Photo/ © Bob Daemmrich/ZUMA Wire
When the long-awaited announcement finally came, there was dancing in the streets.
The defeat of Donald Trump was a joyous moment, made possible by quiet courage and meticulous organization. Tens of millions braved a pandemic to vote. Tens of thousands made phone calls, sent text messages, and knocked on doors. Despite a systematic, relentless campaign of voter suppression directed against Black voters in particular, there was still a massive turn-out of African American, Latinx, and Native American voters. This upsurge was especially important in swing states like Georgia, Arizona, and Wisconsin. Trade unionists of all different ethnicities and young environmental activists also played an important role.
The year 2020 saw the largest voter turnout since the presidential election of 1900, a sign of the deep concern voters felt about the country’s profound problems. In the weeks since the voting, those problems have only worsened. The federal government has no national plan to deal with the pandemic, a crisis intensifying rapidly. Across the country, hospitals are running out of beds for patients. In mid-November, the members of the U.S. Congress left Washington for their comfortable Thanksgiving vacations without passing an economic stimulus package. As a result, millions may lose their jobs or pandemic unemployment assistance, and renters may soon face a tsunami of evictions.
Since Election Day, there has been much talk by politicians about “unity” and the need to “bring the country together.” The millions hurting today also want unity. Their call? Unite the homeless with homes. Unite the sick with health care. End police brutality. Help the immigrant children who were snatched out of the arms of their distraught parents by re-uniting them with their families. That’s the kind of “unity” this country needs – not platitudes about “healing.” The government needs to act now. We cannot wait until after Inauguration Day.
Election Day, November 3, was one battle in a long war to change the United States. The different grassroots organizations – large and small – which came together to produce the gigantic turn-out have every right to savor the success of their hard work. At the same time, we all have to remain vigilant. Trump’s attempts to invalidate the results have shown he is still very dangerous. His brazen attempt to stop the certification of the vote in Michigan was correctly met with an outpouring of outrage. That’s exactly the response needed to Trump’s schemes to cling to office — along with mobilizing to insure government passes a stimulus package NOW!
The fight for a new America is far from over; it has now shifted to Georgia. There, the upcoming January 5 run-off will determine control of the U.S. Senate. Once again, the future of the entire country hinges on what happens in the South.
The victory of November 3 must be sealed by another on January 5. Then we will have to fight relentlessly to force the new government to address the urgent problems facing this country. We pledge that the People’s Tribune will always stand with those fighting the life-and-death battles of the working class. Our pages will always be open to everyone fighting in the historic movement for justice now underway in this country.
North Carolina: Police attack peaceful marchers heading to vote
