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An Unstoppable Progressive Movement
There is no reason to sugar coat it. The election of Donald Trump is a wakeup call for those of us who care about working-class families. People all across the country are struggling to make ends meet and they feel like the economy is rigged against them in favor of the wealthy. Some of those voters felt disillusioned and frustrated that their voices weren't being heard in Washington.
Nov 19, 2016
There is no reason to sugar coat it. The election of Donald Trump is a wakeup call for those of us who care about working-class families. People all across the country are struggling to make ends meet and they feel like the economy is rigged against them in favor of the wealthy. Some of those voters felt disillusioned and frustrated that their voices weren't being heard in Washington.
This is true of places like my hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin, which used to have a thriving automobile industry, and now has dwindling economic opportunities. For decades now, we have not adequately addressed the basic problems that continue to worsen for the working class.
Income inequality began to grow during the 1970s as economic growth slowed. Concentration of wealth rose to the very top while safety nets protecting the most vulnerable have gradually been snipped away. Things have gone in the wrong direction for the majority of people. Explaining why this happened is often complex. On the campaign trail, Trump gave simple answers that preyed on people's insecurities and anger, even if they weren't solutions.
The progressive movement offers real solutions to raise wages and get Americans back on solid economic footing, but it is going to take a grassroots effort to make our voices heard.
The system has been deliberately rigged against us--by the Republican elite who use redistricting, voter ID and other voting restrictions to keep people likely to oppose them away from the polls. Yet, in my Congressional district in Wisconsin, we had very high turnout, helped by expanding early voting to new locations such as libraries to make it convenient. Voting rights activists helped students get the new voter IDs they needed on campus. This helped boost turnout despite some of the toughest anti-voter laws in any state. Every time Governor Walker's administration looks to trample on voting or any other rights, many local governments find ways to fight back and work around the new restrictions.
In Wisconsin, efforts to overturn Citizens United, which opened the floodgates for corporate money in elections, were on the ballot in eighteen communities. Move to Amend won all of those votes and by huge margins, even in conservative areas. Nationwide, more than 700 communities have endorsed overturning Citizens United and related Supreme Court decisions.
The new political landscape has shaken people's belief in a country that prides itself on diversity and inclusiveness. It is more important than ever to support and stand up for one another. I am encouraged by people in my District who are holding neighborhood potlucks, impromptu support gatherings, protests, vigils, and forums to come together as a community.
We can't wait another four years to have a different President or different legislative bodies--the time to come together around our shared values is now. Turn the hurt, loss, anger and fear into action. Get more involved in the areas that interest you, get more engaged with the organizations that support the issues you care about.
An unstoppable progressive movement begins at the grassroots. We've already laid the foundation of public support through organizations across the country fighting for higher wages, college without debt, and protecting our environment. But it's time to strengthen the partnership between those of us fighting like hell in Congress to prevent Trump from enacting the worst of his campaign promises and those of you going door to door to spread our progressive message. We need to raise our progressive voices in order to improve the lives of people who feel like they are being left behind and ensure they have the opportunities to get ahead.
After this election, our country is at a crossroads. We can blame one another and give in to fear. Or we can organize and fight and take back our country. I vote for the latter.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
© 2023 The Progressive
Mark Pocan
Mark Pocan has served as U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, since 2013.
There is no reason to sugar coat it. The election of Donald Trump is a wakeup call for those of us who care about working-class families. People all across the country are struggling to make ends meet and they feel like the economy is rigged against them in favor of the wealthy. Some of those voters felt disillusioned and frustrated that their voices weren't being heard in Washington.
This is true of places like my hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin, which used to have a thriving automobile industry, and now has dwindling economic opportunities. For decades now, we have not adequately addressed the basic problems that continue to worsen for the working class.
Income inequality began to grow during the 1970s as economic growth slowed. Concentration of wealth rose to the very top while safety nets protecting the most vulnerable have gradually been snipped away. Things have gone in the wrong direction for the majority of people. Explaining why this happened is often complex. On the campaign trail, Trump gave simple answers that preyed on people's insecurities and anger, even if they weren't solutions.
The progressive movement offers real solutions to raise wages and get Americans back on solid economic footing, but it is going to take a grassroots effort to make our voices heard.
The system has been deliberately rigged against us--by the Republican elite who use redistricting, voter ID and other voting restrictions to keep people likely to oppose them away from the polls. Yet, in my Congressional district in Wisconsin, we had very high turnout, helped by expanding early voting to new locations such as libraries to make it convenient. Voting rights activists helped students get the new voter IDs they needed on campus. This helped boost turnout despite some of the toughest anti-voter laws in any state. Every time Governor Walker's administration looks to trample on voting or any other rights, many local governments find ways to fight back and work around the new restrictions.
In Wisconsin, efforts to overturn Citizens United, which opened the floodgates for corporate money in elections, were on the ballot in eighteen communities. Move to Amend won all of those votes and by huge margins, even in conservative areas. Nationwide, more than 700 communities have endorsed overturning Citizens United and related Supreme Court decisions.
The new political landscape has shaken people's belief in a country that prides itself on diversity and inclusiveness. It is more important than ever to support and stand up for one another. I am encouraged by people in my District who are holding neighborhood potlucks, impromptu support gatherings, protests, vigils, and forums to come together as a community.
We can't wait another four years to have a different President or different legislative bodies--the time to come together around our shared values is now. Turn the hurt, loss, anger and fear into action. Get more involved in the areas that interest you, get more engaged with the organizations that support the issues you care about.
An unstoppable progressive movement begins at the grassroots. We've already laid the foundation of public support through organizations across the country fighting for higher wages, college without debt, and protecting our environment. But it's time to strengthen the partnership between those of us fighting like hell in Congress to prevent Trump from enacting the worst of his campaign promises and those of you going door to door to spread our progressive message. We need to raise our progressive voices in order to improve the lives of people who feel like they are being left behind and ensure they have the opportunities to get ahead.
After this election, our country is at a crossroads. We can blame one another and give in to fear. Or we can organize and fight and take back our country. I vote for the latter.
Mark Pocan
Mark Pocan has served as U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district, since 2013.
There is no reason to sugar coat it. The election of Donald Trump is a wakeup call for those of us who care about working-class families. People all across the country are struggling to make ends meet and they feel like the economy is rigged against them in favor of the wealthy. Some of those voters felt disillusioned and frustrated that their voices weren't being heard in Washington.
This is true of places like my hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin, which used to have a thriving automobile industry, and now has dwindling economic opportunities. For decades now, we have not adequately addressed the basic problems that continue to worsen for the working class.
Income inequality began to grow during the 1970s as economic growth slowed. Concentration of wealth rose to the very top while safety nets protecting the most vulnerable have gradually been snipped away. Things have gone in the wrong direction for the majority of people. Explaining why this happened is often complex. On the campaign trail, Trump gave simple answers that preyed on people's insecurities and anger, even if they weren't solutions.
The progressive movement offers real solutions to raise wages and get Americans back on solid economic footing, but it is going to take a grassroots effort to make our voices heard.
The system has been deliberately rigged against us--by the Republican elite who use redistricting, voter ID and other voting restrictions to keep people likely to oppose them away from the polls. Yet, in my Congressional district in Wisconsin, we had very high turnout, helped by expanding early voting to new locations such as libraries to make it convenient. Voting rights activists helped students get the new voter IDs they needed on campus. This helped boost turnout despite some of the toughest anti-voter laws in any state. Every time Governor Walker's administration looks to trample on voting or any other rights, many local governments find ways to fight back and work around the new restrictions.
In Wisconsin, efforts to overturn Citizens United, which opened the floodgates for corporate money in elections, were on the ballot in eighteen communities. Move to Amend won all of those votes and by huge margins, even in conservative areas. Nationwide, more than 700 communities have endorsed overturning Citizens United and related Supreme Court decisions.
The new political landscape has shaken people's belief in a country that prides itself on diversity and inclusiveness. It is more important than ever to support and stand up for one another. I am encouraged by people in my District who are holding neighborhood potlucks, impromptu support gatherings, protests, vigils, and forums to come together as a community.
We can't wait another four years to have a different President or different legislative bodies--the time to come together around our shared values is now. Turn the hurt, loss, anger and fear into action. Get more involved in the areas that interest you, get more engaged with the organizations that support the issues you care about.
An unstoppable progressive movement begins at the grassroots. We've already laid the foundation of public support through organizations across the country fighting for higher wages, college without debt, and protecting our environment. But it's time to strengthen the partnership between those of us fighting like hell in Congress to prevent Trump from enacting the worst of his campaign promises and those of you going door to door to spread our progressive message. We need to raise our progressive voices in order to improve the lives of people who feel like they are being left behind and ensure they have the opportunities to get ahead.
After this election, our country is at a crossroads. We can blame one another and give in to fear. Or we can organize and fight and take back our country. I vote for the latter.
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