On todayâs date in 2002 we lost one of the most important American politicians of all time along with his family and many of people that worked along side him to make a better future possible.
I was a child at the time but the immense grief I felt around was truly immeasurable. I remember going into my schoolâs mock election and not understanding why I wasnât aloud to vote for him, and dadâs voice breaking as he tried to explain to me what had happened.
A joke that goes around is âwhat made you a communistâ and for me the answer is the Wellstones. Their profound belief in the power of community and mutual aid is a core from which so many of my ethics grew.
The loss of Melissa this year makes the loss of the Wellstones feel so much heavier. We deserve a world where theyâre all still alive and working together to make the world a better place.
But we are still alive, and we can, no we have to, still embody what they taught us.
