After being diagnosed with ALS two years ago, I’ve been grappling with a lot of things. I’ve been figuring out how to communicate without the easy flow of words, and how to move without the simple use of my legs.

I’ve been thinking about my family. But I’ve also been thinking about the work I’ve devoted my life to – and the future of our democracy, which is also as deeply personal as it is political.

I spent six weeks this summer traveling across the country in a wheelchair-accessible RV talking to other people’s families, to citizens and activists about their experiences and hopes. In every state I visited, communities were asking the same questions: What will our children inherit? And what can we do now to impact our future, and theirs?

These are difficult questions in difficult times. We’ve seen outrage after outrage. Just last week a Texas judge ruled that the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate was unconstitutional. This decision risks throwing the nation’s health care system into turmoil, the one we fought so hard last year to protect, the one that is helping me and some 20 million others to survive.

I am willing to give my last breath to protect our democracy. What are you willing to give?

The CPD Network is rising to the moment and standing up with working families across the country. With the power of 53 partners and allies across 131 cities and 34 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, we are fighting against hate with an increased massive push for healthcare for all, and we are fighting for justice and for the chance for our children to thrive.

Social justice means creating a stable floor beneath our feet and then putting a safety net under that: universal healthcare, affordable housing, unemployment benefits, community safety. Being part of a progressive movement is about fighting back and building toward a better future.

The stakes have never been higher. Join me to fight back and fight forward. Make a year-end donation at populardemocracy.org/ourdemocracy.

In solidarity,
Ady Barkan
Senior Campaigner, CPD & CPD Action