Enough Is Enough

As I entered the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church of DeKalb last evening, the first thing to hit me was a colorful banner with the Mission Statement:

Together as a religious community we put our liberal faith in action,

striving to nurture our families, and our spiritual lives,

protect the Earth, eliminate poverty, and stop oppression,

while offering hope and love for all

This brief message of inclusion and forthrightness perfectly embodied the spirit of the meeting I was there to attend. It could also serve as the foundation of the 2016 presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT).

Yet this gathering of over one-hundred people was only one of thirty-five HUNDRED such gatherings across the country in all fifty states, with a total attendance estimated at 125,000 citizens strong.

After a sign-in and meet and greet, in the activity center, with pizza and pop, paid for out-of-pocket by the local event organizers and those eager to contribute, we filed into the sanctuary and took our seats for the highlight of the evening.

I parked my wheelchair front and center, and at 6:30 sharp, a live stream image came to life on a large screen. An African-American woman spoke with a powerful voice that barely concealed an inner joy and humor, as she introduced the candidate. She spoke of Sanders' lifelong fight for the many who seemed to have no voice in government when arrayed against the moneyed and powerful few.

When Senator Sanders took his place behind a simple music stand, he thanked her for the wonderful introduction, but then quipped that she had stolen his speech. But speak he did. About wealth inequality and corporations that earn billions of dollars in profits, but pay zero dollars in federal taxes. About the war on drugs which places incarceration over education. About institutionalized racism in our law enforcement community, and the deaths of people of color at the hands of the police. About the slow but inexorable decline of the middle class over the last forty years. About universal healthcare, and free tuition at public colleges. About a cynically and intentionally divided populace, and about the new American Revolution.

The tenor of his speech was summed up by three words, "The American people are saying loudly and clearly, 'Enough is enough.'"

He said, enough is enough.

"In the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we should not have a situation where hundreds of thousands of bright and capable young people are unable to afford to go to college. They have the ability, they have the desire, they just don't have the money."

Enough is enough.

"The United States of America, our great country, cannot be the only major industrialized nation that does not guarantee healthcare to all of our people as a right."

Enough is enough.

"In this great nation we need a campaign finance system that creates a vibrant democracy, not a campaign finance system that allows billionaires to buy politicians."

His remarks were far shorter, barely fifteen minutes, than usual at a campaign rally, because he knew he was preaching to the choir. These were the people already committed to not only voting for Bernie in the primary and beyond, but those willing and eager to support his campaign with direct physical action.

The Senator ended by charging the audience with the admonition that he could not do this alone. That in order to effect the changes that this country needs to once again attain its greatness and the virtues of freedom and equality, a broad-based grassroots movement is required, and that we were the seeds and the caretakers of that movement.

There were sign-up sheets, text links, and online sites where volunteers could participate in everything from knocking on doors to phone calling, from voter registration efforts to travelling to campaign rallies, from fundraising to networking to hosting further events.

When the live stream ended with a rousing cheer and clapping of hands, the event organizer thanked us for coming, but asked that before we leave, we take a few minutes to break up in small groups and express our thoughts and reasons for being there.

I backed up a bit and turned to a nice looking couple seated directly behind me and introduced myself. Just my luck, the fellow was a political firebrand who ran against Republican Dennis Hastert (who has since been indicted on corruption and indecency charges) in the 2000 congressional election.

We talked about Obama, Hillary, the DNC, and the spate of Republican contenders. When I could get a word in edgewise, I said that I have a strong social media presence on Facebook and a blog with almost 14,000 page views, and that through these outlets I continue to speak out forcefully and openly about these issues.

I explained that no one has been more outspoken for the last forty years about civil rights, whether they be black, brown, red, women, gays, or the disenfranchised; about government abuses and the rise of the police state; about the hypocrisy and trail of destruction of our drug policies; about the stacked deck economy and the one-sided war between the haves and the have-nots.

As I headed outside, I took the time to look at the collection of hand made quilts that adorned the hallways of the church, and the symbolism was not lost on me. A quilt is made up of seemingly insignificant pieces, but when lovingly and purposefully combined, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They become a lasting testament of effort and goodwill for the benefit of generations to come.

You can view Senator Sanders full speech at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLwJcruiEzc

(please note that the volume starts out low, but picks up a few minutes in)