After Trump, New York must lead the way

The past four years of Donald Trump have been a relentless assault on our rights and our people. His cruelty, racism, and corruption have damaged our institutions and strained our bonds.

Now, the real work begins.

Trump’s presidency exposed many of our country’s long-festering problems.

With the repudiation of Donald Trump, we must not simply rebuild what he destroyed. We must create a better country and a better New York than we had before he descended his golden escalator.

Here are four things you should commit to now:

First, we must strengthen our democracy. Across the U.S. and in New York, voting is much too difficult. We need to end voter suppression: the hours of waiting, inaccessible poll sites, arbitrary deadlines, and gerrymandering.

Second, we must make New York a beacon for anyone seeking abortion care. With Trump’s Supreme Court poised to end Roe v. Wade, Americans need to know that New York safeguards rights and access to medical care. We also need a state Equal Rights Amendment to ensure true equality.

Third, we must defend immigrants. Trump is leaving on January 20, but ICE and the cruel deportation machine will remain. We must create a wall between local police and ICE, and guarantee a fair day in court for anyone facing deportation.

Fourth, we must end racist policing, get the police out of mental health crises education – and other areas where they don’t belong – and reinvest in our communities.