Today I watched the Maricopa County Arizona Board of Supervisors livestream certification of the 2022 midterm elections.
I watched as political operatives, whom I am sadly all too familiar with, step up to a microphone for the public comment portion of the meeting, in a county of a state that they do not live in, to regurgitate the same old grievances.
”This isn’t fair… there’s no transparency… condemn you all to hell… we’re watching you…” and all the usual talking points they parrot.
One after another, and without evidence, their complaints and their “alternative facts” were listened to by the board. The members of the board allowed each speaker two minutes and did not attempt to use their rightful power under the board’s rules of order to silence any one of them, not even those who were threatening and name calling. The board treated the speakers with respect, that none of them had earned.
While I was watching the speakers, who were acting in a manner that can only be described as domestic terrorism, I realized where the left continues to miss an opportunity.
A young man stepped up to the microphone. He spoke intelligently, calmly and truthfully. He graciously thanked the board, the election workers, and the tireless efforts of all those who have had to endure those threat actors in order to ensure that the democratic process is accessible and safe for all voters.
Ben showed up for democracy today. He rose to meet the moment. He stood in the face of lies and intimidation, heckling and juvenile interruptions. I cannot say what motivated Ben today. I can only assume from the words he spoke that he recognized that without his voice today, the assault on democracy would continue to go unchallenged. That on the public record, only the threats, the conspiracy theories, the misrepresentations of the facts would exist.
When there are those who seek to intimidate and scare people from participating in their democracy, and that fear is successful, democracy suffers. Regardless of the bully’s failure to achieve their goal to force through fear of violence the outcome they desire, they succeed at diminishing the strength of democracy.
The inclusion and opportunity that being heard means for people to effect change in their community’s and their lives is a core principle of democracy. When voices are silenced by fear or intimidation, the erosion of the individual right to pursue happiness through the democratic process, only emboldens those who want to silence others and maintain power.
So, what is the opportunity that the left, and frankly the media, continue to miss here?
We fail time and time again to raise up those people, like Ben, who show up when no one else does. We fail to notice those heroes for democracy. We fail to utilize those moments that move us, to then move others. We lack the ability to see talent and value in a moment and to lean into that in order to inspire others to find their voice.
This is a strategic component of the right’s mind-war that has proven successful in recruitment and inspiring action. They have — for lack of a better term, “talent scouts” — who will grab those moments, those activists or agitators and parade them to their fan base, giving them an illusion of stardom. They love-bomb them, prop them up as heroes, and ride the wave of that moment for as long as it takes for them to find the next. And it works.
I’m obviously not suggesting we use people as props or tools to achieve our ideological or political goals, not at all. What I am suggesting though, is that we acknowledge those moments of bravery and courage, perseverance in the face of a dangerously radicalized opposition. That we make sure people like Ben and Blake, that their message goes viral, not Joe Oltmann or some brain-melted fascist.
We don’t need to create celebrities, but we do need to celebrate those who rise up and resist. We need more faces of the heroes for democracy, voices who say just what needs to be said in a moment when saying it is hard and utterly terrifying. Because if we don’t celebrate those heroes for their courage to speak, we lose the opportunity to encourage and inspire others to rise with them the next time.
As I said in my tweet thanking Ben and Blake:
We cannot, as free people, allow this intimidation and threats to our democratically elected officials or fellow Americans to continue. We all have to show up. There is strength in numbers, standing in solidarity with those preserving democracy and those fighting for it. Our participation shows that the bullies, the terrorists, the fear profiteers that they don’t get to have dominion over any space, not without resistance. They are not the majority; they need to be reminded of that.
To defeat fascism is to participate in democracy.
RISE — RESIST ✊
More of this! 💙✊🏼
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