On Thursday, January 6, over 200 folks gathered on Monument Square in Concord to celebrate democracy. Unfettered by protestors, heartened by enthusiasts, serenaded by Brad Hubbard-Nelson’s trumpet solos and Bob Lawson’s playlist, we heard three powerful speakers: Professor Danielle Allen, Senator Jamie Eldridge, and keynote speaker Senator Michael Barrett. A coalition of good will—First Parish in Concord, Acton Indivisible, LWVCC, Karem Shalom, and other faith and politically based organization—joined our determination to shine a bright spotlight on democracy.
We’re grateful for all who joined us. The gathering confirmed our commitment to the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act and to the fundamental precept that every person should be able to vote, and every vote must count.
Help build momentum for reforms to strengthen our democracy: See actions you can take.
Because of the power of Mike’s talk, we requested a copy of his speech. If you missed the event, you can read it in its entirety below; if you heard it, it is inspiring to revisit it.
Statement of Sen. Mike Barrett in Concord, Massachusetts, on Jan. 6, 2022
Often I talk about issues off the cuff. But Concord Indivisible has summoned us here…at a special moment. So I hope you’ll forgive me if I speak from a written text.
Determined striving for American ideals should replace anger.
In the past several days, I’ve talked to some friends who are very upset about what happened a year ago. I get it. I get their anger. There are plenty of moments…when I’m angry too. But I’m not sure where that gets us.
There remain swing states, and there remain swing voters. This is still a battle…for American hearts and minds. We do have to be determined. State legislatures are up in November. So are Governors…the U. S. House of Representatives…and the U. S. Senate. Given the stakes, it’s fair to say the nation itself will be on the ballot.
But…while this is true, it is not the only thing that is true. The nation will be on the ballot again in 2024. And 2026. And 2028. The divisions that haunt the United States…are not going to heal in any one election cycle.
Now there are those who say that we face nothing less than the death of American democracy in 2022. I respectfully disagree. You could say…we face the essence of American democracy in 2022. Because nothing is more essential to democracy — this year and every year — than our striving…to move a country of 329 million closer to being the best possible version of itself.
The United States of America is still, compared to most places on the planet, a young nation. Thanks to our most idealistic statements of purpose — in documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Bill of Rights — we know where we want to go. No question, we haven’t arrived. We’ve been held up.
A country bent, but not broken
This past November, PRRI and the Brookings Institution released their 12th annual American Values Survey. The Survey is well-known to researchers. It asks a lot of questions about religion, culture, and public policy. The authors give us a bottom line [and here I quote]: “The social, political, and economic fabric of America is changing from the old ‘white Christian America’ pattern.” This “has created a crisis of identity…and a willingness among a majority of Republicans and white evangelicals to question and [even] undermine the legitimacy of American democratic processes.”
Serious stuff. PRRI and Brookings posed various hypotheticals to people, including this one: “Because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country.” 11% of Democrats agreed with this. 17% of Independents. And 30% of Republicans. “30% of Republicans” open to resorting to violence…freezes the blood. It’s a big scary number.
And yet…the responses to other questions on the same survey do not paint a picture of a country divided by irreconcilable differences. The American Values Survey covers a lot of ground. Just a sample: 1) 62% of Americans say that immigrants living in the United States illegally should be allowed a way to become citizens provided that they meet certain requirements. 2) 63% of Americans agree that Roe v. Wade was the right decision and should be upheld. 3) 82% of Americans favor laws that protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing. (And favorable responses to this question have gone up more than 10 percentage points since 2015. 4) 92% of respondents believe that, to be truly American, a person needs to “to accept people of diverse racial and religious grounds.” 5) And 93% believe that, to be truly American, a person needs “to believe that every citizen should be able to vote in elections.”
What can we conclude from the Survey? That, without a doubt, the country has to contend with a radicalized right-wing faction of 17-18% of the population. Which is staggering.
BUT ALSO…that a solid majority of Americans continue to believe in fairness, equality, and individual rights for all. The country is bent. But it’s not broken. So what do we do now?
A struggle worthy of a lifetime
The situation should get us motivated…and energized…but it shouldn’t get us down. You take a big, complicated country, and try to secure a democracy that goes beyond form only, and truly delivers for people…this is a struggle worthy of a lifetime. In such a struggle, there are no final victories — but there are also no final defeats. There is only the work.
I want to gently challenge the idea…that our generation must not pass on unfinished business to the next. The United States of America, and the demanding agenda of fairness and opportunity it sets for itself in its seminal statements, will always be unfinished. The older generation has a responsibility to advance the work, but we are not responsible for finishing the work. It’s OK to leave some of it to the kids and the grandkids. It’ll even be OK…if they leave some of it to their kids. Because the mission to realize justice never ends.
One day, America will be.
Langston Hughes has a poem — some of you know it — Let America Be America Again. Written in 1936. Hughes was Black. Throughout the poem, he implores “Let American BE America Again!” Then he reminds us, more than once, “But America never was America to me.” He was adamantly critical of the country, for its racism. AND he was also a proud citizen of the country. He knew that change was gonna come. Towards the end of Let America Be America Again, he wrote,
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!
Let’s be of good cheer, and stout heart, and keep up the work. One day…one day, America will be. Thank you, Concord Indivisible, for bringing us together. And thank you all for coming out.