Note: This post is not intended in any way to dissuade anyone from voting for Kamala Harris for President. We cannot afford not to. She brings many of what I call “goods of commission” with her and will continue to as President. Please read this with this in mind.
I’ve been stuck in my writing lately. The words and thoughts only go so far before they fizzle out. As I’ve been ruminating on this, I suspect it’s because if I don’t write about the topic at hand, I will be committing a sin of omission.
According to certain Christian churches’ doctrines, sins of omission involve failing to do what is right. While some Christians identify particular inactions as sins of omission – refusing to share Christ with others, neglecting to care for those in need, and avoiding prayer – these are not the topics that persist in my mind, that need voice.
Rather, I’m referencing the omissions of the Democratic Party at their national convention last week. The first and most glaring was the refusal of the Democratic Party to invite a Palestinian American speaker onto the mainstage despite repeated requests to do so. It was important that a Jewish family of an American held hostage by Hamas was able to speak, share their story, their pain, and their hopes, but not to include the equally important voices of Palestinian Americans and the plight of those living and dying in Gaza was, in the words of Justice Democrats[i], “a moral failure.” It violated a basic sense of fairness, and also fundamental decency toward the tens of thousands who have died and the millions who are suffering in this war. In a sense it also falls into one of the categories of Christian sins of omission – neglecting to care for those in need. Again quoting Justice Democrats, “the Party must do better.”
The other glaring omission was the serious lack of attention paid to climate change. Yes, on the final night of the convention the issue of climate change finally made it to the mainstage as the party looked toward the future, and the two speakers, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Congressman Maxwell Frost made important points in the short time they had to speak. But the two featured speakers of the night – Kamala Harris and Tim Walz– gave it barely a mention. At first, I thought must have missed it. How could they neglect what is one the most important issues — if not the most important issue — facing the planet at this moment in time? I wondered – what were they so afraid of? Kevin Book, managing director of the research firm ClearView Energy Partners, told the New York Times that he thought that if Harris took a strong position on climate change she would look “too progressive,” and this could tip the balance for the swing state of Pennsylvania.[ii] Is that sufficient reason, or even correct? Here again, the Party must do better.
I have been so filled with hope for the possibilities of turning the political tide -- of embracing a politics that builds inclusive community for all – including Arab Americans – and prioritizes saving the planet from the impending climate crisis. According to Vaclav Havel, the late former president of the Czech Republic, “Hope . . .is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for . . . success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed.”[iii]
The Democrats made the decision to invest in enterprises that in their view are most likely to grant them success in November, and I certainly want them to succeed. However, even here I believe they misjudged and made two grave strategic errors that may well cost them the votes of Palestinian Americans, as well as young people and many others who are concerned about their future on this planet. Indeed, “Muslim Women for Harris” initially pulled their support from Harris and disbanded, though they re-formed a week later.[iv]
But what burst my hope bubble was not the strategic errors, but rather the refusal to work for something because it is good. Friends and family have urged me toward hope, giving me perspective on all the many political pressures and the strategists who control the narrative, and I know that the Harris-Walz team and the many other Democratic candidates whom I support and want to succeed are working and will work for so many things because they are good. I need to focus on the goods of commission, rather than the sins of omission. As “Muslim Women for Harris” said when they re-formed after initially pulling their support from Harris, even though they did not receive the support for Palestinians they were hoping for, too much else is at stake in this election -- "reproductive rights, access to healthcare, climate change, immigration reform, access to quality public education, economic opportunity, and the clear danger a Trump presidency could pose for our black and brown communities." They said it well.
The highpoint of the entire convention for me was the words of Congressman Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of Congress and a beacon of hope for the future of the Party. He was willing to speak truth to power. “I’m here to tell you the climate crisis is not some far-off threat. It is here. . . . I’ve walked the streets of communities that have been forced to rebuild after hurricane flooding destroyed their homes. I’ve heard the stories of immigrant farm workers made to work in horrid conditions exacerbated by this crisis. And I’ve felt the scorching record heat and know that climate change can sometimes feel like an unstoppable force.” But he urged action, and went on to tie work to solve the climate crisis to other benefits of creating jobs, protecting health, and building strong communities. And then he courageously said these words, “And we must always remember that peace is essential to our climate, and war destroys our environment.” And I thought, “yes!” Someone who’s willing to speak against war and for peace, and make the often-neglected connection to the future of the earth. This is someone I can get behind. This is a Party I can support. And then, in a way reminiscent of bell hooks, he invoked a politics of love.[v] “When you love somebody, you want them to have clean air. When you love somebody, you want them to have safe drinking water. When you love somebody, you want them to have a dignified job.”[vi] When you love somebody, you want them to live in peace. When you love somebody, when you love the earth, you want to do everything you can to insure they not only survive, but thrive. This is my hope.
[i] Justice Democrats is a Political Action Committee (PAC) committed to progressive politics within the Democratic Party and is funded by grassroots donations.
[ii] Climate Change Is Not a Key Talking Point for Harris Campaign - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
[iii] Vaclav Havel, Disturbing the Peace: A Conversation with Karel Hvizdala. Trans. Paul Wilson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990. 181.
[iv] 'Muslim Women for Harris' Disbands, Says It Can No Longer Support Her (msn.com)
[v] See my post of December 31, 2021. bell hooks: Feminism as the Transformational Work of Love — Beth Bartlett Duluth
[vi] FULL SPEECH: Gen Z congressman gets crowd on their feet during DNC speech (youtube.com)