[griojw id=”C3ltUKjQ” playerid=”x9J2bwvH”]
On Wednesday, Democrats and New York citizens faced a bomb scare after several suspicious packages were sent to the former president, Barack Obama, former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and the CNN bureau, among others. This isn’t the first time suspicious packages have arrived in Democratic offices, leaving people wondering if this is a personal attack against the party itself.
According to CNN, a suspicious package was also sent to California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters and to former Attorney General Eric Holder, all with the same return address belonging to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz‘s office.
During an exclusive interview with theGrio‘s Natasha S. Alford, Georgia Gubernatorial Democratic candidate, Stacey Abrams, touched on some of the more polarizing moments during the campaign and what these threats to her party say about partisan politics in the United States.
Abrams reveals that growing up during the civil rights movement and being the daughter to parents who also used their voices to fight for justice, helped her to understand the cycle we are seeing today.
“Every time we make progress, there are going to be those who try to pull us back to what used to be,” says Abrams. “The goal is not to avoid ever having conflict; the goal is to make it so far that they have to work so extra hard to pull it back. This type of vitriol, this type of xenophobia, the disparagement of who we are as Americans… It’s happening. It’s disappointing but it’s not permanent.”
Abrams also addresses why elections are so important and provide the opportunity for us to continue to progress.
“That’s why we have elections,” Abrams says. “Every two years we have the chance to move ourselves a little bit further ahead and make it harder and harder for those who want to pull us back from being successful.”
“What I want to say to everyone who’s faced risk today for doing what’s right, thank you for what you’ve done. Let’s keep doing it. Make it hard for them to pull us back.
Check out more of theGrio’s exclusive interview with Stacey Abrams here.