Finding our Resolve in this Time of Challenge
Statement of Dan Lagana
Chair
Fairfax County Democratic Committee
February 6, 2019
Finding our Resolve in this Time of Challenge
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
—Martin Luther King, Jr.
I can’t even begin to tell you how imperative it is that we all stay together today.
Our state leaders are in crisis, and their leadership is, at least momentarily, in doubt.
We cannot be sure whom to trust.
We do not know where to turn for the truth.
We do not know how this will end.
We do not know when the situation will return to normal, whatever that means.
And, to some extent, we do not know why this has happened all at once.
But there is one thing we do know.
We do know the what.
We do know what motivates us and causes us to press on as Democrats, even at a thoroughly confounding time as this.
Despite what we have been forced to confront in the past several days, we do believe in advancing access to equality and liberty for all our people.
We Democrats do strive towards the elimination of systemic, occasional, and even clueless racism.
We Democrats do believe in protecting the rights of all, including people of color, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community.
We Democrats do want to advance women’s rights, protect access to reproductive care, fight for equal pay, stop violence against women, and elect more women to public office.
Thanks to strong Democratic leadership, Fairfax County is the best place in Virginia to live, work, and raise a family. We have low unemployment, high-income jobs, safe neighborhoods, and public schools that are consistently ranked among the best in the United States. Our local leaders are not flashy but they provide strong and levelheaded leadership. Our traffic is bad and it can be too expensive for some to live and work here. But many of our leaders, along with citizens in business and government and NGOs are working to find solutions. We press on … most immediately as we work to elect a person of color to the legislature, Ibraheem Samirah, in the 86th District Special Election on February 19.
There is not a lot we can do to affect developments in Richmond from here other than watch, hope for the best, and wait. But there is a great deal to be done here at home, in the midst of all this fog of worry, and that is to remember why we got into this in the first place … why we volunteer, why we canvass, why we run, why we donate, why we are Democrats.
Hang in there, everybody. We will overcome this crisis and emerge stronger as a Party; we always do.
Dan Lagana, Chair
Fairfax County Democratic Committee
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