A few months ago, a terrible storm came through. At our home in the woods near Baldwin, we lost electricity as the wind, rain and trees whipped all around. Some large limbs broke off, one of them …
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A few months ago, a terrible storm came through. At our home in the woods near Baldwin, we lost electricity as the wind, rain and trees whipped all around. Some large limbs broke off, one of them smashing down on the hood of my partner’s van. When the worst of it had passed, he and I went outside. The energy was palpable. The earth smelled rich and fertile.
Up the road, we saw the taillights of a pick up truck and heard someone working with a chainsaw to clear a large tree that had fallen across the road. By the time I got there, they’d cut up the trunk, rolled the pieces onto the roadside and driven off, most likely to find another road to clear. This is who we are. We help each other. We put our resources to work to make our community better for all.
But in “swing states” like ours, we’ve been inundated with messages trying to pit us against each other. By election day, over $10 billion had been spent on political ads nationwide. Much of those dollars came from the ultra wealthy trying to buy the election in their favor. What good does that do any of us?
We are common-sense, hard-working people who want to provide for our families. What could we have done with $10 billion had it not been wielded as a wedge between us? We could have provided scores of good jobs, fixing our roads. We could have opened up local hospitals, expanded mental health care, and made it possible for everyone to see a doctor when they are sick. We could have established robust systems to ensure people from Pierce to Milwaukee County can all trust a glass of water from their kitchen faucet.
Across the state, we deserve better. No matter the color of our skin, how much money we have in our pocket or whether we live in town or on a farm, we can step into the public arena to build a different world together. We can have abundance if we are willing to put in the work, to build the power so that we, the people, are making the calls, not the few people at the tippy top. I know this is true because I’ve seen it happen in our local leaders’ work at GROWW (GrassRoots Organizing Western WI).
In July, almost 400 of us came together for a DNR hearing in Pierce County because we were concerned about a massive corporate livestock operation expanding from 1,700 cows to 6,500. It risked harm to our way of life and the environment we love. Farmers and schoolteachers, retired and just starting out, new-comers and sixth generation residents: thanks to our efforts, the DNR is requiring signed agreements between landowners and the CAFO so there is more accountability for manure spreading. A win for our community.
And that’s not all. In Dunn County, we are coming together to find common sense solutions so that all of us can have a safe and affordable place to call home. This summer, we won a zoning amendment in front of the county board allowing for the construction of more small homes so that we have more of the housing we need available soon.
This is the starting point. We can lock arms in solidarity to build the world that we need right here. I'm not willing to depend on any political party to take responsibility for our families' and our communities' freedom and future. My bet is on us, our neighbors, and our commitment to work together so that we are our own force to be reckoned with.
When our country was founded with the Declaration of Independence in 1776, we struck out on an imperfect journey to declare and protect our unalienable rights and demand the consent of the governed. These lofty principles are still close to our hearts. In 1776 only white, land-owning men could vote or be elected to our government. But we did not stop there. Since then, we amended our Constitution so that people of color, women, and (yes) people without property can be heard and wield power at the ballot box. With fits and starts, we are striving for a country where no matter the color of our skin, how much money we have or our gender, we can count on our freedom to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” But we are not there yet. We still have work to do.
I will keep my sleeves rolled up with my neighbors and continue the work ahead of us. Together, we are responsible for our own future. This is our community, our state, our country. Let’s make it work for us.
GROWW is a grassroots organization based in Western Wisconsin. We build power in our communities and create the change we need for all of us, no matter the color of our skin, how much money we have, or who we love. Together, we work toward a future where we all make ends meet, live with dignity, and have a voice in shaping the decisions that impact us. We began our work in 2019 as Pierce County GrassRoots Organizing, and grew out of the name as we began to organize with communities in seven Western Wisconsin counties: Barron, Buffalo, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and Saint Croix. To get connected or learn more about GROWW, visit us at GRO-WW.org, on Instagram at @GrowWisconsin, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/GROWWisconsin.