August 12, 2021: The Power of Americans

Posted on August 12, 2021 at 12:00 AM

It is Biden—not the far right—who supports enhancing the power of Americans as individuals.

Flag-wavers on the right are constantly cheering on our liberty. It is assumed in their rhetoric that exercising our liberty is exercising our power as individuals, with no interference from liberty destroying government. The opposite is closer to the truth. Our power as individuals does not come from what popcorns we choose whether we insist that our kids do or do not wear masks in schools. Our power comes from our vote. We vote for a government at the local, state, and federal level that can take actions.

It will, for example, make our children safer in their schools, as well as make sure that the bridges they are drive over don’t collapse. That is not an individual decision like what to eat for lunch. To increase the power of the individual in this country you must have powerful ways for that individual to take action in cooperation with others.

— Betsy Clark, Chair, Democracy and Human Rights Task Force