It is hard to believe that we are vastly approaching the two-year mark of the once-in-a-generation global COVID-19 pandemic. The exhaustion and weariness we feel are palpable.
It is hard for me to remember the times before, honestly. Our collective sense of normalcy has been completely upended and our daily routines have fundamentally changed in every aspect of our lives. In many ways, we have become experts in adaptation, from masking, social distancing, working from home, and being completely shut down to figuring out new and inventive ways to maintain a connection to our friends and loved ones.
It has been one year since the Biden-Harris administration assumed office. We were able to take a collective sigh of relief from the American carnage of the Trump years, but that respite has been short-lived.
I recently revisited my Democratically Yours column shortly after we elected a new president. I was optimistic about the future and excited for the Biden administration’s Build Back Better plan, and now I don’t recognize that level of optimism.
I have always been an activist and political leader who leans into hard work and the political fight, but I have grown tired of the battle and am worried about our future. I am a trained organizer and love the political arena, but I now understand why the average American is disengaged from the process.
The political stalemate in Washington is nauseating. The Democratic Party is not producing the results we promised. The Build Back Better agenda is stalled in the U.S. Senate because two senators have dug in their heels on changing the archaic and draconian filibuster rules.
Most Americans don’t understand the intricacies of Senate procedure, but we all understand majority rules. The Republican Party remains aligned with the former president and does not have any interest in governing. The Grand Old Party is a shell of its former self. The party of Lincoln, emancipation and freedom has transformed into an anti-democratic authoritarian party whose only interest is power.
More locally, we live in a disconnect where our governor is at odds with science and reality to posture himself for a potential run for president in 2024. Meanwhile, our state remains a leader in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death.
Floridians of all political persuasions feel the impact of inflation, supply chain issues and general uncertainty, and we are asking ourselves how worried we should be. The political football is tossed back and forth and moves from news cycle to news cycle at a speed that most of us cannot process. I have a weary state of mind because our politics is at a tipping point, but I don’t know which way the pendulum will fall.
I don’t believe that Americans are as divided as the talking heads on TV would like us to feel. Most of us are trying to live our lives in the new normal. We saw realignment in the workforce with the great resignation. Workers in industries across the board are finding their value in essential work.
Labor organizers around the country are experiencing a renaissance in the labor movement. The Biden administration has passed historic legislation, including The Recovery Act and The Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, but the rest of his plans are stalled in Congress.
The Democratic Party promised action on many fronts, from voting rights and democratic reforms to climate change and fighting elements of far-right domestic extremism. I am weary because I am watching the Supreme Court prepare to roll back historic protections, including the repeal of Roe v Wade. I watch state legislatures enact laws targeted at the LGBTQ community, particularly harsh and harmful laws against the transgender community.
We are seeing a rise in violent crime and gun violence. We are still grappling with the events of January 6th and the extremist elements in our society. Local school boards and town councils are under siege experiencing unprecedented levels of political violence. Neighbors are pitted against one another because conspiracy theories and misinformation have become mainstream.
I am weary because I am looking at our politics and realizing that the government is not helping people. If high levels of uncertainty remain prevalent, the political pendulum will swing to a space where we may not be able to recover.
I wrote earlier in this piece that we have become experts in adaptation. The Democratic Party needs to adapt and overcome the challenges before us. We cannot and should not allow two U.S. senators to derail us from the progress we promised.
It is time for us to pivot away from the politics of Washington and the 24-hour news cycle and focus our efforts on helping people using all of the tools at our disposal. We have to prepare ourselves to defend the progress we’ve made and the rights we secured. It is okay to feel weary – it has become clear that Washington is not going to save us. We have to save ourselves.
Johnny Boykins is a Democratic strategist and organizer in Pinellas County, a husband, bow tie aficionado, amateur chef and U.S. Coast Guard veteran. He also serves as Director of Outreach with the Pinellas Democratic Party. Learn more at PinellasDemocrats.org.
