I’ve written at Daily Kos for 15 years now, and I try hard to avoid rants. Today, though, maybe I’m just in a feisty enough mood to rant — just a little, so hang in there with me.
Over the last few days, several comments have popped up saying things like “Just leave Alabama” “This is why no one should live in Missouri” “it’s time to abandon ship”.
Folks, we need to check our privilege and think about what you are saying. It is handy, pithy and it may make you feel good, but expressions like these are the exact reverse of everything we believe in as a part and as progressives.
Millions of Americans simply do not have the privilege to pick up and move, with resources in hand to go live elsewhere. And, even if they did, what message does it send to conservatives that they can continue to oppress people and the Democratic solution is to abandon them in a state where they can face harsh consequences? That the Democratic response is to guarantee a Republican state gets even more Republican, making sure that the Republican firewall in the senate gets even harder to change.
Most importantly: we are the party that believes in the value of people, their equitable and fair treatment, no matter where they are, and that we are a UNITED nation.
People who are LGBT do not choose where they are born. As states pass anti-LGBT legislation, demanding people leave simply throws up your hands and abandons people to mistreatment.
Women also do not control where they are born. As states move for harsh anti-women rules, we can fight to protect them or throw up our hands and feed millions of Americans to the Republican wolves.
Some will tell you “well, they voted for it”. Fine, some did — but definitely not all. And even among those voters who voted in support of oppressive legislators and legislation, are the non-voting youth all on board? Did every single person in their state rally behind them? I know of no state in America that is so Republican that there are no Democratic voters and no one who believes in Democratic values.
With the War on Women turning into a blitz, and offensive policy taking root everywhere, the question we should be asking is: what can we do to help? Rather than pithy comments that are the equivalent of “abandon ship”, you might ask: what groups need our help to fight for those impacted?
I’ve met and known great progressives from Alabama. From Idaho. From Missouri. From Utah. From Montana, Wyoming.. and Kansas.
Before you post a comment that says: “Leave” “these people are all X” ask yourself what you are doing to help. Because I can tell you this: insulting the progressives in those states, who fight every day, and incredibly hard, demeans the work of progressive activists everywhere.
We are all in this together. For a better America everywhere. Period.