This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York island,
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters;
This land was made for you and me.
As I was walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway;
I saw below me that golden valley;
This land was made for you and me.
I’ve roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
And all around me a voice was sounding;
This land was made for you and me.
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
This land was made for you and me.
As I went walking I saw a sign there,
And on the sign it said “No Trespassing.”
But on the other side it didn’t say nothing.
That side was made for you and me.
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?
Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.
*from the great poet/songwriter Woody Guthrie, with all of the lyrics included because that’s what the man wrote, and – clearly – he was asking the question, not blindly celebrating American exceptionalism. Today, this week, given the election results, I am more hopeful. And, we have so much work to do. A more diverse congress is a reflection of the realities on the ground in this diverse, challenging, beautiful country. In January, we will have 13 female Dem Governors, which is also progress, and one for which I am deeply thankful; it’s also a reflection and essential extension of the leadership roles women have always played in the lives of our communities. Our first female black governor in Georgia, a state where her great-great-grandfather was enslaved.Our first Muslim Senator, who is smart and passionate and a nerd – isn’t that who we want in the halls of power? I sure AF do. A logger and long time labor organizer from Maine will join him. Isn’t that America the Beautiful? Yes, yes it is. I am exhausted. Elated. Sugared up! Time to get some rest for the celebrations – and fight – ahead.