I sat this month staring at a blank page. This page. The glaring white bouncing back, vibrating in rhythm to the buzzing in my brain so full of thoughts that I struggled to decide what to say to you all this month. What fabulous insight could I provide to inspire you to rise up and rise above? How do I pick from such a numbing excess of reasons to rail and rally?

We could start, I suppose with all of the damage caused by Trump’s $1.2 billion dollar shutdown that still continues to impact contractors who will never recoup their loss pay. That number comes from Politifact who also points out that doesn’t include the lost taxes on the lost revenue; equating to somewhere between $8 million and $15 million for every hour of the shutdown adding another $280 to $525 million to the cost. But the real emergency is at the border right?

Or should we talk about the fact that according to Politifact, the number of uninsured adults has steadily increased annually under the current administration exceeding 2014 last year. With increasing challenges and rulings designed to dismantle ACA and protections for pre-existing conditions, we will soon find ourselves back to pre-ACA numbers. More Americans sicker without the means to get healthcare is an insidious way to keep power for those who can afford healthcare but they say the emergency is on the border, right?

Or shall I tell you that just six weeks into 2019 and we already have 42 mass shootings in America resulting in 75 deaths and 128 injuries; 6 of them in Texas and two in Houston? Or that in 2018 there were 341 mass shootings with 373 deaths and 1347 injuries. But those are only the mass shootings. Just in Texas over the past five years there have been 15,620 gun related incidents resulting in almost 6,000 deaths and another 7500 injuries. Included in that are more than 1000 children shot or killed and 134 officers shot or killed. More than 800 of those incidents were in the congressional districts that touch Katy. But the state of emergency is on the border, right? Did I ever tell you how my nephew’s wife almost shot their children and threatened to kill my sister because she had easy access to his guns even though she was mentally ill? Or how my son witnessed a murder when he was six and was never okay again? Or how these experiences are just drops in the bucket against a steadily rising sea of violence. But the state of emergency is on the border, right?

The charts, from www.gunviolencearchive.org, show the incidents of gun violence in the congressional districts that touch Katy.

Or how about the fact more than 100 charges against at least 34 people and three companies have been made so far as a result of the special counsel’s investigation into 2016 election tampering resulting in actual plea deals and convictions; and that our President screams “no collusion!” even while he openly colludes. Or that we face a daily barrage of lies coming from the White House so numerous that we’ve stopped listening? Or that the senate has failed in its constitutional duty to check the corruption and dictatorial leanings of this administration? Or that even here in Texas our very own senators and government have suggested that we use our rainy day funds to fuel Trump’s useless wall; and that Paxton has supported their delusions with outright lies. Yet according to the GOP the real emergency is at the border!

But actually there is a crises there. A human rights crises perpetrated by this administration. The theft of land from Texans. The theft of rights from asylum seekers. The theft of children from parents. The theft of our constitution by this government.

We have a long 18 months ahead of us if we’re going to take back our democracy. Gear up folks. Arm yourself with patience, with wit and with facts. Get your registration ballots ready. Talk to everyone regardless of who they are or who they support. Listen and seek to understand. But most important pace yourselves and remember to breathe. It’s going to get ugly. They’re going to try to divide us – but we got this. We have to.

With respect and admiration
Deb Roseman, President Katy Area Democrats

References

• https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/
• https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2019/jan/18/how-much-does-government-shutdown-cost/%20 
• https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2018/aug/29/how-many-people-have-lost-health-insurance-under-d/