Good Trouble

Photo by Caleb Oquendo from Pexels

I subscribe to The Hightower Lowdown, one of the more radical, factual, grassroots four-page news leaflets that keeps my nose to the ground and my courage aloft! The writers tell the bad as it is and the good as it is as well! The October issue reveals the good as it is: “'Good Trouble’ candidates are winning—and rebuilding politics from the ground up” is the title of the front page and only article in the October issue! We all know that John Lewis fought for real democracy, that he worked to keep a fire burning in all those who were and are in the civil rights movement. Sometimes that meant getting into “good trouble” or “necessary trouble”...and he urged us to participate! Good trouble is happening and winning! There are more “innocents” being elected, more than an occasional oddity! “Bottom-Up politics” is making a difference! Who are these current progressives? They are those inspired by people like John Lewis, Paul and Sheila Wellstone: They are single moms, poverty workers, climate change activists, immigrants, etc. They are organized, determined and winning! They challenge the status quo; they work in the areas of economic fairness, social justice and equal opportunity for all. Groups such as People’s Action, Sunrise Movement, Black Lives Matter, Poor People’s Campaign, Move-on, Working Families Party, and numerous others (many of which didn’t exist before 2016). They start small but they win little by little. You may wish to watch them move forward!

Thanks, Lowdown, for citing the good among us!

Renée Domeier, OSB