Dear John,
In early May, we learned that the Supreme Court is likely to overturn Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks, jeopardizing the health, autonomy, and personal privacy of half the population.
From April to May, an assailant targeted Asian women at salons in the Dallas area in a string of shootings.
Less than two weeks ago, a white supremacist 18-year-old male targeted and gunned down 10 Black people in Buffalo.
And a few days ago, 19 children and 3 adults were murdered in an elementary school in Uvalde, TX by another 18-year-old male who too easily accessed weapons of death to achieve his deranged end.
There’s no single way for any of us to adequately process the weight of these events — on top of all the other events in our own families and communities that may not get the same widespread attention.
We all have our own ways in which we handle grief, shaped by culture and experience. And we all have our conditioned tendencies when met with trauma.
Some of us go inward, others seek community, while others lean into work or comforting distractions. There is no “right” way to feel or “good” way to respond in these moments.
For those of us seeking to build a better world, it is our mandate to take on the things that are core to all these traumatic and violent events. But confronting them can itself take a toll. And after being so affected by news that can hit home in so many ways, it can be nearly impossible for some of us to pivot back to work like elections, even when that work is focused on the problem.
So what do we do? For the fallen and for those whose lives are being turned upside down, we must act.
For some of us, it will be through action and organizing that we can gain some healing. But none of us should ignore our own pain, swallow our own trauma, or fail to attend to our own wounds.
In these moments, we should rely on all of our resources. One resource I draw on is my meditation practice. Perhaps there are other practices personal to you that provide grounding and solace from the unease and suffering that surrounds us.
On top of personal practices, consider drawing upon loving community where you have it. That includes all types of relationships that feed you and need you.
We hurt and we fight. We fight and we hurt. We heal our hearts and we build community.
Please consider honoring the martyred by doing your best to bring your whole self — the pain and the strength — to this moment. And whenever and however you are ready to re-engage, we at the Working Families Party will be here to fight right alongside you.
Because we are in this for the long haul, together.
With comradely love and solidarity,
Maurice Mitchell
National Director
Working Families Party
P.S. If you’re ready to take action right now, here are some ways you can join us:
