Skip to main content

Fear Did Not Win


 


Last night Zohran Mamdani was elected Mayor of New York City. I have four words about that:

I’m still not afraid.

I’m not here today to talk about what I’m afraid of. I here to talk about what I am *not* afraid of. I am not afraid of Zohran Mamdani. - - This Is What Changed Me, Village Green/Town², 6/28/2025

A lot of money was spent in this race to make people afraid of him. I can’t tell you with any certainty that it was the most political money ever spent specifically on fear but I do think it was the stupidest.

It’s my blog. I can say that.

I wrote about this in June. It’s important enough to bring it back today because this wholesale fear and loathing tactic in New York didn’t just come from one political party. This is deeply disturbing to me. And whether I like it or not, we see this happen in Howard County as well. 

I would like to be confident that Democrats reject this destructive mindset and want nothing to do with racism, prejudice, ethic slurs, Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism. In that same vein, I need to see unequivocal acceptance and legal protections for everyone in the LGBTQIA community.

I don’t.

When I see that the political party I believe in is making their plans based on the excuse that “we just can’t risk it” then I know we are diminishing the good that we are called to do. It may be fear that holds us back. But if we do not stand up for what is right then we are not who we say we are. Either we are relentlessly outspoken for “We, The People” or we are nothing.

Failing to stand up can be a very quiet thing. It may not seem as overtly ugly as the venom of MAGA trolls but it is still a choice. It has consequences. And those who are vulnerable in our communities can hear it clearly.

So many hateful responses to things on social media could truly be replaced with the words “I don’t understand.” Whether it’s LGBTQIA rights, social justice, fair housing, or a new community initiative, when trolls come out of the woodwork what they are are betraying more than anything else is that they don't understand.

And, somewhere along the line, they have been taught that the natural thing to do in those circumstances is this:

  • I don’t understand and I am afraid.
  • I don’t understand and I mock this.
  • I don’t understand and I reject this.
  • I don’t understand and I must destroy this.

When I wrote this I didn’t realize that I had omitted something:

I don’t understand, I’m afraid, and I will be silent.

The election in New York has been a painful reminder that it’s not always the Other Guys. Sometimes it’s Us. 

What are we going to do about that?

The opportunities we have in life to move beyond that unthinking and unknowing response can come at school, in libraries and in neighborhoods where not everyone is like us. Have you noticed that those are the precisely the places that are under attack right now?

Any place where it is safe to say “I don’t understand” and then be welcomed to learn what you need to know to understand is a place where bridges of empathy can be built. That is why Social Emotional Learning is so important. That is why the Arts and Humanities are so important.

We all have fear. We all have things we don’t understand. It can wreck us, or it can invite us into a different place. A better place. Not perfect, and not without fear, but a place where we have more of the tools to be fully human.

For me this journey began with making a friend. And I am still learning. Today I am grateful for that friend, for opportunities to learn, and for those who are brave enough to stand up.


Village Green/Town² Comments


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more