HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
CAPITOL HILL
4 September 2018
Standing with a growing and determined crowd of women this afternoon: from women’s groups of all kinds, civil rights movements and human rights organizations too—in the spacious rotunda of the Hart Senate Building.
As the Senate prepares for day one of the Kavanaugh hearings, this is a lively community of young leaders whose future is hugely impacted by a disingenuous, dishonest and deceptive nomination process. "I AM WHAT'S AT STAKE"--is printed, emblazoned on their many t-shirts.
When the stories begin, they speak one at a time, women from all walks of life, women alert to the moment and all that means for all of us. Health care is at stake. Reproductive rights are at stake. Fair and compassionate neighborhoods for immigrants, these too are at stake. And bit by bit, dig by dig, this Republican President and this Republican Congress is determined to undermine democracy and (it surely seems) pervert democracy itself. This is not, after all, the first court appointee to be nominated under dark clouds of dubiousness. (See Garland 2016.) Yes, there's a lot at stake. And one by one, these defiant, daring leaders spell it out.
 |
| Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand (NY) |
The meanness of our politics demoralizes. But not today. Today, there’s such light in these many eyes...elders defiant, young activists ready to stand and speak! Today, there's a future that's out there for the making, out there for the shaping. And these women are ready, eager, fully equipped for the challenge.
It renews my spirit, just to breathe in the steady murmur of their hope, of their resistance.
