Building a Community in Lakewood/Busti

During the lead-up to the 2022 midterms, I spent time text and phone banking all over NY 23 for Max Della Pia. Through that experience, I was called every possible derogatory name for "person identified as female," sometimes in eclectically bold combinations. One gentleman told me he hoped my entire family died of AIDS.

Of course, not everyone’s interactions were this negative. Some people thanked Max for his service but indicated they planned to vote for the Republican candidate. Others who had not heard of Max asked questions about his policy positions and engaged in lengthy exchanges. One independent voter thanked me for helping him do his research and said he would be having a conversation with his extended family about what he had learned. Some voters exchanged in enthusiastically supportive discussions about the issues that were most important to them. Still, the aggressively negative exchanges stuck with me in ways that the positive ones didn’t, as each felt like personal slaps. They were intended to demean or intimidate.

I started thinking, "What is wrong with people?", but in the end, I think that may be the wrong question. Instead, I want to ask how can we build the kind of community where people treat each other the way they want to be treated, where we come together to share ideas and issues that are important to us, where we listen to one another respectfully and work together to make progress.

So that is what we in the Lakewood Busti Democratic Association have set out to do! We want to get to know our neighbors and invite you into the conversation. Starting in 2023, we plan to host informal get togethers to share conversation and maybe even a glass of wine. Who knows what that kind of community building can lead to -- what kinds of projects, affinity groups, and community ties we might build! One thing I know...communities are stronger when we get to know one another and work together, and the Lakewood Busti Democratic Association strives to build a community here that aligns around a shared set of values and a diverse set of experiences.

We invite you to join us at our regular meetings and share your ideas and concerns there, too!