I Am Thankful for Those Who Have the "Cathedral Builder's Mentality"

I first got involved in politics in the 1960s as part of the Civil Rights movement. At the time, we thought that in short order progressive values would triumph -- that our careers would be spent passing initiatives like universal health care, creating a truly democratic society where every kid had unlimited educational and economic opportunity, and ending war as a means of resolving human disputes.

Instead, it turned out that most of us have spent the last four decades defending progressive values and institutions against a resurgent right-wing that energized and re-mobilized the forces of privilege and the status quo.

Lord knows I am thankful this Thanksgiving Day that this period of retrenchment has finally come to an end -- that we are poised once again to make fundamental progressive change in America. Most Americans have not been alive during a period when Progressives were on the offensive -- when progressive values were ascendant. Barack Obama's victory, coupled with the complete failure of the right-wing agenda, make that possible once again. I am truly thankful that we are on the verge of a new progressive era in America.

But history is not some independent force that carries us along like corks in a stream. People make history. We will decide by our actions whether the next ten or twenty or fifty years will be remembered as a period of extraordinary progress and possibility, or whether our children will write that we failed to seize this great historic opportunity.

Of course the fact that we find ourselves at this historic moment was not inevitable. We have been afforded this opportunity because of the labors of millions of people who did battle before us. We stand on their shoulders. Many of them never got to see real progress, but they battled on anyway. They had what we all need -- the "cathedral builder's mentality."

During the Middle Ages, whole generations worked to build the great cathedrals of Europe without ever seeing their completion. They did their portion of a great multi-generational project.

Today we should give thanks for the many progressive activists, and political leaders who have labored for decades but -- like Moses- - didn't get to cross into the Promised Land. There were famous ones: people like Senator Paul Wellstone and Senator Paul Simon. There were political consultants like the great Paul Tully.

But, of course the real heroes were the thousands of unsung progressive political activists who built their section of the cathedral wall, or put pains of glass in the windows, but aren't around to see how the cathedral looks today. People most of us never heard of like my freinds UAW Region IV Senior Citizen Coordinator Milt Shraeder, or Jerry Prete who lead the senior citizens' movement in Illinois for decades.

And we should also give thanks that many of those who have labored for years will -- in fact -- be able to watch Barack Obama put his hand on the Bible in January, and experience that moment of victory and all it could mean for the future of our planet. People like Alice Tregay, who worked tirelessly for decades to register African Americans to vote all over America. People like Harvey Mader, who is now in his '80s. Harvey worked for every progressive cause imaginable, including the campaigns of his great friend Paul Wellstone. Harvey was devastated when Paul and Shiela Wellstone died in that plane crash six years ago. But he followed Wellstone's dictum: Stand Up, Keep Fighting.

For the many people like Harvey and Alice this election and the opportunity it gives us puts the lie to the cynicism of the naysayers. It has validated their work, their commitment and their faith in the future.

I personally talked to dozens of African Americans who took pictures of their deceased parents or grandparents with them to vote on November 4th. They wanted the people who came before them to join them -- to witness -- at least symbolically -- their vote to make an African American President of the United States.

After all, the "cathedral builder's mentality" is rooted in something very ephemeral: hope. Everyday life doesn't always reinforce the notion that we will ultimately succeed at the great multi-generational project of creating a truly democratic society. It's been pretty easy to lose faith in that possibility -- especially through the darkest moments of the last 40 years.

To keep hope alive, periodically you have to experience some success.

That is probably the most important thing for which I give thanks this holiday. More than anything else, this year will be remembered as a time when hope was reborn in America: when the triumph of improbable possibility sent a message to every child, of every color, all over the world, that anything is in fact possible if we make it so.

So as my friend Brad Woodhouse would say: we have a lot to say grace over this Thanksgiving. Time to praise the Lord, and pass the potato salad.

Read more Thanksgiving posts from HuffPost bloggers

Robert Creamer is a long-time political organizer and strategist, and author of the recent book: Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win, available on Amazon.com.

Comments

[racom]

A great post of hope and recent history, hope for a better nation to be restored and a brief history of some of the people involved who got us here. Thanks, Robert, for your and their continued work toward our national restoration.
BTW, I recently bought your book, 'Stand Up Straight', just started it and it looks very promising. Hope you and family have a good holiday.

[SparkyDash]

I am 53 years old. I have never been as active in a presidential campaign as I have been supporting Obama-Biden. There is much more I could say as to "why" I jumped in feet first and never stopped to relax (even after Nov 4), but basically I felt hope and true leadership and was inspired to be a part of and help make change happen. The blogosphere helped tremendously, keeping me and others sane. I can only add that I will never, ever, never again become complacent. If I/we don't do it, who will?

[TrooAmerican]

Its my opinion that the Problems the Democratic party has faced over the past 30 yrs are that they are way too fractured and have too many single interest groups that end up opposing each other within the party because many of their groups have little overall societal support and end up as fringe or Extremist groups whether they think they are or not.
This causes the politicians to backup and try to be centrist because they can win primaries all day, but general elections need Independants/Centrists, and some republicans to cross over.

This then leads to why...why cant a politician that supports a minority fringe group's needs or wants get the support of mainstream? because the opposition Always paints the groups as mentally/or morally deficient in some way. And its not all from just the opposition, its also from the media and within the party.
Some groups publicly make themselves look stupid or in their attempts to call attention to their plights, they end up making complete fools of themselves and/or cause far reaching problems which P_ss off large segments of mainstream society.

So, if you want something accomplished, your single interest groups need to learn to work together with centrist politicians and get some compromise agendas on the table or you will go back to the 80s, or 2000s of electing Buffoon republicans off the right wing agenda, that cause us all problems but push one or two of their agenda items.

[Sergeantsmom]

I came of age in the 1970's...read about MLK's saga when I was 9, 10, 11. Came to support VietNam & oppose the war at 13. Spent my life trying to rapproach Black Power & the ascendency of African America. I have endured the Reagan backlash -- those folks all angry at the hippies because their own ideology of anti-communism didn't hold up in the contest on somebody else's homeland.
Maybe in these last 28 years Conservatives have finally wrought their vengeance on liberal America; have finally exhausted their humiliation by destroying our economy, foreign leadership role, and domestic civic life.
Maybe my ultimate role in life was merely to bear & raise 3 intelligent activists of the Obama ggeneration, after all.

[SparkyDash]

It sounds as though you've had a vital role in our history...thank you for instilling the best in your children; they are our future.

[fedupwiththis]

There is an organization known as the "Long Now Foundation" whose website is http://www.longnow.org/ . They explore the very issue you raise here and take action toward returning it to its proper place in our zeitgeist.
The story that most influenced my feelings on this is regarding the building of one of the original building at Oxford in Britain. The roof is supported by a series of great oak timbers. When these timbers were installed centuries ago, the builder realized they would not last for ever so he planted oak tree to provide the timbers to replace them. His gift to us and those who come after.
This is diametrically opposed to the philosophy that has ruled since the Nixon era that has been "use it or lose it." Conservation is for losers and the future will just have to fend for itself. This philosophy cannot stand. We must begin to delay gratification for the sake of those to come after us.
No, President Obama is not the progressive I would prefer but he is the first President liening that direction I have seen in almost half a century. Arguably, he is the first leftward liening President since FDR. So we are beginning our journey out of the wilderness of greed and privilege. We will not get where we're going immediately. But at least we are now led by people who are rational.
Think about the next century, not the next year!

[Sergeantsmom]

Well said.

[brassminnie]

It was the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. It's not over. Establishment of a global economy is necessary. The growth of civilization is measured in the widening definition of person. Proof we're one world is abundant. We didn't lose ground. Obama ran as a presidential candidate who just happened to be black and it worked. We taught our children well.

A major Democratic victory is a 'regular guy' consensus we want things done. Push now. Mayors are hoping for a WPA-type program to fix the plumbing. Time to say no to more bailout and put the money in building a twenty-first century infrastructure. Doing the old way because it's cheap and profitable in the short-term doesn't make sense. It's a real long-term debt. Upgrade. Teach us to build windfarms. I'd prefer ceramic engines that run on water, but can see a 'filling station' changing the battery and charging for the service of the 'fillup,' if we aren't burning fossil fuel to support it. Upgrade. The old tech is collapsing and it's dirty and inefficient.

[BillShea]

I knew (of) Paul Wellstone and Barack Obama (while not George Bush) is no Paul Wellstone. He's a centrist Democrat which is light years away from being a Progressive. A Progressive wouldn't select a Hawk (Clinton) to be Secretary of State. Read a couple issues of The Nation and learn what a Progressive really is. Barack is a major improvement but true Progressives still have a long way to go.

[TRYKER]

Imagine yourself not being able to project what kind of leader Obama will be...and that you actually had to wait and see what actions he takes before you were able to condemn him or label him progressive or centrist or purple.
If people can say this is a center right country right after the election screamed this was a leftist progressive country, the same can be promoting centrist but it doesn't make it so.
In actuality, it will be a progressive forward country with everybody on the train without labels.

[Paul]

Sometimes a cathedral would fall down while under construction.

But the people would start over, making it better the second time.

[jugganaut]

Thank you for this post.

As a gay man, alone and embittered from years of enduring the psychological torture of living in the South, I was bitterly asking myself earlier today, "What do I have to be thankful for? The privilege of living my entire life as a 2nd class citizen?"

Thanks for brightening my day a little. I doubt very seriously I'll live long enough to see myself attain full equality and dignity in the eyes of many others here in my native South, but your post has lifted my spirits enough to think about at least trying to put a brick in the foundation.

[TRYKER]

"to see myself attain full equality and dignity in the eyes of many others"...jugganaut

One doesn't find his dignity in the eyes of others, he finds it in himself.
Just because the current lie is "gays are 2nd class citizens" in some places...does not make that so. You're not obliged to believe lies! Please.
Every time you feel sorry for yourself with nothing to be thankful for, imagine yourself starving in Rwanda...or being renditioned by the CIA.

[jugganaut]

I never said I sought my OWN sense of dignity through the eyes of others.

I'm sorry but you don't seem to grasp it. Apparently you're not gay so it makes sense that you don't quite grasp what I'm talking about.

Obviously I don't believe the lie that I'm 2nd class, but when enough others do the "perception is reality" thing makes life a lot tougher.

As far as the Rwanda comparison, starving in the US would actually be worse imo. At least everyone in Rwanda is in the same boat and there's little time for such trifles as hating and envying others.

[SonofLiberty1]

I really believe that we make our own closets and we make our own jailcells.
You would be doing yourself a great service if you could see it that way.

[kjstjohn]

jugganaut, my church in Decatur, Georgia got kicked out of the Southern Baptist convention for hiring a gay associate pastor. Some of the leaders in the movement to admit gays to our church on a fully equal basis were straight, life-long Southern Baptists in their 70's and 80's.

Life is surprising sometimes.