It seems that some people really miss what makes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal such a valuable tool. It’s not a series of legislation nor is it worded that way. It’s a non-binding declaration that outlines an audacious and accelerated path to the future, detailing what is necessary to get there. Actually, it’s a vision document that can garner people’s support behind it to make its aims real.
John F. Kennedy did something similar when he stood up and declared an American would go to the moon. Dr. Martin Luther King followed suit a year later when he outlined his dream for the future. They basically explained why and trusted the hearts and hands of the people they worked with to help accelerate the how.
Do these emissions standards seem aggressive? Some sources say they do. Some disagree. Is it a sharp turnaround on how we treat indigenous peoples? Yes, but thank God! That needs to happen. Is the job package audacious? Yes, but I still see WPA stamps on sidewalks and buildings.
She’s not asking you to chart the entire course, right now, just a way for us to agree on a direction…and it’s smart.
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Photo credit: By Rachael Warriner@Shutterstock