What’s the Actual State of Our Union?

As I sat watching the State of the Union (SOTU), I wondered how many people were actually watching. Not political junkies or journalists, but the folks who are barely keeping their heads above water. How many mothers with children who needed help with their homework while still coughing from the second or third cold of the school year? Was the 24-year-old watching while scrolling through real estate apps looking for an affordable apartment to rent? The man who was recently released from prison just trying to find a job that will overlook his past and offer him an opportunity to start over — was he watching —taking notes? The couple reviewing their budget trying to figure out how either would afford any time off while she recovers from an unexpected surgery—did they care to tune in?

The SOTU is akin to a homecoming pep rally, with the home team parading around bragging about what they’ve done, and whooping and hollering about what they want to do. While the other team boos, jeers, and rolls their eyes — it’s a performance, but for who? Except in this case, the steady applause felt staged because so many Americans don’t feel like they have anything to cheer about. Rural and urban neighborhoods are barely holding it together; and so many people are merely surviving and they want someone to believe in. We need to get excited about a strategy that lays out a pathway to reproductive justice, economic equity, paid family leave, strong infrastructure, and affordable childcare. We need leadership that will say abortion care is healthcare.

I believe with the right leadership and strong state representatives, we can have nice things. We don’t have to agree on everything but we have to care about the humanity of the people we share this world with—the state of our union depends on it.

Full transparency, I felt pretty disappointed listening to the President talk about what it was time for, or what he wanted, or asking us to imagine a future with paid leave. I don’t want to imagine, I want to see it. We need to see the policies on paper, not in make-believe land—not when we are supposed to be the greatest country. We need proof.

By Erika F. Washington, Executive Director at Make It Work Nevada