The Democratic Party needs to start fighting harder for our democracy and the people they represent
By SABRINA FIGUEROA — sfigueroaavila@ucdavis.edu
The past two months have been marked by chaos and political rhetoric that sounds like it came straight from the 1940s. If you’re exhausted, anxious, angry or upset, chances are you are not the only one who feels that way. Sometimes, it feels like people like we — students and ordinary folk — are not in control of our own lives. When we feel this way, we often look to those who do have a good amount of control: politicians.
For as long as nations have been documented, politicians and leaders have had both their good and their bad moments. By “bad” moments, I mean that some of their actions and decisions end in prejudice, genocide, death or, in some cases, all of the above. These moments usually outweigh the good ones simply because they have graver consequences.
Some argue that this is due to the inherent nature of being a politician — it’s impossible to make every citizen in a country happy. Even if that is the case, we shouldn’t be idolizing politicians as if we are their fans and they are our celebrities. They are people with a significant amount of power and, therefore, need to be held accountable for their actions.
While President Donald Trump and other Republicans — who are tied to his fingers like puppets — work hard to rapidly establish executive orders and overturn Supreme Court cases to push their fascist agendas, where is the opposing side? Where is the party that supposedly stands for “fairness, justice and equality for all?” Without actually fighting for what they believe in, Democrats just give us empty words to hold on to — a false sense of security. Is this something that we, the people of the United States, should just accept in an era of turmoil? The short answer is no.
Back in December 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law during a televised address. During a vote to reserve military rule, Yoon ordered the general of the military to block the ministers’ entry to parliament, many of whom belonged to opposing political parties. This action would have barred lawmakers from voting, making the order invalid.
However, these politicians — many from South Korea’s Democratic Party — did not simply grovel in submission. One Minister of Parliament, Ahn Gwi-ryeong, grabbed a soldier’s rifle after it was pointed at her. The opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, live streamed himself jumping over a fence to get to parliament. Inside of the National Assembly building, they created a blockade so that soldiers would not be able to get in. It’s safe to say that, one way or another, these lawmakers were going to vote no matter what or who was standing in their way.
Comparing that to our United States Democratic Party, our party seems to not care as much as we think they do and definitely not as much as we want them to. The Democratic Party has their issues, and it is uncertain whether they are the correct party to fight for the people of the U.S. But, if they are going to be the only opposition party with some kind of power, it’s time they start fighting tooth and nail too.
On Feb. 8, 2025, Democratic lawmakers were denied entry into the Department of Education. What was in their way? One man standing at a door and maybe three police officers. South Korea’s lawmakers fought with armed soldiers, but U.S. Democrats couldn’t stand to push aside four people. At some point, respectability politics get old; They may have worked before, but they haven’t worked for a long time and they aren’t working right now. If the Democratic Party thinks this is how they keep the people’s support, they should start to wonder if, maybe, this is why they are losing it instead.
It doesn’t help that Democrats focus on sending “inspirational messages” during this time. As much as I value the importance of words and motivational speech, inspirational messages don’t work unless Democrats actually put action and deliberation into making them come true. All we have seen so far are hollow messages — whether in speeches or on random X posts — and we do not need any more.
What we do need is to see their supposed frustration and anger manifest into action and turn into a chip on their shoulder. When alt-right fascist rhetoric threatens the values and the people you represent, a little punch where it hurts might not be the worst thing in the world.
Written by: Sabrina Figueroa — sfigueroaavila@ucdavis.edu
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