The Need for Lobbying, Getting Involved in Electoral
Politics, and Faith
George Lakey is one of the foremost Quaker activists of our time and he recently toured Southern California to promote his new book Viking Economics and encourage people to become involved in mass movements and direct action to transform America's plutocracy into an egalitarian democracy like those in Scandinavian countries. I highly recommend that you read his ten-point plan. I intend to do a presentation at Pacificc Yearly Meeting in which I share this plan along with some ideas of my own in a workshop with another long-time Quaker peace activist, David Hartsough.
I agree with George that
we need mass movements to bring about significant social change. But we also
need to be involved in electoral politics. That’s why I’ve been active in the work
of FCNL and local lobbying efforts in my city. These efforts convince me it’s
essential to be involved in electoral politics and lobbying. Thanks to lobbying
by groups like FCNL, we have the Iran treaty and thanks to the election of
President Obama we have ACA which, despite its many flaws, has insured millions
of low-income people and saved thousands of lives per year. On the other hand,
electing Bush caused millions of deaths in futile wars. It matters deeply who
is elected President, as we have seen clearly in the election of George Bush
(vs. Gore), Obama (vs. McCain and Romney) and most recently, Trump (vs. Hillary).
Imagine what our world would be like if these elections had turned out
differently. That’s why it’s crucial that we support progressive elected
officials who reflect our Quaker values.
The
right wing has been incredibly successful in electoral politics. “Following the
2014 midterm wave, Republicans dominated state legislatures at a rate not seen since the
Civil War. Democrats had hoped to rebound in 2016, but thanks in
part to Trump’s resilience and widespread Republican gerrymandering, they only made
modest gains. Democrats flipped four chambers, but lost control of three, leaving
Republicans in charge of 68 state legislative chambers and Democrats just 31.”
In addition to the state legislatures, the Republicans control all three
branches of government, even though they are the minority party, lost the popular
vote for the presidency by three millions votes, and have the least popular president
in US history. See Republican take over of state government
The
majority of American support progressive ideas, as evidenced by polls and their
enthusiasm for Bernie Sander’s platform. See http://www.salon.com/2017/01/14/americans-overwhelmingly-support-bernie-sanders-economic-policies-so-howd-we-end-up-here/.
Progressives need to learn how win in electoral politics at the local, state,
and national level, or our mass demonstrations won’t bring about the changes
most Americans want. Without a legislative agenda, our mass movements will be
ignored or crushed the way the Occupy movement was crushed. We must win back
our government democratically while we still have an opportunity to do so.
The
Civil Rights movement was successful because it combined a mass movement with a
careful strategy to pass legislation like the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Act,
and the Fair Housing Act. If Lyndon Johnson had not been elected, and if Dr.
King had not pressured him, these gains would not have happened.
I
am thrilled to see many people becoming involved in lobbying. This is a Quaker
tradition going back to the time of George Fox and early Friends. Groups like
FCNL, the Citizen Climate Lobby and others are perfecting this art and teaching
others how to practice it. Many are eager to learn how to become citizen
lobbyists (as opposed to corporate lobbyists) and are making a significant
difference. We need to become involved in these efforts as well as in electoral
politics.
Prayer and the Interfaith
Movement: Since
we are a Religious Society of Friends, it is important to remember the power of
prayer and spiritual discipline. The Civil Rights movement was shaped and
guided by the black church and its values. Gandhian nonviolence involved
spiritual discipline. Most mass movements in our country were successful in
part because of religious faith and the support of religious leaders from
various faiths.
I
have found tremendous spiritual support and encouragement in the interfaith
peace movement. People of faith coming together to work for justice and peace
have moral authority and power that sway politicians and the general public in
ways that secular activists cannot. I also find strength and inspiration in the
interfaith movement. It feeds my soul and inspires me to see Muslims, Jews,
Buddhists, Christians and people of conscience working together.
One of the most successful
nonviolent movements in recent times was the amazing effort by women in Liberia
to overthrow the war lords and install an elected woman leader. This successful
movement involved Muslim and Christian women who used the power of prayer as
well as strategies of nonviolence. I encourage you to watch the documentary “Pray
the Devil Back to Hell” that describes how the women of Liberia transformed
their war-ravaged society. This movement is also an important reminder that
women have far greater power than most people think. The wisdom and courage of
women as well as the power of prayer are absolutely crucial in our effort to
overcome authoritarianism, racism and militarism and create a genuine democracy
in our country
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