Stay Focused America, by Carol Young, Vice Chair, Ward 3C
“Democracy is fragile. You have to fight for every bit, every law, every safeguard, every institution, every story. You must know how dangerous it is to suffer even the tiniest cut. This is why I say to us all: we must hold the line.” Maria Ressa
2023 has been a year filled with a bit of trepidation for me. Next year, in less than 12 months, our nation will stand at a crossroads: Democracy or autocracy. For those who study history, Trump’s rhetoric and resume are those of a classic would-be-dictator; a populist who is right in step with such contemporaries as Vladimir Putin, Victor Orban, Recep Erdogan, Kim Jong Un, and Argentina’s newly elected right-wing populist Javier Milei.
Now more than ever, Americans need to come together. Whether you’re a Democrat, Independent, Republican, non-partisan, LGBTQ+, non-binary, straight, religious, non-religious, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, black, brown, native or mixed race, this is no time to bicker. We may not all agree on the Biden administration’s policies, whether it’s the Willow project in Alaska or its large-scale political and military support for Israel’s occupation of Gaza, but we can’t lose focus.
As Americans we all need to direct our energies towards the preservation of our Democracy: If Democracy wins in 2024, then we can all go back to critical and productive discourse and disagreement. If Democracy loses in 2024, there will be no room for critical and productive discourse and disagreement.
Democracy is fragile, and it’s time we all rally behind Joe Biden and other candidates who will uphold their oath to the U.S. Constitution and the democratic process. I respect Biden’s rivals such as Cornell West, and Jill Stein, and I respect those who aren’t too keen on Biden’s reelection bid. Many voters think he’s too old, and a recent Pew Research poll found that only a third of Americans approve of Joe Biden’s job performance as president.
But let’s look at the facts: Whether you’re a Bernie fan like me or a Green Party member, the Biden administration has made great strides for Americans over the past three years.
For example, the Biden administration has set aside more than 24 million acres of public lands across the country, providing more than 18 billion dollars toward wilderness conservation projects. Biden has also designated four new national monuments in 2023 and reinstated the Obama Administration’s National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) Integrated Activity Plan for the Western Arctic (which was removed under the Trump administration).
Biden signed the Pact Act to help veterans who have long been suffering from the effects of burn pits and ended the war in Afghanistan, the longest war in U.S. history. His administration continues to support Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression and occupation.
He signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill to repair our roads, bridges, and railroads, and to bring high-speed internet to rural areas. Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and since the pandemic, brought the unemployment rate down to 3.5%. In addition, 13.2 million U.S. jobs have been added since Biden took office.
Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan which protected workers’ pensions and lowered drug costs. He signed the CHIPS and Science Act and has set aside over $369 million to reduce greenhouse emissions by 40% in the next seven years while promoting the development of clean energy technologies.
Let’s not forget the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act, the Violence Against Women Act, student loan forgiveness and appointing the first Black woman, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court.
As we enter the new year, stay focused America.