"It's not as bad as you think."
So often I see people pull out those 7 little words when responding to people in pain. And I have to tell you — Democrat or Republican or Independent, progressive or conservative or moderate — the worst thing we can do when someone tells us they are in pain is to dismiss it.
But too often, we see a politics that pits our pain against each other. We see political leaders diminish the pain of those on the other side of the partisan divide.
When someone conveys, "It's not as bad as you think", what the person in pain hears is, "Your pain doesn't matter." It forces people to defend their pain, only making people angrier and more frustrated.
When our neighbor says they're worried about the cost of groceries and housing… that pain matters.
When our coworker says they think they might be making less because of their race or gender… that pain matters.
When our cousin says they are heartbroken by another opioid-related death in their community… that pain matters.
When our friend from high school who served in the military now can't get the care they need through the VA… that pain matters.
Everyone’s pain matters, regardless of their background or how they vote. People don’t have to be “right” for what they’re facing to be “wrong.” There is, unfortunately, enough pain to go around. And any therapist will tell you that the first step to healing is to have your pain seen.
What we need are elected leaders who see that pain across difference and disagreement. And, instead of turning it into hate and bigotry to fuel an authoritarian power-grab, we need them to actually do something about it. That's what justice looks like.
My opponents and even some well-intentioned supporters have tried to paint me as the voice for one community.
But I didn’t run for Congress just to be a voice for people who share my background or political beliefs. I'm going to fight for everyone — including people who don't understand me and might not fight for me. Because we can heal our political divides and deliver for everyone.
Thanks for being on my team,
Sarah McBride
P.S. Is this email making you think of a personal pain that our elected leaders need to do more to address? Reply to share your thoughts — I promise someone on my team will respond.
