June 24th marks a historic moment in the history of the United States; the first time a major constitutional right has ever been revoked. It will be remembered as a grim day by the citizens of the nation and our allies abroad. The day our government dishonored and disowned her own people.
But I am hopeful. I am optimistic. Why?
Because this is the end. Not for us… for them. This is the end for anyone who seeks to tear down their fellows. For anyone who wishes to return to inequality. For anyone who hungers for discourse. This is the end of the Republican Party as we know it.
That’s why this has happened. This is not about abortion. It isn’t about marriage equality or contraception. It isn’t about honoring the Constitution. This is the will of a party that knows it is dying.
The truth is this; our opponents are terrified. They see the tides of change and they cower in fear. They are scared because they know progress is the future. Look how the country has changed in the last two decades. An American majority believes in a woman’s right to choose no matter the circumstances. Support for gay marriage nationwide is overwhelming. We are becoming more accepting of our fellows with each passing day.
Think, with that in mind, about where we’ll be by the end of the twenty-first century. Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will look back on this era as a distant memory. The time before the world changed for the better. Because they will be even more accepting than we are now. They will enact change no matter what happens today.
That’s why this has happened. That’s why this is the end. GOP leadership, and any who cling to the past, know that their time is up. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then next week. Or next year. Next decade.
So have hope, as I do. Take up the fight with a fire in your belly. Because this is the end for them. They are dying. They are withering away. The GOP will fight in nasty ways to maintain power over their constituents. They will stack the courts, as they have now. They will stall the President and Congress and work to usher in an era of hate. They’ll do these things because there is nothing else they can do. Like a child, they are holding on to something that should be let go. Because the future belongs to growth.
Now, I won’t claim to be a political scholar. I don’t know the solution to every problem that our country faces. But I do know this: we are all more alike than we are different. There is nothing that can stop the proponents of freedom if only they work together. I have seen people from all walks of life gather in the streets to make their dissent known. I have seen men weep for their mothers, sisters, friends, and daughters. I have seen bravery, resilience, and determination.
This is the end for them. I know it. And the citizens of the United States who stand for progress will fight to begin a new American era, one where everyone has the right to liberty. And I have no doubt they’ll win. Because change, history, and sheer numbers are our defense.
Yes, the nation has suffered a defeat. But, like our ancestors who fought for human rights, we will continue until we win. So don’t despair. Don’t relent. Vote. Vote well and vote often. Break the rules and show those who oppose liberty that they are not the only ones who can fight like their lives depend on it.
And to anyone else, to those who do not stand for equality, I say this: this is the end. You can choose to align yourself with the corrupt, to place your bets on a sinking ship, or you can join those who battle for love and civil rights for all. Choose carefully. This is the end for those who want the nation to crawl back into the annals of history. Those who believe in liberty for all will fight for what is right, and if you choose to stand opposed, if you attempt to block the path to change…
So be it. Progress will be victorious, as it always has been. I have hope. I am optimistic.
Because this is the end. The end of inhumanity. The end for those who long for division.
And the beginning for everyone else.
