Action, Community Are Key To Progress
by Abby Brill
While I was raised in a household where social justice was valued and those who fought for it were admired, I myself was never particularly politically active apart from voting regularly. I enjoyed a privileged life in a demographic where my rights as a woman were taken for granted. It was simply assumed that I would go to college, marry whom I chose, and be treated always with respect. What I failed to remember as a young person was that many, many others fought and even died for my civil rights.
Like many women, I had a rude awakening in November 2016 and have watched in horror and rising outrage the unfolding of the current administration's agenda. I was part of a large group that formed in the Prescott area in January 2017 to resist the inhumane, backwards-thinking policies of this administration, which negates the rights that so many of us have thus far taken for granted. I marched with many other kindred spirits in the Women's March, the March for Our Lives, the Red for Ed, Pride, and Martin Luther King Day demonstrations. In addition, I have also been active in communicating my views to my elected representatives. It is due to the hugely disappointing and downright destructive policies of our current Congressional representative that my husband decided to run federal office. Neither of us knew quite what we were in for, and it has been as hard as it has been rewarding. Neither of us regrets anything about our joint commitment to positive change in our district.
While I was raised in a household where social justice was valued and those who fought for it were admired, I myself was never particularly politically active apart from voting regularly. I enjoyed a privileged life in a demographic where my rights as a woman were taken for granted. It was simply assumed that I would go to college, marry whom I chose, and be treated always with respect. What I failed to remember as a young person was that many, many others fought and even died for my civil rights.
I have found that being awake to the moral bankruptcy of those in power can drive me to despair, but also that the remedy for this is ACTION. I have met so many others who have jumped in to volunteer in locals campaigns--marching at the frequent rallies on the Prescott Plaza, writing cards, making calls, knocking on doors--and together we find courage and comfort in speaking out. Our Arizona district is so very asleep to what we could be doing together to make life better for our families. I am proud and so grateful to be part of our growing progressive community and look forward to deepening our ties to the remarkable people we have met on this journey.
