"We Will Not Let Hate Win," Chapter Two
Democrats could learn a thing or six from Mallory McMorrow
Yesterday, I wrote about Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s powerful and passionate speech in response to one of her colleagues accusing her of “grooming” and “sexualizing” children. That the accusation was patently absurd and used as a fundraising tool was bad enough. That it represents the latest GOP “holier than thous” strategy to differentiate themselves from Democrats is beyond pathetic.
The whole episode is as sad and hypocritical as it is symbolic of today’s political environment. Hateful, spiteful “Christians” bludgeon their adversaries with their “I’m a better Christian than you” faith. It’s a pathetic display of religiosity that has little to do with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The senator who attacked McMorrow attacked her as a “groomer” for the heinous “crime” of standing up for the LGBTQ community. McMorrow saw no reason why someone who calls herself a “Christian” should be OK with treating an entire class of people as “less than.” So she stood up and said so…and for that, she was branded a “groomer.”
What made McMorrow’s response so notable and powerful was that she struck back not by claiming victimhood but by defining who she is. In doing so, she claimed the same moral high ground as her accuser, but she did so in a way that clarified her sincerity and her honesty:
So who am I? I am a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom[.]
That was all she needed to say, but her story is more profound and layered. And she spelled it out without sounding like a victim. This is who I am. This is how I live. This is what I believe. As her speech progressed, it became clear that her story gave her a degree of credibility that her accuser couldn’t hope to approach. in four-and-a-half minutes, she defined what a Christian is.
Her accuser called herself a Christian. Through faith, works, and compassion, Mallory McMorrow lives her life as a Christian should.
Part of the problem in the political realm is that Republicans have claimed the moral high ground for themselves, and Democrats have essentially let them have it. There’s no reason this should be the case, but Republicans have the churches, and Democrats are on the outside looking in. Never mind that too often, Republicans have hardly shown themselves to be worthy of the “Christian” label.
And if you’re looking for “groomers,” how about this?
So what did McMorrow do so well, and what caused her speech to go viral? Well, she did something that politicians tend to avoid. She got to the heart of the vile “groomer” slander and defined who she is and what she believes in without slinging mud back at her accuser..
Most importantly, she avoided sounding like yet another whiny Democrat.
Many Democrats do profess outrage about the GOP’s use of the “groomer” slander. But you rarely hear Democrats go beyond casting themselves as mere victims of a vile smear, and instead hammering those pushing it for their rhetorical degeneracy, phony piety about protecting children, profound lack of rectitude, and all around sleazy and debased public conduct.
McMorrow’s description of herself as a White, Christian, suburban mom — one who wants her children to respect and empathize with non-Christian, non-White, gay and trans kids and families — gets at this. It turns the “identity politics” debate on its head.
It says, in effect, that the anti-”woke” warriors will not be permitted to sanctimoniously monopolize the moral and religious high ground for their identity group, while simultaneously pretending to be above identity-mongering and advancing a cruel and exclusionary agenda.
McMorrow didn’t avoid race or gender identity. Nor did she avoid framing their importance in our current political climate. Instead, McMorrow clarified where she stands and wants her children to stand. And she told her audience where she learned her faith and commitment to service.
It’s far too soon to know whether McMorrow’s moment will mark the beginning of a change in how Democrats define themselves or whether it’s just her 15 minutes of fame. But, if Democrats want things to change, they should use Mallory McMorrow’s speech as a teachable moment. They need to learn the lessons available to them in those four-and-a-half minutes.
If nothing else, McMorrow’s speech was a profile in courage. As I listened to her speech, I saw someone who was angry, composed, and determined not to let the moment get away from her. McMorrow knew she needed to respond to the horrific allegations leveled against her in a fundraising email. She also knew that she needed to remain under control. She couldn’t come off as a shrew, as someone simply angrily lobbing charges tit-for-tat back at her adversary.
Mallory McMorrow had four-and-a-half minutes to set the record straight, to let people know that she was not about to let the accusations against her go unanswered. You could hear the anger and resolution in her voice with each word, but she kept her composure and made it clear that she was bigger than the moment. By the end of her speech, she had defined herself and made it clear she was the bigger person.
There aren’t many speeches that have hit me like that. McMorrow’s adversary refused to look at her during her speech and turned her back on McMorrow. Talk about obliterating the line between “class” and “ass”….
I hope that Mallory McMorrow’s children will one day see her speech and be proud of her for standing up for her beliefs. Their mother is an outstanding and courageous American.
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