All of US - Florida Trip

By: Bert Greenwood

My third CP fieldwork trip to Florida brought me to the communities of Hillsborough; underserved and nearly forgotten by political parties, these primarily Latinx neighborhoods were filled with folks who wanted to talk about issues. From Nando, the Iraq-war vet, to the Ramirez family from Puerto Rico, I heard over and over that they felt ignored and forgotten - and they were frankly surprised we were walking their neighborhoods, talking to voters.

Listening to them, I discovered that the same issues that trouble me, bother them. How will they pay for the healthcare they so urgently need? Who is a role model in politics for their grandchildren? Will we engage in another rush to war - a rush that will unfairly target their communities? I learned how selected and targeted voter suppression efforts had denied many folks the right to vote - and one young man told me that after voting in the 2018 election, nothing changed so he's never voting again. I came to realize that the easy and efficient ways of voting in the PNW are truly precious gifts - gifts that are restricted to many fellow Americans. 

Long days of canvassing were supported by the team that waited back at our hotel at the end of each shift. We sat together and debriefed our day, and I often learned a new trick to connect with a voter from one of my teammates. Group dinners brought us together to laugh and celebrate. I enjoyed learning about my teammates - where they were born, what their hobbies and interests were, why they chose to spend a week in Florida with a group of 44 folks, knocking on doors in neighborhoods very unlike their own. I also enjoyed a quiet moment together, when feeling tired or discouraged, a friendly word bolstered my spirits. Our motto "we come for the work, we stay for the people" is true. The CP community is a remarkable family - and the people extends into our local partners and the neighborhoods we walk. Suddenly, the great experiment that is America becomes clear for me...we are all indeed in this together.

My Call To Action is best summed up by the parting words of Mr. Ramirez. An ex-military man, he served his country and raised his children with what he described as "good, Christian values." He quietly stated that he voted for Trump in 2016 and was registered as a Republican but he wanted to re-register as a Democrat and participate in the Florida Presidential Preference Primary. His reason? "Trump thinks the government belongs to him; he's wrong. The government belongs to us." He registered as a Democrat and the next day, we returned to register his wife and daughter. That's what makes my work with CP, our local partners and their communities important to me...it is US. All of US.