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Navigating the GOP culture war: McMorrow rebuts ugly attack

Idea Category: Defending Democracy

This week, NewDEAL Leader Michigan Senator Mallory McMorrow went viral for her floor speech responding to a Republican colleague who, in a campaign email meant to score political points with GOP voters, had accused McMorrow of wanting to "groom and sexualize kindergarteners." In the speech, Senator McMorrow cuts through this ugly, divisive rhetoric with a response that is relevant for leaders across the country who are dealing with Republican attacks over issues involving education, race, and LGBTQ rights. "People who are different are not the reason our roads are in bad shape, or healthcare costs are too high, or teachers are leaving the profession," said McMorrow. Going beyond the specifics of the attack on her, she went on to speak powerfully about her upbringing and belief that "no child alive today is responsible for slavery. No one in this room is responsible for slavery. But each and every single one of us bears responsibility for writing the next chapter of history ... we are not responsible for the past. We also cannot change the past. We can't pretend that it didn't happen, or deny people their very right to exist." Watch the moving speech, which has been viewed more than 13 million times, here.