Citizens should know their history when stepping up in November!
The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism by Steve Kornacki.
Partisan fighting has a long and ugly history, and when an unleashed and easily accessible media could reach and frenzy more Americans, it made the 1990s one of the less-pleasant periods in American politics. No compromising with bleeding heart liberals, no true courtesy except when necessary in the form of passive-aggressiveness, reactionary in the sense of “rather than championing our own ideas, we just react by hating everything our opponents like,” these principles comprised the kind of radically conservative politics that flourished in the 1990s and that only became more radicalized over time. Conspiracy theories, some more legitimate than others, were flying from every direction—several lingering enough to influence successive elections by poisoning facts with fiction. But thankfully, the author is fully able to tell fact from fiction and doesn’t hesitate to identify which is which. Kornacki’s memory is clear, his writing perceptive, and the book is both of those things and more. It’s hard to imagine a “more civil time in politics” after reading this honest and never-boring book, but it’s easier to learn from others’ mistakes, know better than to negotiate with terror-instigators, and try to search for a new and knowledgeable generation of leaders and legislators.
Charles Sumner: Conscience of a Nation by Zaakir Tameez.
The American Civil War was an exercise in politicians failing, several doing so deliberately, at what should have been their job: to make a more perfect union by representing and advocating for the people and to make the country a better place for all. But Tameez, in his detailed and thorough portrait of this Northern senator, shows a man who was a true champion of the oppressed during one of the ugliest times that America has ever suffered. Sumner made plenty of enemies during his political career due to his fervent and unceasing crusade for abolitionism and equal rights—which led to outright violence on the Senate floor at the hands of a pro-slavery representative—but he would also attract and inspire many friends and allies. The tragedy is that he died before he could potentially ensure that Reconstruction would mean building a better country, and that it would take decades before those steps began happening in a concrete manner. The victory is that well-written books, such as this one, help others remember people like him and how far they went to ensure that those in the present will go even further. After reading a book as passionate as its subject, with an author whose passion clearly shows in the writing, it’s easy to wish for more legislators that are more “obviously” in his mold, and that championing the rights of all is everyone’s duty.
Winning the Earthquake: How Jeanette Rankin Defied All Odds to Become the First Woman in Congress by Lorissa Rinehart.
Jeanette Rankin only served two nonconsecutive terms in national government as a representative from Montana, decades apart from one another, but her comparatively small step for women became a big step forward for everyone. A large amount of Rankin’s story, and Rinehart’s engaging narrative, is of her campaign as a suffragette throughout the nation; she helped make it possible for Montana women to vote years before the 19th Amendment would pass, and as a Congresswoman, she pushed national efforts much closer to its eventual victory. During her brief House terms, she was still able to make an impact on the views that mattered and that the country needed to hear. And sometimes, as Rankin and the author both remind readers, staying true to one’s own beliefs in a sea of others with their own morals and motives is hard to practice—but still necessary. Even when she was not serving as a representative, she pushed her views for civil rights throughout her entire life, helping found the ACLU and serving as its vice president. Being a public servant in the most literal sense doesn’t necessarily mean holding a government job, especially when those who hold those jobs are not servants of all people, but finding and making the places equipped and ready to do good.
Courage in the People’s House: Nine Trailblazing Representatives Who Shaped America by Joe Neguse.
The House of Representatives has been frequently belittled as less “dignified” when compared to the Senate, with its much larger ensemble serving shorter terms, and officials (theoretically) chosen by every individual faction and ideology of the country, including its most metropolitan and its most extremist. But as Neguse reminds us, this also opens the floor for representation of all kinds, and for trailblazers to make their mark. The selections came from states like Texas (twice) to Illinois (twice). There were “historical firsts” like Joseph Rainey, a former slave who became the first Black congressman in 1870, and whose earnestness and oratory skills helped pass notable Reconstruction-era laws. And Adolph Sabath, one of the first Czech Americans to serve in the House, who would occupy some of its most powerful positions and claim some of its most notable achievements throughout a long career. Others listed include, but are not limited to, fiery catalyst for change Shirley Chisholm and the future Secretary of Labor William B. Wilson. All the nine representatives that Neguse fully made their mark as representatives of the people, and their accomplishments speak for themselves. This moving book serves as a powerful reminder that “we the people” aren’t forever divided from the government but are the government—whether we become so through unrelenting support and pressure from a distance or taking the gutsy steps to get up into a chaotic arena.
By Grace Dietz
