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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.


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