“The poets who sing your history call you precious, it doesn't matter the tyrant treats you with black evil.”
Some of you may be nodding, then shaking your heads. These haunting words can be applied to so many of us trying to survive the aftermath of this illegitimate president taking office. It has been a constant assault — on women, on the LGBT* community, on those seeking refuge, on the middle class, on our once-closest allies, on decency, on truth, on peace… it’s staggering this just scratches the surface.
Others may be nodding because they recognize my translation of a verse that’s close to the hearts of everyone here on the island. Those words are from the song Preciosa, written in 1938 by Rafael Hernández Marín, and it’s about Puerto Rico. I hope my translation comes close to conveying his spirit:
The waves of the sea that bathe you call you precious.
Precious for being enchanting, for being an Eden.
You have the noble chivalry of mother Spain
And the fierce song of the brave Indian, as well.
The poets who sing your history call you precious,
It doesn't matter the tyrant treats you with black evil.
You would be precious without a flag, without praise or glory.
The sons of freedom call you precious.
I love this island, my home, my family, my ancestors. I’m proud to honor the legacy and struggles of my grandparents, contemporaries of Rafael Hernández, who grew up in the early days of American colonialism, saw the near-collapse of Puerto Rican society and survived poverty, hunger and unimaginable hardships — and not only survived, but thrived. This isn’t the first time in the long and proud history of this island that we’ve felt the sting of an evil tyrant, and we’re still here. But, we didn’t get here alone, and we’ll never get out of this nightmare we’re living in, alone.
The assault on Puerto Rico by this administration and its accomplices is the biggest reason I support Senator Kamala Harris to become the next President of the United States. Please don’t think me selfish, it’s just that this humanitarian disaster stares me in the face each day. We need a warrior on our side in this crucial moment in our history, and I believe Kamala is that warrior. To me, It’s much more profound, than cliché — she’s the right person, in the right place, at exactly the right time.
No other candidate comes close to giving me even a spark of confidence that we’ll actually find a way out of this absolute mess. Perhaps it’s because of this disaster, this deep darkness, that when I watch and listen to Kamala speaking her truth with such clarity and sincerity, the light is as obvious as it is unmistakable. In other words,
“it’s really, really dark here, I know a bright light when I see one.”
From my many conversations with friends stateside, I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. So many of us are struggling and have been personally affected by the ongoing fallout of 2016.
Then, we witnessed the Kavanaugh hearings in September of 2018, and for me, my mind’s eye seemed to focus and things changed… I didn’t even dare call it hope, yet, but something definitely changed.
I don’t expect everyone to watch those moments again, I’ve included the videos here only to document my own personal turning point. It was a pivotal time for me, not only for the corruption and pain on display, but for me looking at my screen and questioning out loud — who is that?
I was blown away by this senator who was not just speaking truth to the Good Ol’ Boy’s Club but getting all up in their faces with such a calm, unperturbed fierceness that was a bit startling. I know I’d hate to be on the other end of her prosecutorial onslaught. To me, she exposed Kavanaugh as the weak, lying, stuttering, despicable sexual assaulter he is. The Republican embrace of him only cemented my opinion of them as very, very dangerous pawns. They need to be relentlessly fought and removed from the board in 2020.
I immediately got on the phone with Denise and asked her the same question — who is that? That’s when she told me she had just seen Kamala at Netroots Nation, and she was amazing, even had Denise on her feet. I knew I needed to pay attention.
One thing’s for sure, Kamala’s fighting spirit awakened my own toward 2020. By mid-October I knew she was going to run, and as soon as she formally declared in January, I was on board. Everything that I’ve learned about her since early September, all I’ve seen and heard and read, only further convinces me that I wasn’t mistaken in the person I’ve chosen to support. Puerto Rico deserves this warrior. All of America deserves this warrior. She will crush the degenerate in the GE debates, and I’m going to do all I can to make sure she has that chance.
September 5, 2018
Then on September 27, 2018
"You have passed a polygraph and submitted the results to this committee. Judge Kavanaugh has not. You have called for outside witnesses to testify and for expert witnesses to testify. Judge Kavanaugh has not. But most importantly, you have called for an independent FBI investigation into the facts. Judge Kavanaugh has not," Harris said.
A sitting senator, an outstanding prosecutor and former CA Attorney General — a “top cop” — to confront, with her years of experience, the lying and corruption of this degenerate White House and Republican Congress? Yes.
Someone with an almost tangible sincerity? Yes.
That rare politician who seems to genuinely fight ”for the people”? Yes.
Over my many years I’ve learned to trust my eyes, my ears and my heart. All three are telling me that Kamala is the real deal and the exact person we need at this moment in our country’s history. That’s why I support her candidacy.
From her campaign launch in Oakland onward, I’ve jumped up cheering and I’ve sat and stared just shaking my head. We all saw her in April at She The People, and I was impressed, again, how she can speak so clearly on so many different critical issues, and then explain their interconnections equally as clear. Her stand on criminal justice, asylum seekers and immigration, Dreamers, Gun Control…
Her Teacher’s Pay and Equal Pay proposals, LIFT Act, Maternal CARE Act, EQUAL Defense Act, Ensuring Safe Housing for our Military Act, her Environmental Protection Acts, even the HEART Act for dogs seized in federal animal fighting cases… as we’ve often said here in our daily posts — she’s campaigning by legislatingCwV, and her list of submitted legislation is impressive by anyone’s standards, apparently undaunted in the face of Republican opposition to everything she or any other Dem submits.
These are all more reasons that I support Kamala to become the next President of the United States, and why I’ll work for Democrats to not only keep the House, but flip the Senate, no matter how impossible. Like Kamala, I need to start eating, “No” for breakfast…
And I know none of us here will forget the good eats at the BarrBQ!
May 1, 2019
I’ve been in Puerto Rico since 1988, so I didn’t experience the rise of Kamala Harris in California, and I barely remembered her as the Attorney General who ordered, over the phone, that same-sex marriage licenses were to be issued immediately at the Los Angeles Clerk’s Office. Then the next day she performed the wedding ceremony in San Francisco of the winning plaintiffs in the historic Supreme Court decision that declared equality in CA is the Law.
But in 2015, the though of her as a potential presidential candidate was nowhere on my radar. I’ve seen the videos at least a dozen times, now, but it didn’t immediately click for me during the Kavanaugh hearings that she was the CA AG who stood up for equality…
After talking with Dee in early September, I then heard from another dear friend and fellow LGBT* activist and I received an education about Kamala’s long history of fiercely advocating for my LGBT* family. Her proven record has only given me a stronger conviction that she’s the fighter my Puerto Rican family needs and deserves right now. No doubts.
I didn’t intend to go on so long, and I apologize that I can’t convey all the feelings I have about this campaign in a single post. I have 11 minutes before I have to hit publish, so this is the end, and you can all breathe a sigh of relief and get on to our normal camaraderie in the comments. I hope you’ll share you’re own stories.
Beyond the vision of Kamala’s inauguration, which I hold dear, I also want to see Kamala escorting him out of our White House. Perhaps it will begin to lessen the horror of this country allowing him to show Obama the door. That moment compounded, intensified the pain of election night and I still can’t think back on those defining moments without wincing and closing my eyes. And then remembering to breathe.
No matter what, I can’t give up hope.
Quick Twitter Roundup — In Her Own Words
If you’re on Twitter, you can find all these tweets and so much more by following @KamalaHarris and @SenKamalaHarris. She and her staff provide a constant stream of great info!
Let’s get involved!
If you’d like to volunteer to host one of our Kamala 2020 diaries, please leave your comment in the ”Calling all Volunteers” thread.
Even if you can’t committ to a weekly slot due to your busy schedules, guest bloggers are always welcomed!
This week’s schedule: Sat still open, please volunteer!
Mon. May 20 — newpioneer
Tues. May 21 — newpioneer
Wed. May 22 — Onomastic 💛
Thurs. May 23 — noweasels ❤️
Fri. May 24 — newpioneer
Sat. May 25 — open
Sun. May 26 — noweasels 💙
Let your voices be heard!
*Please remember this is a Kamala2020 group effort, & not a Daily Kos sponsored activity or endorsement.
Upcoming Events
May 28: @Lawrence O’Donnell will host a live MSNBC Town Hall special event with 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris on Tuesday, May 28, at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
May 29: Camp Kamala’s second volunteer’s training session! 8:00-8:30pm EDT
June 1: 2020 presidential hopefuls will take the stage at MoveOn's "Big Ideas Forum", more details to come.
June 8: Harris will be the keynote speaker at the Kennedy-Johnson-King luncheon. The convention will be held at Montgomery’s Renaissance Hotel.
June 8: Kamala Harris will be addressing the @SCNAACP at their Freedom Fund Dinner in Columbia SC. The banquet will be held at the Brookland Baptist conference center in West Columbia.
June 26-27: The first debates will be held in Miami, Florida, and will be broadcast live on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo.
July 30-31: The second debates will be held on July 30th and 31st in Detroit, Michigan, and will be broadcast live on CNN
Please remember to visit our community group page Kamala2020 and give us a follow, that way all our group efforts will appear in your stream and makes it easy for everyone to keep up with our latest posts. As always, any who would like to join our group please leave us a comment and we’ll get your invitation right out to you!
While you’re here, don’t forget to visit Kamala’s Official Campaign Website and her Swag Shop for your favorite campaign gear! 😄
If you’re on Twitter, please follow @KamalaHarris and @SenKamalaHarris
on Instagram: @kamalaharris
and facebook: KamalaHarris
Group Guidelines
The Kamala2020 community group has been created to positively support Senator Kamala Harris, and not to engage in negativity towards other Democrats running in the 2020 primaries.
All should be made to feel welcomed here. What’s not welcomed here is petty bickering over any of our preferred candidates, or personal attacks on fellow Democrats. We’re not responsible for the actions of others who may offend, insult or attempt to sow discord and disunity — that’s on them.
What we are responsible for are our own words and actions — that’s 100% on us.
I’d like to ask all group members, as well as those dropping by who support or are interested in Kamala’s bid for the nomination, that we not respond to negativity from other campaign’s supporters with even more negativity. Let’s do better than our best and respond with respect, humor or try to hold our peace. Recipes and cat pics work too 😃
Doing no harm costs us nothing... pie-fights will cost us everything.
💙Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday 💙
Let’s smoothly and beautifully greet this Friday with two of the greatest voices singing one of my favorite classics, Somos Novios, written by Mexico’s treasure Armando Manzanero