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Repair Work Ahead
Now that Trump is out of office, we’re working to fix the larger, systemic problem that allowed Trumpism to fester -- our rigged democracy. This is our chance to unrig the system that Republicans built to work against people of color, workers, immigrants, low-income families, and others who don’t have the pass-cards of privilege.
We’ve got two years to prioritize structural democracy reform, and that starts with passing the For the People Act (HR 1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (HR 4), and making D.C. the 51st state (HR 51). Dealing with the power of the filibuster to derail democratic process, either by eliminating it or by reforming it, is essential, too. Indivisible National endorses eliminating the filibuster; Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley favors reforming it. As with most things, there is not a single “right” answer.
This is our moment of Democratic opportunity -- and it all starts with creating a strong foundation for a democracy that works for the people. Look back at the Calls-to-Action above. We’ve tried to make it easy for you to weigh in on these important issues. Please do!
What Wins People Over
Nicholas Kristof’s recent article in the NYT started with a emotion-piquing title: “How to Reach People Who Are Wrong.” Whether positively or negatively, it’s likely it touches you somehow. The idea of how to win people over, especially in this charged, divided post-Trump era, is [still] highly relevant, and the research Kristof cites is worth heeding:
“Research suggests that what wins people over is listening, asking questions and appealing to their values, not your own. Grant [Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton] cites evidence for “complexifying” issues so they become less binary and more nuanced, enabling someone on the other side to acknowledge areas of ambivalence.
“Researchers find that it is easier for people to reach agreement on difficult issues if they have been prepped to see the world as complicated and full of grays. It’s a painstaking, frustrating process of building trust, keeping people from becoming defensive, and slowly ushering them to a new place.”
Quotes
“U.S. leadership has been sorely missed over the past years.”
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, at his first meeting with Pres.Biden, 2/23/2021
“Every time Democrats brandish their wokeness and wag fingers or call people bigots, they manufacture more Republicans.”
- Nicholas Kristof, in How to Reach People Who Are Wrong, in NYT 3/3/2021
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