Leadership means fighting like the moment demands

That’s not leadership. That’s an excuse.

I served in Iraq. When you’re a Marine in a combat zone, nobody cares that the odds aren’t in your favor. You don’t get to put out a statement about how bad the situation is and call it a day. You adapt, you fight and you figure it out, because the people next to you are counting on you. Defeat is not an option when lives are on the line.

Being in the minority doesn’t mean you’re powerless. It means the playbook has to change. But too many members of Congress, including our own, treat minority status like a permission slip to do the bare minimum. They vote the right way, put out a statement and call it fighting back. That is not fighting back. That is going through the motions.

Real leadership means breaking systems that aren’t working, not hiding behind them. It means showing up when it’s inconvenient and making noise when the party tells you to stay quiet.

None of this means abandoning the progressive agenda. It means fighting for it, not just voting for it. We don’t need politicians who follow the playbook. We need people who are willing to throw it out and fight like the moment demands.

The values are not the problem. The fight is.

Anthony Van Dang

Belmont

The letter writer is a candidate for the 15th congressional district seat.