Booker reminds us democracy is worth standing for

By Libby D’Orvilliers

As I hope many of The Rider News’ readers are aware, on March 31 through April 1, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker historically broke the record for longest Senate floor speech, retaining the floor for just over 25 hours. This record was previously held by segregationist and former representative of South Carolina, Sen. Strom Thurmond in his filibuster of The Civil Rights Act of 1957. Needless to say, Booker’s achievement is extremely significant in countless ways.

I am not normally one to discuss politics so openly, nor do I claim that I am as informed as I could be regarding political matters, however I wanted to take a brief moment to commend Booker for his commitment to expressing the voices of many of his constituents.

In taking to the floor on Monday night, Booker set out to disrupt “the normal business of the United States Senate” in order to highlight what he called the “crisis” that our country is in and to speak out against the Trump administration’s actions and policies. In doing so, he set a precedent for other leaders to take courageous actions to stand up for the rights of the American people.

This commitment to the country and of endurance fully held my attention throughout the day on April 1. I found myself opening up my phone walking between classes, not to check on texts from my friends or emails from work, but rather to check in on Booker and keep up with what he was saying. Throughout the 25 hours that Booker stood tall on the Senate floor, though I took a nap or two, I was in awe of his dedication to not only his position, but to the country.

Instead of taking a much-deserved rest this weekend, Booker continued to fight on behalf of and join in support of New Jersey residents at a “Hands Off!” rally in Montclair on Saturday where the public expressed their opposition to the Trump administration’s recent policies and actions. Booker’s commitment to the people who have elected him to represent them is clear.

This is the kind of persistence we need from our leaders.

To speak up for those who are losing their voice, to carry on when others have been beaten down and to care about the well-being and humanity of others — that is what we need from our representatives. 

Let us learn from his example as we continue to fight for what we believe in: even when your voice is hoarse — speak up and even when your legs are tired — march on. Booker has shown us that it is possible, now let’s follow in his unfaltering footsteps.

I am proud to be a New Jersey resident with representatives like Booker taking the time to make sure our voices are heard.

Let us continue to persist; there is still a lot of work to be done.

Libby D’Orvilliers is a junior psychology major