Greetings, Will County Democrats,
Today is a great day. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in. We have breathed a collective sigh of relief that the Trump presidency is over and look forward to an administration that puts a premium on science, good government, and, most of all: humanity.
With COVID-19 fatalities topping 400,000, the United States has the tragic distinction of leading the world in deaths. The pandemic’s unthinkable impact could have and should have been mitigated through sound federal leadership l, but instead, it laid bare many of the deep flaws within our nation. With Democratic control over the White House, Congress and the Senate, we have the opportunity to move forward toward a better future.
While the overall electoral success of 2020 was something to celebrate, the fact is that we lost ground nationally in Congressional races. Locally, narrow margins indicated that our opponents aren’t necessarily just dyed-in-the-wool Republicans – they are an alarming number of people opposed to changing times, dedicated to upholding falsehoods that range from incredible to outright dangerous.
The events of January 6 have put us all on notice that the worst threats to our democracy come from within. We may have won some battles – decisive and otherwise – but we have not even approached the real battleground.
Unity.
With Donald Trump no longer serving as our unifying factor, we must address our tendencies to attack our own and focus on core values that drive effective messaging and operations that deliver our party not only electoral success, but true social leadership. The Democratic Party is strong in Will County, and getting stronger, but let’s not rest on our laurels. Our work is just beginning.
The damage done over the past four years has been a culmination of efforts by the GOP to uphold structural inequities and to cast aspersions on the truth in such a way that a large portion of our community does not share in our reality. This post-truth culture is the true enemy. Will County Democrats, we need to address this issue head on. I call upon all of us to look to the future and prepare for a challenging battle. Only by adapting to these changing times, creating sound plans, and counting on each other’s dedicated support can we successfully embark upon these ideas and ideals. I like our chances.
The Will County Democratic Central Committee encourages and welcomes collaboration and communication. We want to be a resource to the community, to provide facts, to educate our community on how government works, and how it works for us. I want our community to feel connected with the Democratic Party and the Democratic officials who are elected to represent us. This is work that can have a long-lasting impact on our community, and we are fortunate to have so many engaged members building the party. Thank you all for the work that you have done to bring us to this moment, and for the work you continue to do to build our community.
Nora Gruenberg
Chair, Will County Democratic Central Committee