According to Robert’s Rules of Order, attendees of a meeting are entitled to certain privileged points in a meeting. For as young as I am, I have been ingrained in the philosophy that “you cannot play the game if you don’t know the rules.” When you don’t know the rules, you ask an expert.
As defined by the Oregon Legal Glossary:
A way in which a legislator can get the attention of the presiding officer on the floor of either chamber. It is used when some question requires immediate consideration, such as making a parliamentary inquiry, calling attention to disorderly conduct or words, or raising the question of no quorum.
On Sunday, August 16, 2020, I was denied a point of Personal Privilege by presiding chair, Katie Naranjo on which I was going to comment on the election of the Democratic Nominee for County Judge. This motion was denied, to which I proceeded to check with a Certified Parliamentarian if this was within Robert’s Rules of Order. Upon appealing the decision of the chair, I was greeted by snickers of the CEC and opted instead to withdraw my motion.
The following is a transcript of what I would have said and what should be said. Let me offer the following disclaimer that these thoughts are mine but even so, I know, I am not alone in my feelings and I stand unwavering in what I am about to say.
The unfortunate aspect of campaigns is that for every winner, there is a loser. Loss is an inevitable part of our democracy. No one knows this better than a Texas Democrat whose only in-person experience with Ann Richards and Barbara Jordan are visiting them in the State Cemetary. Even so, my life and the lived experiences I’ve endured are the stories of millions of others in this state.
Whether under Democratic leadership or Republican leadership, the truth is that those who are marginalized have experienced a life of indifference, not because they don’t care but because the government and the world of politics is so far removed from the life that they live. What does it matter if we have a Democratic Mayor, State Representative, State Senator, or City Council if you’re fleeing from an abusive ex-husband who has threatened the life of you and your family? What good is it to live in a Democratic County if the lights are cut off, you cannot put food on the table or your car was just repossessed? These are real situations I and others around me have been in. These are real people and the stories of not just Austinites and Texans but millions in our country.
With this insight, I recognize my place in this world as an exception to the statistics and not a rule. I’m the child of a working-class single parent who fled domestic abuse twice. My dream of living in the big city and becoming someone was something my ancestors only imagined but my mother sacrificed everything for to make happen. I recognize my privilege and I use it to advocate for those who do not have it.
The behavior I have seen from precinct chairs through the preceding of these votes is appalling. The very people who claim to be “progressive champions” in a liberal city are the very ones who want to go back to business as usual, not realizing that our county cannot withstand business as usual.
The majority of Travis County is composed of BIPOC. The largest voting block in Travis County is between the ages of 18–25. Our makeup of precinct chairs couldn’t be further from that, as 119 of them are white and at last count, 28 were under the age of 40. The decisions made by our precinct chairs, unfortunately, do not reflect the values or electorate of our county but instead reflect those of people who will never understand what it’s like to be poor or unrepresented by those in the halls of power. They will also, never experience what it’s like to be laughed at by a group of your supposed peers for wanting to speak up all because they want to go on with their Sundays of frolic.
I am disappointed that in a race where 2/3rds of our candidates were members of color with lived experiences like those of countless others in this city, without question, people were willing to side and support the candidate who would have never experienced any of the setbacks plagued with people of color in our community. I am disappointed that this election happened with over 100 vacancies in communities of color and no one blinked an eye. I am even more disappointed yet not surprised that the very same people commenting on social media about children in cages, Black Lives Matter, and praising Stacy Abrams and AOC as the future of our party are the ones questioning the experiences of people of color in the same breath. If you are offended by the sentence you just read, congratulations: this is the irony I am trying to highlight.
If you are questioning why minorities and marginalized groups aren’t blockwalking, excited about [insert candidate here], or even becoming precinct chairs, this is why. We are tired of defending our lived experiences to people who could give two shits about them in the name of “being qualified enough” for you.
I am aware that I will face opposition, be forced to feel discomfort, and be accused of not being “loyal” to the Democratic Party for bringing up these points. With over ten years of Democratic involvement, I am still involved in the political system that continues to tell me that my lived experiences are not enough. Not by votes, but rather by the snickers of precinct chairs on a virtual call who know they will not have to see me face to face for who knows how long.
On that note, I leave you with this:
“More is required of public officials than slogans and handshakes and press releases. More is required. We must hold ourselves strictly accountable. We must provide the people with a vision of the future.”
This was said by Barbara Jordan in 1976. In 2020, it’s still pretty accurate.
