What can we be doing for democracy?

As we crossed the anniversary of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, I asked people here in Olmsted County how they were feeling. They told me they worry, and have a sense of powerlessness, over the state of our politics. They told me that they feared losing something they never imagined we could lose — the nearly 250-year old democracy that defines who we are as a nation. And there was a sense that they didn’t know what to do about it.

Right now, many powerful people want us to feel despair, isolation, and failure. They want us to abandon hope, go home, and give up. That’s their strategy. Because they don’t have the support of the majority of the people, they have to discourage us from exercising our power. They have to make us feel like nothing we do matters.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Our answer to feelings of helplessness and loss is found in community. Our antidote to January 6th is to participate in our democracy. And on February 1, I urge you to do so through your local precinct caucuses.

The first in a series of meetings for Minnesota’s political parties, caucuses are small, highly-local gatherings of people from your neighborhood. They’re the first step toward supporting the candidates and issues you believe in for the 2022 elections.

Joining caucus is easy. You can find your local party caucus locations through the MN Secretary of State’s Caucus Finder tool. The DFL party is taking steps to ensure safe participation through the ability to participate in a contactless caucus.

Participating in caucus is one simple thing we can do for democracy. It’s one way we can shape a future for our children and our planet. We all want good jobs and fair pay for the work we do, and health care we can afford. We want clean soil, clean water, and thriving local farms and businesses. We want to build a better world for the next generation.

The idea that everyday people might realize we all share these common needs, goals, and dreams is terrifying to entrenched leaders who want to keep us divided.

Through the caucus process, we ourselves can assert control over what we do here in Rochester, in Olmsted County, in Minnesota. We can rebuild a sense of community and of agency. People are yearning for this, and we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Show up with me — remotely, or with safe precautions in person — on February 1st, and let’s realize the power of acting together.

Dr. Aleta Borrud is a retired physician and candidate for state Senate District 26.