The Democratic debates showed us that the candidates for the nomination of the Democratic Party actually do share the same general goals yet differ on the way to reach them. Kitchen table issues and civil rights are the common features shared by the different proposals of the different candidates. In the course of the primary elections, a majority of the citizens voting Democratic in their state have expressed a defined feeling in favor of Joe Biden, leading to Bernie Sanders dropping out of the race. They now work together Let’s not forget that one of the keys of the victory of fascism in Europe after WW I (Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal) was ironically the battle between the members of the anti-fascist front. I find the parallels with today’s political reality disturbing. We should all thank Bernie for his action in modulating many of the views of the Democratic Party, and of many citizens, about issues such as Health Coverage, Minimum Wage, Equitable Public Education, Criminal Justice Reform and the like. We should all keep in mind that the essential take-home message of these primaries is to have reiterated that what’s important is to focus on issues, to not fight on details, and most importantly to have a clear vision of who we want to serve as our president through 2024. Not to mention understanding and pitching in to get us there. Isn’t that a future we can all live with?
Published in Letter to the Editor, al.com, April 26, 2020
Byline Paolo Giacomoni, a first generation immigrant, arrived in the USA in 1998 and was naturalized in 2009. Paolo was born and raised in Italy and moved to France where he obtained a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. In Italy and in France he was politically active in “Left of the Center” political parties and movements. Paolo is retired and lives in Huntsville, AL with his wife, Segolene Lebail. They have four grown children. paologiac@gmail.com