By D’Anne Wikowski - TGP Content Contributor
As we say goodbye to 2021 our feelings are, well, complicated. 2016-2019 were, like, really bad. But 2020 and 2021 also sucked. The difference, however, is that we actually had Democratic leadership in the White House. But we still have a Republican Party that is very much interested in throwing Democracy into a dumpster and installing Donald Trump as President for Life. Meanwhile, the death toll for COVID-19 in this country has well surpassed 750,000 and the world as a whole has lost over 4,000,000, which is SO MANY PEOPLE. Climate change disaster is here and now, not in some distant future that we can all avoid if we just recycle enough and turn the tap off when brushing our teeth. Abortion rights are on the chopping block with a hard-right Supreme Court. Racism has a firm grip on our legal system. Things seem, dare I say, awful.
Which leads a lot of people to look around and say, “What are the Democrats even DOING?” It is a fair question! The honest answer is that they are doing more than you think, but also not enough! That said, in this country we have a choice between two very different parties. Don’t fall for that “both parties are the same” garbage. They aren’t. Not by a long shot. So let’s see what we can discover about what Democrats are doing through the most scientific method possible: dreams.
That dream where you’re running away from something scary but you can only move in slow motion
This is a common dream motif and is born out of anxiety. It is also an understandable way to feel about how government works to solve problems. Think about the government as a giant ship sailing out on the ocean. Not only does it have to constantly work to stay afloat, but turning this bad boy around and changing direction is a huge pain in the ass. It takes a lot of energy and it takes a long time. But when you’re moving in the wrong direction - toward, say, fascism - whatever it takes to right the ship and keep it afloat is worth it, even if the results are not immediately apparent.
That dream where all of a sudden you stop breathing
This dream is straight-up about police brutality and the murder of Black people by police officers who often face no real consequences. Is that a little too “on the nose?” Yes, yes it is. But we need to be direct and clear here: Black lives matter. This is something Democrats believe on a fundamental level. Even if there isn’t consensus on what to do to stop the racist violence, Democrats actually acknowledge that it’s happening. This country’s legal system is designed to protect white people and hurt Black people. White supremacy is rampant in this country, including among the ranks of people sworn to protect and serve. Meanwhile, Republicans think that teaching children about racism is our biggest problem. All of this crying and moaning about “Critical Race Theory” is really just a demand that racism becomes a topic we just don’t talk about, and if we don’t talk about something, we can’t address it, and if we don’t address racism, then guess who wins? (Psst: it’s not the good guys.)
That dream where you show up to school/work without any pants on
Clearly demonstrates a struggle with work/life balance. If you are like the vast majority of Americans, you probably work too much and get paid too little. You’re probably also forced to choose between your family and your job, and your job nearly always wins because you need money to live. This arrangement is 100% fine with Republicans who are against a living wage, preferring that, say, the CEO of a fast-food company get filthy rich while the company’s hourly employees don’t earn enough to support themselves, let alone a family. Democrats support a living wage, unionizing, and paid family leave, not to mention affordable housing and canceling a bunch of student loan debt. Republicans, on the other hand, think you’re a loser and that being poor is a personal failing, starting with the choice not to be born into a wealthy family.
That dream where your teeth are falling out or crumbling like chalk
Clearly demonstrates anxiety about climate change. The teeth represent glaciers which are melting and breaking and really making life unfairly hard on polar bears. It is, of course, making life hard for every creature on earth where “once in a life time” weather events are more like “once a week.” You could argue that Democrats are not doing enough to address this, and you would be right! But at least they believe it’s happening? Where Republicans think that global warming is fake. But it’s not fair to say that they spent the last four years ignoring the problem. They spent the last four years actively making it worse! Biden has rejoined the Paris Climate Accord, blocked drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, and admitted that the COP26 climate agreement was “not enough.” Which is not nothing!
That dream where you find out there’s a class you forgot to ever attend and now you can’t graduate
A classic nightmare about the filibuster. Why won’t they just abolish it, god damn it? The filibuster essentially lets Republican Senators block the Democratic agenda even though Democrats have a narrow majority. There are very important things that need to happen, like strengthening the voting rights that Republicans are stripping at the state level and protecting abortion rights as Roe v Wade is on a fast track to being overturned by an ultraconservative Supreme Court. The filibuster has got to go, but we need all the Democratic Senators to agree. Sadly Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona) and Joe Manchin (West Virginia) are standing in the way for, reasons? This is why people hate politics, man. Democrats could do a lot more without this obstacle in the way.
That dream where you really have to pee but can’t find a bathroom
Honestly, this dream probably means you have to pee in real life and your body is basically saying, “Wake up dummy!” But this is also a good place to talk about transgender rights since public restrooms are often the inspiration for arguments that transgender people aren’t, you know, people. Republicans have been trying to make it illegal for transgender people to use public restrooms for many years, but attacks against transgender people, especially transgender kids, really gained steam under the Trump Administration where the Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Alex Azar, were adamantly anti-trans. Under Biden, we have Dr. Rachel Levine serving as the Assistant Secretary for HHS. Visibility and representation save lives, and Democrats believe that trans lives are worth saving.
That dream where you are falling into a never-ending abyss
An accurate representation of what these last six years have felt like, but also a metaphor for how far back Republicans want to turn back reproductive rights. They will not be satisfied until they can put people in jail for even thinking about abortion and press criminal charges against anyone who has a miscarriage. Abortion will be over. There will be no exceptions. But don’t worry, Republicans will still maintain a “you’re on your own, sucker” policy toward babies after they are born. (Again, not being born into a wealthy family is a moral failing and proof that babies need to make better choices. Except they use the word “investments” instead of “choices.”) Democrats believe in and are fighting for reproductive freedom. There’s no sugar-coating it. Reproductive rights are on the chopping block. This is not a drill. Roe v Wade is on a crash course to being overturned by a radicalized Supreme Court. So, yeah, the falling into an abyss thing is real.
That dream where your hands are dirty/sticky but you can’t get them clean
This is pretty much how everyone feels as this pandemic rages on. Everybody who believes that the pandemic is real, that is. Remember when we were wiping down our produce with Clorox wipes and wearing t-shirts that read, “Washing Hands Saves Lives?” Yeah, we’re all psychically scarred from living the past two years in a constant state of fear and mourning. We should all absolutely keep washing our hands often and well. But we also have to keep making responsible choices in the interest of public health. Wear a mask when in public, get vaccinated (both COVID and the flu), do your best to not be part of the problem. And remember that Democrats believe in science and that Republicans have essentially said to everyone who has died: “See ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya!” This is not a party that believes in public health or cares about human life. Vote them all out.
That dream where your departed pet dog shows up at your door and you can’t believe you thought they were dead this whole time
You just really miss your dog, man.
The cold hard truth is that if we don’t get Democrats elected up and down the ballot, we’re all going to wake up in 2022 and realize we’re in a real-life nightmare. Your New Year’s Resolution should be to save Democracy, and no matter what your gripes about the Democratic Party as a whole, it’s the only party that cares about doing so. So donate to and volunteer for a campaign or cause you care about or run for office yourself. Let’s make Democracy a dream come true.