When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you… Jiminy Cricket told us that. I have wished on several stars and I have a wish list, a Christmas in July sort of list that I hope will come true.
I wish that all the Democratic candidates that won their primaries will win in November.
I wish that we can turn out voters for Democrats in such record numbers that the Republicans will understand that their vision for America has no place here.
I wish that Democrats of all ages, but especially young people will step up to work for democratic ideals, to get out the vote and to run for office.
I wish that the divisiveness in this country will end and that we can work together to have a government that works, one that works for all of us.
I wish that women’s rights, minority, and LGBTQ+ rights are not abridged or returned to the 1950s.
I wish that we could treat gun violence like the public health crisis it is and tackle it like smoking, or polio.
I wish that the name Trump will disappear into the history books like Pierce or Johnson and that terms like Proud Boys, Christian Nationalists and Project 2025 will go the way of Free Soil or Readjuster Party.
I wish that people will open their checkbooks, credit cards and wallets to support the Weld County Democratic Party to a degree that we could actually hire some staff, run real GOTV campaigns and support candidates fully.
With apologies to John Lennon, “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. Maybe someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.”
The only way these wishes, these dreams, can become reality is if you help. I know we are all suffering from political fatigue. I get it, we are inundated with requests for money, from all over the country, not just here. I know that there are myriad causes and issues that solicit and beg for your money and attention. I know the ads, the constant media coverage of the former felon in chief, the corruption of the courts and the antics of congress are nauseating. But we can’t let apathy and fatigue overtake us and give in to bullies, derision and extremist who want to dismantle Democracy for their own hubris and selfish advantage. We have seen these tactics over and over again throughout our history. Henry Wallace, FDR’s progressive Vice President had this to say,
“The obvious types of American fascists are dealt with on the air and in the press. These demagogues and stooges are fronts for others. Dangerous as these people may be, they are not so significant as thousands of other people who have never been mentioned. The American fascist would prefer not to use violence. His method is to poison the channels of public information. With a fascist the problem is never how best to present the truth to the public but how best to use the news to deceive the public into giving the fascist and his group more money or more power. The American fascist are most easily recognized by their deliberate perversion of truth and fact. Their newspapers and propaganda carefully cultivate every fissure of disunity, every crack in the common front against fascism.”
We have just a little over 4 months to make sure that the craziness of the Republican Right does not have the opportunity to turn this country from leaders of the free world to a country of backward thinking, subjugation of women and minorities, a have and have not society, blind to climate crises, and an inflexible religious imposition. We can’t let them win. To accomplish this endeavor, we cannot be complacent, we cannot be indifferent, apathetic or lazy. So, speak up, stand up, commit to getting out the vote. Help us with your funds, your time, your expertise and your willingness to be present when asked. You should have received an email about upcoming events that can use your help if you didn’t get it, look in your spam folder. In addition to these events, please contact your local candidates and volunteer for canvassing, literature drops, filling out postcards, making calls, texts, hosting events, writing letters and editorials for your local paper, posting yard signs, sharing candidate information on social media, and donate, donate, donate. You can also volunteer to help with Weld County Dems committees. We need help with events, volunteer coordinating, and fundraising.
From experience I can tell you that the best way to deal with your anxiety surrounding current events, your outrage over the state of the country, (even in Colorado, the harsh and insulting attacks on the LGBTQ+ community); profound sadness over the loss of so many rights and protections; is to get active, get involved and do something to help. In other words, volunteer!
Here is a list of candidates you can volunteer to help. You can also look to your local or city candidates in your area for city office, school board or other positions, that can use your help.
House District 19 – Jennifer Parenti
House District 50 – Mary Young
House District 64 – Mark Mathews
House District 65 – Will Walters
Congressional District 2 – Joe Neguse
Congressional District 4 -Trisha Calvarese
Congressional District 8 = Yadira Caraveo
Senate District 13 – Matt Johnston
Senate District 17 – Sonya Jacques Lewis
State School Board CD8 Rhonda Solis
State School Board CD4 Krista Holtzman
State School Board CD2 Kathy Gephardt
I genuinely hope you step up to help these candidates. I also hope to see you on Thursday at the parade and at the pot luck at the Boomer House, 1024 8th Street. If you can’t make it to the Greeley event, please help your local candidates with events in your area. Once again, we will come together to celebrate Independence Day and the blessings of liberty, as well as our Republic, for as long as we can keep it. Happy Fourth of July!
Bev Wallace – Chair