I had the same dilemma when the current governor in my state was elected (I live in Alaska). After the governor's administration embarked on a program of hacking both the state government and the university to pieces, I debated over whether to just call it quits and move to another state or not. Ultimately, I decided that I would not be …
I had the same dilemma when the current governor in my state was elected (I live in Alaska). After the governor's administration embarked on a program of hacking both the state government and the university to pieces, I debated over whether to just call it quits and move to another state or not. Ultimately, I decided that I would not be run out of the state I was born in and love so much. I became more politically active. I wrote letters, I gave testimony, I went to rallies, I signed petitions. And a strange thing happened. People from across the political spectrum came together and fought back against the cuts and against the governor's right-wing agenda. We weren't successful in forcing a recall election (Covid stayed our hand), but we were able to halt most of the destruction. I learned two things from this experience: 1) the University and the state programs were more popular than I had given them credit for and 2) the people who wanted them hollowed out were a minority--a vocal minority, to be sure, but a minority all the same. Bottom line: We are the majority and we should always stand to fight because our state, our lives, and our democracy are worth fighting for.
Thank you sooo much for this Robyn. It is heartening to hear your story,sctions and results. I will double down on my search efforts for the local majority. Sharing your experience is helpful, Thanks!
I had the same dilemma when the current governor in my state was elected (I live in Alaska). After the governor's administration embarked on a program of hacking both the state government and the university to pieces, I debated over whether to just call it quits and move to another state or not. Ultimately, I decided that I would not be run out of the state I was born in and love so much. I became more politically active. I wrote letters, I gave testimony, I went to rallies, I signed petitions. And a strange thing happened. People from across the political spectrum came together and fought back against the cuts and against the governor's right-wing agenda. We weren't successful in forcing a recall election (Covid stayed our hand), but we were able to halt most of the destruction. I learned two things from this experience: 1) the University and the state programs were more popular than I had given them credit for and 2) the people who wanted them hollowed out were a minority--a vocal minority, to be sure, but a minority all the same. Bottom line: We are the majority and we should always stand to fight because our state, our lives, and our democracy are worth fighting for.
Thank you sooo much for this Robyn. It is heartening to hear your story,sctions and results. I will double down on my search efforts for the local majority. Sharing your experience is helpful, Thanks!