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January 2024 Newsletter |
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Dear Friend, May 2024 be the year where we revolutionary change. In Democracy Awakening, Heather Cox Richardson spells out how our country ended up in this mess and offers a road map forward, arguing that periods of unrest are also periods of extraordinary opportunity. While discussing her book, she states, "If you thought about America in 1853, you'd have thought the enslavers were taking it over; they had the national government and Black Americans were out of luck.” She then points out that: -by 1854, the North came together to say they were not going to put up with enslavement. -by 1856, they formed a new political party. -by 1859, Abraham Lincoln articulated a new vision of government. -by 1861, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and by 1863 he gave the Gettysburg Address, dedicating this nation to a new birth of freedom. In less than a decade, we went from near capitulation to the elite enslavers to an amended Bill of Rights codifying the end of human enslavement. Could we be at another moment where there could be revolutionary change? We could be- if we continue the movement that we’ve started. I have begun conversations with my family about how our lives might change if Trump is re-elected. I have also begun conversations about what our life will look like leading up to this election. We are all going to be busy, and we are all going to be working to save our democracy. As you are thinking about the upcoming year, please take a few moments to consider what you are going to do to save our democracy. This newsletter highlights a few ways that you can get involved, now. More will come. In Solidarity, Theresa Heary SCDC Chair |
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ACTIVATE AMERICA: Have a Little Time? Support Democracy! By Sarah Meredith, SCDC Gilboa Rep
Please don’t waste your time feeling despair or helplessness! You can make a real impact in just a short time by writing a few postcards or making a couple phone calls. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel to take actions that will help our republic hold on to our democratic principles. Activate America, founded in 2017 to challenge the MAGA takeover, organizes volunteers across the country for targeted and specific actions supporting Democrats. Here’s their general website https://www.activateamerica.vote/programshome
There is currently a postcard writing campaign to help elect Democrat Tom Suozzi in the upcoming February special election in NY District 03. It shouldn’t be hard for him to return to that seat (which he held for 6 years) and replace ousted representative George Santos.
Activate America has targeted programs for 5 other NY districts:
You can take training via ZOOM on how to register voters in Ohio or Pennsylvania. You can sign up to work on a phone bank to help elect a Democrat in the Senate to replace Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona. You can sign up for your specific priority action here: https://www.activateamerica.vote/ourraces2024 As a volunteer with Activate America you can designate the type of information you want them to send you so that you can choose different actions throughout the year: https://www.activateamerica.vote/ourraces2024
It is up to you how much time you spend and where you focus your efforts. RIGHT NOW there’s still time to impact the February special election in NY District 03. And if you can’t start right away, you can sign up for actions throughout the year when you do have time.
Don’t wait for someone else to turn the page on the MAGA movement. We may not be able to cut loose yet from Elise Stefanik here as part of District 21, but we can make sure that Pat Ryan, Josh Riley and other Democrats represent us in New York State. Sign up here to take action: https://www.activateamerica.vote/ourraces2024
Schoharie County Democratic Committee members will be organizing post card or phone bank gatherings in the coming months. To make sure you know what’s happening, check that you are on our mailing list and visit our facebook page. Links are at the end of every newsletter. And do pass this on to other people you know, encouraging them to take action. You can always contact info@schohariedemocrats.org and help organize a postcard writing party yourself!
Bystanders and low voter turnout keep our county in Republican hands. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to our country. |
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Democratic Structures NOT In Name Only Or What We Hold in Common is More than What Divides Us By Sarah Meredith, SCDC Gilboa Rep
Democrats hold all manner of opinions about a wide variety of subjects and policies. Few political parties or segments of the voting public are monolithic in their beliefs. Yet, there are key shared structures that define democracy for Democrats here in upstate New York: 1. That voting is a sacred right and the capacity to vote ought to be accessible to all citizens. 2. That the Constitution is the foundation of the laws of our nation, not a personality or political party, and that the law ought to apply equally to all people, regardless of particular attributes. 3. That religious freedom is a defining aspect of our Constitution, requiring that all specific religions be kept separate from operating the government. 4. That unbiased public education is a necessity and relies upon national standards to ensure equality of opportunity and commonly held norms of our times. 5. That non-politicized health care for everyone, and the capacity to access it, is imperative for economic growth and social stability, requiring that some governmental steps be taken to ensure quality of care and more universally available health care. 6. That science, technology, history and the arts have fact-based components that can be subject to interpretation yet form the premise for human endeavor and future growth. 7. That natural resources upon which we all rely need protection and regulation to prevent greed and inequality from doing irreparable damage to people and the planet, and that federal, state and local governments have a role to play in helping industry and communities use these resources wisely. 8. That essential services are the support network for our nation, such as safe food production, legitimate medical care, fact-based education, resources for the very young, elderly, disabled, public safety, legal services, environmental safeguards, workplace safety, public transportation, worker protections, secure childcare and more, and are partially the responsibility of national standards, monitoring and funding. 9. That federal level diplomatic relationships be maintained throughout the world, and that our resources are necessary to support democracy, environmental protection, sound business and scientific practices and reduction of harm and military conflict. 10. That all people are created equal with inalienable rights, and by definition this extends to an ever wider application of protection under our laws. 11. That persons in this country have rights to privacy, including choice in their families, medical options, religious beliefs, and personal associations, and that such rights are protected privileges of living in this country as differing from most other places on earth. 12. That all but the American indigenous peoples are relative newcomers to this land, none with greater claim on the rights and privileges of democracy , and that the humane and rational resolution of conflict over the continuation of immigration and migration, whether permanent or temporary, is of primary importance to the nation’s growth and health. 13. That use of fossil fuels and emissions of methane (among other pollutants) must be reduced dramatically as urgently as possible in order to maintain the balance of resources necessary for sustaining communities and biological health for myriad species, including humans, and that federal, state and local governments have a role to play in making this happen along with assisting communities in making the transitions and retrofitting required. 14. That participatory democracy is a work in progress, representing the highest form of imperfect government, and requires continuous amendment and refinement to meet the needs of contemporary and future society. 15. That ideals and principles guide this nation, not individuals, and that all of us hold some accountability and responsibility for working on the details within our own families, communities, and local political units. 16. That the peaceful transfer of power is the result of our elections, not mob rule, violence and censorship, and our elections rely on a combination of federal and state rules enforced at the polls primarily by citizen volunteers. Each of these 16 statements has a network of impacts, implications and actions about which we can agree or disagree. For example, even the first one about voting might raise a variety of opinions about mail-in ballots or whether or not felons, who have served their time, can register to vote or if automatic registration at the DMV is a good idea, etc.
As an exercise, you might take a minute and make a list of what you see as the most obvious areas of discussion or argument related to each of these points. You could be a Democrat, who, when considering #5 believes that legal abortion is best limited to within a specific number of weeks except for medical necessities as seen between a pregnant person, their family and their doctor, or that abortion services are medical services that ought not be limited by any governmental legislature. You might be a Democrat, who, in considering #11 thinks that the filibuster that prevents a simple majority from passing legislation is a good thing, or that it allows minority rule to prevail and ought to be abolished. In a democracy we can agree to disagree on specifics of policy while still supporting the fundamentals of DEMOCRACY itself.
It might help us approach this election year, in which there are people who may not see their votes as destructive of democracy, to see where our interests actually align. We will be spending a fair amount of energy trying to persuade our fellow citizens to vote for anyone other than a MAGA Republican. What Democrats understand is that Trump does not value the Constitution or the law if they constrain his will; and his priorities are not equality and inclusion, but retribution and spoils to the victor by any means necessary. If we Democrats can see more of a range of possible positions and beliefs that still fall under these 16 points, it could be easier to sustain disagreements about details that do not pit us against each other.
Some of our Republican neighbors might take different positions on specific policies but STILL SUPPORT THESE VALUES. Highlighting this will make conversations more persuasive and productive.
There is so much at stake this year. These 16 points are not an exhaustive list. Perhaps you can come up with other basic statements that support democracy and undergird what we hold in common. If we can help our neighbors see our mutually held beliefs, we might prevent our U.S. government from becoming a democracy in name only. |
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LOSING DOUG PLUMMER, Democratic Mayor of Sharon Springs Douglas Cameron Plummer was a longtime resident of Sharon Springs, NY, having moved there in 1992. He and his husband, Garth Roberts, were central to the reinvigoration of the town, notably the restoration of the American Hotel and their support for the creation of the non-profit Klinkhart Hall Arts Center Inc. Plummer died at home on Thursday, December 14, 2023. He was 63. The Schoharie County Democratic Committee sends our heartfelt condolences to family and friends of Doug Plummer, the beloved mayor of Sharon Springs. Doug was a joyful, positive, witty, wonderful human being as well as a great Democrat. He will be sorely missed. A Celebration of Life will be held in the Spring of 2024. Memorial contributions may be made to the Klinkhart Hall Arts Center, Inc., POB 101, Sharon Springs, NY 13459. |
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RESOURCE FOR SCHOHARIE COUNTY FARMERS Mohawk Valley Farm & Agri-Business Network For information about grants, farm market opportunities, county and state resources. New website: https://www.mvfoodaction.org/home |
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SCDC Members Wanted S. Meredith, SCDC Gilboa Rep
Those of you who have signed up for this newsletter are some of the more curious and active Democrats in Schoharie County! As of this writing, the organization that represents Democrats in our county (and produces this newsletter), the Schoharie County Democratic Committee (SCDC), is missing representation from several of our towns. We invite you to consider joining us. Come to a meeting and decide if you want to take a more active role in connecting Democrats across our county!
The structure of the Schoharie County Democratic Committee is quite simple: each town is given representation on the SCDC. Each representative serves a 2 year cycle and has a voice in determining what actions the full committee takes, how the committee allocates funds, and what policy positions the committee takes or public events the committee participates in. Technically, each representative gets a weighted value for their vote based on their town’s population. These votes are distributed among the town’s representatives. Larger towns have more representation, such as Cobleskill (8), Schoharie (6) and Middleburgh (8). Smaller towns have fewer representatives, like Conesville (2), Gilboa (2) and Jefferson (2).
Every member of the SCDC is invited to be active. Members can choose to take a role on committees that organize events (like the FDR dinner and the summer BBQ), create public materials (like FB posts and this newsletter), fundraise, keep data updated on voters, or make decisions about how the Democrats in Schoharie County can have the most impact. Our discussions can be exciting!
The SCDC meets as a whole every two months, with the capacity for ZOOM attendance especially in bad weather!
Currently there ARE VACANCIES IN REPRESENTATION. We would welcome participation by a few Democrats living in: BROOME (at least 2) ESPERANCE, District 2 (at least 2) SEWARD (at least 1) SHARON SPRINGS District 1 (at least 2) SHARON SPRINGS District 2 (at least 1) SCHOHARIE (due to the untimely and tragic death of Joe Bozicevich) (at least 1)
If you are interested, contact info@schohariedemocrats.org and let Theresa Heary, our chairperson, know! She can explain the process of getting onto the committee, but there is also good information about us on our website: https://schohariedemocrats.org/ |
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TOWN HAPPENINGS:
CHECK THIS LINK TO THE CALENDAR FOR YOUR TOWN & VILLAGE BOARD AND COUNCIL MEETINGS EVERY MONTH
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CONNECT & FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA SCDC Website - to get involved, with links to all our social media Schoharie County Democratic Committee on FB - for issues, events, inspiration @SchoharieDems on X for breaking news and commentary schohariecountydems on Instagram Your likes and comments are inspiring! |
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Chairwoman: Theresa Heary- info@schohariedemocrats.org SCDC Committees: |