To the editor:
On Saturday, June 3, more than 3,000 Democratic Party delegates gathered at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester for the Massachusetts Democratic Party 2017 Platform Convention. Representing Lincoln were Sharon Antia, Graham Atkin, Gary Davis, Andrew Glass, Jennifer Glass, Sarah Cannon Holden, John MacLachlan, Peter Pease and me (Barbara Slayter). Andrew, Jennifer and John were newcomers to the process—motivated, as we all are, by the need to “move forward and fight back” in the context of an alarming array of harmful policies and disturbing decisions on the part of the Trump administration.
We departed from Lincoln at 7 a.m. to be in time for the pre-plenary breakfasts and an opportunity to hear key speakers, but the long breakfast lines and logistics were daunting. Instead, we roamed the corridors; chatted with the supporters of various candidates and causes; acquired signs, bumper stickers, and pins from our favorites; and encountered old friends some long-time political participants and others engaging with the process for the first time.
Lincolnites at the Democratic platform convention were (front row, left to right): Graham Atkin, Barbara Slayter, Peter Pease, and John MacLachlan, and (back row, left to right) Andrew Glass, Jennifer Glass, Sarah Cannon Holden and Sharon Antia. Not pictured in Gary Davis, who took the photo.
It turns out that this was the largest state Democratic convention ever. No surprise here, given grassroots activism among Democrats that has emerged since the 2016 election. Of the participants, approximately 1,500 were first-time delegates. Prominent among them were the 700 members (many of them Millennials) of “Our Revolution Massachusetts,” an organization that has its origins in the pro-Sanders movement. This group has been intent on pushing the platform into a more progressive stance. Indeed, the platform is one of the most progressive ever with planks that includes, among other things, free public higher education, sanctuary, an end to for-profit prisons, climate justice, student loan debt forgiveness, establishment of independent commissions to fix gerrymandering, and even an Election Day holiday.
Lincoln delegates were glad to have an opportunity to hear from the three still relatively unknown Democratic contenders for governor in 2018: Setti Warren, mayor of Newton; Jay Gonzales, former budget chief under Duval Patrick; and Robert Massie, entrepreneur and environmentalist. We agreed that they would have a tough road competing against Charlie Baker, a popular governor, but they did force us to think about a key question: “What kind of commonwealth do we want to be and how do we get there?”
Barbara Slayter and Gary Davis in front of the Third Middlesex sign at the convention.
All of us responded enthusiastically to the trio of keynote speakers: Moira Healey, Ed Markey, and Elizabeth Warren. Their stirring exhortations were part of the “firing up” process. And indeed it worked! Healey: “We don’t give in to bullies.” Markey: “We don’t back down in this fight against the Trump administration. He is creating a divided country 140 characters at a time, heading the nation into an epic battle, and sliding toward a constitutional crisis.” Warren: “Trump may be dividing the country but he is uniting the Democratic Party as never before.”
From Stan Rosenberg, President of the Massachusetts State Senate, came the stirring challenge: “You are the revolution, you are the change. We need change and we need it now.” No doubt most delegates left the DCU ready to enter a “resistance summer” and to resist, organize and mobilize. If somewhat weary after five hours of speeches (and a sixth dealing with amendments), Lincoln’s delegates were among them. In fact, you may soon see Elizabeth Warren’s “Nevertheless, She Persisted” bumper stickers around town. They were acquired by some members of the Lincoln delegation and will be a visible reminder of the tenacity needed for addressing the challenges ahead.
Sincerely,
Barbara Slayter
7 Trapelo Rd.
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.