From Miami-Dade to DC, Democrats don’t need just one savior | Opinion

What the Democrats don’t need is Democrats disparaging other Democrats, belittling people for standing up for the marginalized and against the oligarchs — or wistfully pining away, like a fairy tale damsel in distress, for an outside “savior.”

Yes, we lost in November to a bully who inexplicably possesses a dark charisma. And as Americans, we’re the ones losing every day of this administration.

Our democracy is in peril, along with the functioning of our government, economy, retirement funds, public health, relationships with our allies, climate protections and regulations that protect our built environment and food supply.

And this is only a partial list.

But fellow Democrats, take heart. We are the saviors we’ve been looking for. There are many leaders in Washington, in state governments and at the local level who are finding their footing and speaking out — from U.S. Reps. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the left to Gretchen Whitmer, Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar in the middle and our own Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava right here at home.

We applaud them all because they are not silent. They are thinking about what they can do, not what they can lose.

All over the country, citizens have taken to the streets in cities and small towns. And our messages are compelling: No to ending Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.

No to autocracy. No to environmental degradation. No to banning books. No to demonizing and illegally incarcerating immigrants. No to racism and misogyny. No to dismantling our government.

Yes to science. Yes to freedom of speech. Yes to freedom of the press. Yes to public education. No to lies and disinformation. Yes to the truth.

The Democrats have always been a big-tent party. We don’t have to agree with every progressive idea or every conservative one — we can choose where we want to be on the spectrum. But we will include those who have been treated unjustly. We will stand up for the rights of workers and children who should not be subject to “relaxed” labor laws. We will fight for women’s self-determination and autonomy over our bodies.

We will defend the dignity of our LGBTQ+ citizens. We will respect those who work hard to fulfill their version of the American dream. We celebrate the lawyers and law firms who are not capitulating to Dear Leader.

In Miami-Dade, a new and authentic leader has stepped up to chair the local Democratic party. Her name is Laura Kelley. She’s a former candidate for the Florida Legislature, an immigration attorney and a mother. Her father is Mexican-American, and she’s bilingual. She’s smart and dedicated to turning things around in our county. And there’s nowhere to go but up.

So if you’re tired of hearing that the Democratic “brand” is “toxic,” step up and contact the Miami-Dade Democratic Party and be part of the solution. Democracy, someone wise once said, is not a spectator sport. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and reject the notion that might makes right — or that Democrats are failures.

We must do what we can to embrace our collective responsibility to help our fellow human beings live in a just society where there is equal opportunity for all. And to rebuild the infrastructure so that we can elect leaders who share our values.

In the words of poet Langston Hughes, “Let America be America Again.”

It may take some time, but Democrats will come roaring back with a vengeance. Because, like Superman, we believe in truth, justice and the American way.

We are for fairness, equal opportunity and prosperity for all. We stand on the shoulders of those who made America great in the first place — and we will rise again.

Katy Sorenson is a consultant on governance issues, women’s rights, politics and citizen activism. She previously served as a Miami-Dade commissioner for 16 years. She is a member and volunteer at the Miami-Dade Democratic Party.