Officers

A remarkable thing about the Democratic Party, both at the national level and here in Multnomah County, is how welcoming it is. Like this year’s Celsi Celebration, everyone is welcome under the Big Tent.

The focus for this issue is climate change. As a society, we’ve too often looked at climate change as a problem for the future. There is little doubt that the future has arrived. This is not our kid’s problem to solve. It’s our problem, and it impacts not only our health but the very systems we rely on to survive. The recent heat wave killed over 100 people in the northwest, and scientists are now studying with alarm the humidity and temperature at which humans simply die because they can no longer cool themselves. Heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires, drought, pestilence, crop failures, pandemics… welcome to what many scientists warn is becoming the “new normal.” 

June is time to remember our hard-fought freedoms and rights, from emancipation from slavery in June, 1865, the expansion of voting rights to women across the US in June, 1920, to the Stonewall riots in June, 1969. Today, we celebrate Pride every June, and Juneteenth was just made a state holiday. Of course, we still have to stand up for our rights and freedoms, and remember that we are not free until all people are free, that our rights are not secure unless everyone’s rights are secure. We still take a stand for what matters, as we did this past year, because Black Lives Matter, and queer lives matter, and believing women matters. We’ll touch on a few of these topics in this issue, and spotlight change-makers who have been at the forefront of our ongoing fight to secure and expand human rights and civil rights.

May is a month of many celebrations… from international labor to Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. For MultDems, we’re preparing for our biggest celebration of the year, Celsi, while also redoubling our effort to get good bills passed — starting with campaign finance reform which will help open the door to passing many other bills we care about. The contrast between the major parties is increasingly stark, as Democrats seek to rebuild America while Republicans double down on their election lies and defend the interests of the ultra-wealthy over the needs of the American people. Locally, while Democrats are working to end the influence of KKK-Era laws, we see Republicans partnering with Proud Boys as they become increasingly intolerant. We’ll touch on all this and more in this issue of the Digest.