…a beautiful woman who was smart, ambitious, and filled with a desire to serve her fellow human beings. Her country was in grave danger of becoming the complete opposite of the ideals on which it was founded. The eighteenth-century revolutionaries who hammered out the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights never envisioned the complete descent into corruption that would transpire more than two hundred years after the Age of Enlightenment.
She knew it would be a long, grueling process and so it proved. During the week she served the people of her state in the job she was elected to perform as United States senator, but on the weekends and during recesses she campaigned.
With her aides and advisers she crossed the country again and again, talking to midwestern farmers, western ranchers, the technology elites of the West Coast, the bankers and financiers of the East Coast, and the everyday workers who cooked the meals, drove the trucks, operated the trains, constructed roads and buildings, cared for the sick, and ensured public safety. There were long days of preparation, short, sleepless nights, and constant discussion with her staff.
November 2020 arrived and with it the pronouncements on all networks and cable stations: “Kamala Harris has won the election for president of the United States.”
Her opponent, the 45th president, as always lacked the adherence to proper behavior shown by all previous presidents: he would not congratulate her. Instead he chose to rage in the Rose Garden, surrounded by the sycophantic stenographers who imagined themselves to be journalists.
The transition planning from November to January meant still more sleepless nights and nonstop work, even on the weekends. By Inauguration Day her hair was showing more gray than before; the lack of proper food, exercise, and rest had also begun to take a toll.
She had a Democratic House and Senate at her back but she struggled against the dark forces arrayed against her. The snarling three-headed Cerberus of the Senate minority leader, Senate minority whip, and House minority leader tried to thwart her at every turn; the hundred-headed Hydra of the right-wing television networks, the right-leaning press, and the vicious propaganda disseminated through social media criticized her constantly, undermined her efforts to lead the country, and disturbed her dreams.
Nevertheless, she persisted.
Four years after the election the state of the union had improved considerably. A new health care plan was written and implemented and this time an extensive advertising campaign touting its benefits forestalled the opposition’s attempt to undermine it.
Under her leadership women’s rights and pay equity took a giant step forward. The Voting Rights Act was restored to full implementation. Teachers were compensated fairly; reparations were made to people of color whose ancestors had been abducted and brought to the country to be sold into slavery. The income tax system was overhauled, with the rich paying far more and the working class receiving a fairer tax structure.
On the world stage the president and her secretary of state emphasized combating climate change, reverting to diplomacy instead of name-calling, and working with allies to solve international problems such as sex trafficking.
The people applauded her efforts and reelected her to another four-year term as president.
Whereas her first term had focused on undoing the harm done by the 45th occupant of the White House and the Congressional members of his political party, her second term saw the start of new initiatives. With an even stronger House and Senate, she nominated five liberal justices to the Supreme Court, two of whom replaced conservative judges who died after a fit of pique following the confirmation of the first three justices, who were Puerto Rican, Native American, and Mexican.
Her husband, the First Gentleman of the country, took as his special project the restoration of civics classes in American schools. He traveled the country sometimes with the President, sometimes without, speaking to public school students about the importance of participatory democracy.
Although problems remained, peace, prosperity, and contentment prevailed throughout the nation.
However, the planning of new initiatives and their implementation were achieved at the cost of sleep, relaxation, and family life. By the end of her second term she was frail, her gray hair streaked with white, her beauty lost in the wrinkles wrought by worry and overwork.
“Was it worth it?” The ancestors whispered in her dreams, those ancestors who had once been enslaved on the sugar plantations of Jamaica. “Was it worth having your peace destroyed, your name reviled by the worthless, your accomplishments scorned by the hostile? Was it worth the sacrifice you made?”
As a child, when she came home from school and complained to her mother about a problem, she received the following answer: “Well, what are you going to do about it?”
In her dreams the spirit of her mother whispered to her: “You saw the problem and you did something about it. Was it worth it?”
On the morning after the inauguration of the new president, again a president from the Democratic party, she awoke from her dreams and began her day.
When she looked into the bathroom mirror, seeing the gray hair, the wrinkles, the eyes haunted by the memory of the problems she had not yet solved when it was time to hand the keys of the White House to her successor, she whispered, “Yes, it was worth it. I would do it again…for the people.”
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 spot due to your busy schedules, guest bloggers are always welcomed!
Next week’s schedule
Please share your story about why you support Kamala!
Mon. May 27 — newpioneer
Tues. May 28 — newpioneer
Wed. May 29 — Diana in NoVa 💛
Thurs. May 30 — Onomastic ❤️
Fri. May 31 — newpioneer
Sat. June 1 — Cecelia S 💜
Sun. June 2 — 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 29: Camp Kamala’s second volunteer’s training session! 8:00-8:30pm EDT
May 31 & June 1: Join Californians from across the state in support of Senator Kamala Harris at California's upcoming Democratic Convention!
RSVP now if you can join Kamala at 7:30am PST on Saturday, June 1 at Moscone Convention Center South.
The first 100 supporters who join us at convention will receive a free Kamala 2020 t-shirt to show your support in style!
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.
Jun 18: Kamala will hold a Reception in Midtown NYC! Check your email and RSVP. Limited tickets available starting at $100, more details closer to event.
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; this 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! 😄