Remembering Albert Bell
When I moved to San Diego in 1990, Albert Bell was one of the first people I met. The remarkable gay activist with a bit of a following (Radical Faeries. Act UP!) was a gentle soul, seething with grief and fury, a saint in a black leather motorcycle jacket. Many were dead and dying around us. Albert cheered everyone on. “Keep living.”
One night in 1992 he was giving a speech and someone mentioned the upcoming election. Albert was slated for a seat as a delegate to the Democratic Party convention, and there was criticism. The Democrats had done nothing. They were no better than Reagan and Bush.
Albert looked around the room at each of us and asked if we were all Progressives. There were a few mumbles. “Is everyone here to the left of the Democratic Party?” Still there wasn’t much response. “Look at the Republicans. They’re moving farther and farther to the right.” Then he walked to center stage. “This is the common ground. This is the middle of the road. This is where Democrats and Republicans meet and deal with each other. Right down the center. “
Then he took two giant steps sideways to the right. “This is where the Republican Party used to be.” He took two more long steps to the right. “This is where the Republican Party is now.” Then Albert ran to the left side of the platform. “This is where the Democratic Party is. See how far this is from where the Republicans are now? So what do the Democrats do?” He took a giant step to the right. “They move their position closer to the GOPs. This is the Republican strategy. They keep moving farther and farther to the right. It’s our job as Progressives to pull the Democrats back this way…to be an anchor to hold the Democrats and stop them from following the Republicans.”
I remember that night as the best civics lesson I ever had. His demonstration helped me understand why I vote Democratic. I do it for (and because) of Albert.
About the Author: Leftreborn is a Daily Kos member who posts regularly.
