democrats, and Senate Democrats in particular:

I’m sorry to be crass, but, what the hell have you been doing this week?

What happened to forming an opposition party? What happened to standing up for freedom and science and free speech and education and reproductive freedom and everything else you promised us?

In his first week President Donald Trump has attacked reproductive rights around the world and placed limits on the free speech rights of government employees. He and his staff have blatantly lied about voter fraud and his divestment from his businesses. His staff admitted they will never release his tax returns. 

He’s also begun the process on building the wall and placing a religious litmus test on immigration by Muslim refugees, and he’s moving forward with the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline, despite serious conflicts of interest. He’s even threatened to invade an American city. 

And what have y’all been doing in the meantime? You’ve voted to confirm his cabinet picks – even the ones who’ve said that they themselves aren’t qualified to run a federal agency. 

Is that your definition of courage in this age of fascism?

This past Saturday millions of women and allies around the world marched in favor of reproductive rights, equality, inclusion, and safety. They marched against misogyny, and fascism, and racism, and exclusion. And this week? You’ve blatantly ignored them.

Many of you have tried to justify your lack of conviction by saying that the numbers in the Senate simply don’t exist to combat Trump’s agenda. Ok, I get that we’re not going to win many votes and we’re not going to be able to block most of these nominees. I understand that. But knowing you’re not going to win the fight and not trying at all are two very different things. 

No one is keeping you silent. There are TV cameras and microphones everywhere. You’ve got Twitter, and Facebook, and email. You have points of privilege on the Senate floor and procedural tactics and more ways to make yourself heard in this debate than anyone else in the world.

You have absolutely no excuse not to speak out.

Look, the rest of us are doing the best we can out here on the streets and in the trenches, but we can’t do this without you. We’re even calling your offices every single day, but you’re not listening. We’re doing everything we can as private citizens, but it’s not enough.

I understand you think you need to play nice. I understand that you’ve convinced yourself that if you’re just a little bit nicer to the folks with power they’ll share some of it with you and you’ll be ok. You won’t be. We won’t be. History has shown that to be true.

The American people are counting on you now to stop being so timid. We want to see a politician who’s willing to stand up and say, “This is more important than re-election. I want to speak now,” and follow through.

We’ve given you an incredible opportunity, and you’re all wasting it. We’ve given you the power to represent our hopes, concerns, fears, and livelihoods and the power to act on our behalf, and you’re not doing it.

We’re counting on you to stand up and act like the leaders you’ve claimed to be. We’re looking for you to be the clarion call for all of the principles we hold dear. 

These next four years are going to be challenging and demoralizing and unlike any fight we’ve ever seen. If you give up now, you’re betraying everyone who voted for you. 

We need you. 

  

Robbie Medwed is an Atlanta-based LGBTQ activist, educator, and writer. He’ll quote The West Wing any chance he gets. He also wanted to use the “As if it matters how a man falls down” quote, but that one seemed a bit too depressing for this piece. Follow him on Twitter: @rjmedwed