January 12, 2021
The question, “What can we do?,” may be the most appropriate and most repeated query we’ll be called to answer over the next several weeks, months and, undoubtedly, years. With the still rampant and ominous threat of the pandemic and the extremely troubling and shocking attacks on our government over the past month and the past four years, we have our work cut out for us.
Maybe the more appropriate question we should keep asking ourselves is, “What can we do now?”
Although I think most of us would agree that the traitorous actions of Trump and his ilk require responses that are immediate, severe, and just, there is little we as individuals can do to bring these responses about. We can and should call on our representatives at all levels of government to take necessary actions. We can and should write letters to our local and regional media demanding that those responsible for the insurgency, both in Oregon and in Washington D.C. be charged according to the seriousness of their seditious acts.
At the same time, all we as individuals can do regarding the pandemic is to continue to keep ourselves, our families and our communities as safe as possible by following the guidelines of our state and national health authorities.
While taking these actions, we need to reach deep into our psyches to find peace and solace - “normalcy,” as our First Vice-Chair Mary McGinnis so rightly urged this week. During a Democratic Party of Oregon (DPO) Leadership Conference Monday, DPO Executive Director Brad Martin urged those attending to “be inspired.” Martin said that despite all the bad news we have and are enduring, we should feel really good about what we collectively have accomplished.
Four years ago, we were scrambling to respond to political forces we didn’t understand. And, although many of us are still scratching our heads trying to figure out how we got here, we can find solace and, yes, inspiration in the fact that, despite the pandemic, despite the now obvious bigotry and racial inequity at the very roots of our democratic experiment, and despite the very real threat waged by those who attack our halls of government, including the outgoing President, we have managed to calmly, sanely, and legally vote in a new and humane administration. At the same time, we have given our new administration the tools - a Democratic House and Senate - to begin to correct what has been driving our fears for four years.
“Inspiring” is the right word!
So, once we take that deep and healing breath of inspiration, what can we do now?
There is a National Day of Service scheduled to coincide with Inauguration Day, Wednesday, Jan. 20, to honor the empathetic leadership of our new President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and, at the same time, honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 18.
This is something we can participate in right now that will aid those most in need in our county. The Tillamook County Giving Guide, published last fall by the Tillamook County Pioneer, is a comprehensive guide to service agencies and community action groups in our area. Kudos to Laura Swanson and The Pioneer for creating this much-needed tool. Here’s the link: https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Giving-Guide_2020_11-12-2020_LoRes-1.pdf.
Please make a point this week to lend your hand or your wallet to the work of these agencies.
Thank you and stay safe.
Fred Bassett
Chair, Tillamook County Democrats