By Sonny Messiah Jiles
Now that the DNC Convention is over and Kamala Harris is officially the presidential nominee, the real work begins to get her elected — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The groundswell of support for Vice President Kamala Harris is off the charts, especially after watching the Democratic National Convention. The atmosphere in the United Center was electric, with a party atmosphere and joyful camaraderie.
But speaker after speaker at the convention also made it clear there is much work to be done before the Nov. 5 election, and there is too much at stake for us to sit on our behinds.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama made it clear in an energizing speech the night of Aug. 20.
“It’s up to us to remember what Kamala’s mother told her: ‘Don’t just sit around and complain. Do something.’ So, if they lie about her — and they will — we’ve got to do something. If we see a bad poll — and we will — we’ve got to put down that phone and do something.”
This is a historic occasion, with the possibility of electing the first Black and Southeast Asian woman as commander in chief of the most powerful country in the free world. But we must not lose sight of how the results of the 2024 election will affect you and your family, your work, your health, and your finances.
Given that, let’s examine some of the contrasts between Harris and Trump.
Harris proposes:
- Tax increases on corporations and the wealthy to fund programs that would help low- and middle-income families struggling to build wealth.
- A $25,000 down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and $40 billion for developers to build starter homes, a way to ease the affordable-housing crisis.
- Permanently reinstating the child tax credit, a benefit that lifted millions of children out of poverty.
- Incentives for manufacturers who create technologies to fight global warming.
- Federal ban on corporate price gouging, a way to bring grocery prices down and hold food manufacturers accountable.
Trump proposes:
- Initiatives to bring down the cost of car insurance in the first 100 days of his administration.
- An increase in oil drilling to lower gas prices and cut energy costs in half.
- The deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants living and working in the U.S.
- An as-yet unspecified plan to bring housing prices down.
- Rolling back federal regulations on businesses.
Plans sound nice, but what you DO speaks louder than what you SAY.
In the words of Malcolm X, “We have been bamboozled, we have been tricked, we have been fooled.”
We should not be bamboozled in 2024 and assume Harris will win. Take nothing for granted. What’s at stake makes it even more important that we vote.
There’s the conservative Project 2025 agenda, which would eliminate the Department of Education and send school oversight to states, among other far-right proposals. When I look at my state, Texas, that is not the best idea.
Our Republican-controlled legislature has taken control of our local school districts and banned certain books on Black subjects. They have crushed reproductive freedom and eliminated DEI programs at state universities that opened doors to Black and Brown students. If Trump wins, we can expect more of the same, at a national scale.
Again, the stakes are high.
It’s clear from their track records that Harris is clearly the better choice But don’t forget: House and Senate seats are also up for grabs. Control of Congress can make the difference between a White House that gets things done for the people, and more gridlock in Washington, D.C. This year, voting must not stop at the top of the ballot.
That is why, as Michelle Obama says, we must do something.
Register to vote if you haven’t already. Encourage your family and friends to do the same. Volunteer to work on a campaign, if you have time. If you don’t, and can spare the money, donate to the candidate of your choice. On election day, vote early to avoid long lines.
“We only have two and a half months, y’all, to get this done,” Michelle Obama told a fired-up crowd at the DNC. “Only 11 weeks to make sure every single person we know is registered and has a voting plan…So, consider this to be your official ask: Michelle Obama is asking you — no, I’m telling y’all — to do something.”
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