Thread by @AndyKimNJ

“Hold The Line” said @mariaressa upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize yesterday. Those words were the first and last sentences of her remarks to the world. They have stuck in my mind ever since. It is an urgent call to action, but for what? Here’s what i discovered…(THREAD)

HOLD THE LINE FOR TRUTH: Ressa describes a world plagued by a virus of lies that pits “us against each other, brings out our fears, anger and hate.” But what I found so fascinating is that she then goes into greater detail on what exactly breaks down and why it is dangerous.2/12

Ressa says “Without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, no democracy, and it becomes impossible to deal with our world’s existential problems: climate, coronavirus, the battle for truth.”3/12

Her words are a remarkable perspective on the damaging causal chain that has been set in motion. Without truth, we are unmoored and drift from each other. Truth is the anchor and steadies us in rough waters, but it also guides us together.4/12

Truth is the anchor for our democracy as well. It is likely why the founding fathers felt compelled to ground the Declaration of Independence in the words “We hold these TRUTHS to be self-evident.” Truth is what gave our founders the standing to stand up to tyranny. 5/12

HOLD THE LINE AGAINST AUTHORITARIANS AND DICTATORS: It’s not just that lies swirl around us, but also that leaders weaponize these lies to grab power and entrench themselves. They do so by dismantling facts and spreading distrust. 6/12

I think many of us have learned how fragile truth is. It’s jarring to realize how easily we can be divided by this breakdown. But Maria Ressa spoke about her hope. In front of world leaders she held up a t-shirt emblazoned with the line “Believe There is Good in the World” 7/12

HOLD THE LINE FOR JOURNALISM: Ressa described a profession under attack. “Brutal dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi” and other assassinations have instilled deep fear. Ressa herself has been arrested multiple times, and she says she faces 100 years in jail.8/12

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE FOR THE TRUTH? Ressa asks us to contemplate this question. What are each of us willing to put on the line. We cannot assume someone else will fight our fights. It takes courage. 9/12

nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2…

TRANSFORM HATE: Ressa calls this our greatest need, to transform hate. I didn’t understand at first what she meant, but then I heard her say “The more I was attacked for my journalism, the more resolute I became.” Then it clicked. She transforms the hate into strength. 10/12

Ressa draws strength from her obstacles; makes her want to fight harder. This understanding of transformation helped me realize something. I’ve often said “the opposite of democracy is apathy.” It is when we think we can’t make a difference that we stop making a difference.11/12

I first started following Maria Ressa because she grew up in my congressional district in NJ. Like me, she was a public school kid. I’ve been so proud to witness the growth of her courage. She makes me want to fight harder. I’ll join her to Hold The Line. I hope you do too.END