This past week Senator Cory Booker stood in the chamber for over 25 hours delivering a powerful call for the people to challenge the Trump administration’s threats to democracy.
It was an heroic physical commitment to ignite awareness of the critical political tests facing the country.
He described this time as our moral moment with America’s fundamental values on the line. It was a call to the conscience of a nation.
Our democratic capability for change he summarized as the power of the people is greater than the people in power.
Our Moral Moments
People may or may not agree with Booker’s impassioned call. But his basic questions are ones every person will encounter in their own experiences. He asked:
What will define our greatness in the moral moments we face?
What is the role of character?
What would we view as threats to our bedrock commitments?
Individuals will craft their personal responses as to what they want to uphold for the communities and society in which all live.
One person who analyzes the special role of credit unions and its abundance of business examples is Ancin Cooley, a credit union consultant. I believe his observation about credit union’s current political circumstances draws us back to Booker’s questions.
Tigers with Amnesia
In reflecting on the history of the credit union movement, one fact stands out: our strength has always been rooted in our members and communities—not in politics.
From its inception through its adolescence, the cooperative model thrived without relying on the president or Congress to dictate how we serve our members.
Today, many credit unions manage capital budgets that rival those of local governments, underscoring a powerful truth: real power resides within the community we live. Credit Union are tigers with amnesia.
While political wins and advocacy play a role, we must never lose sight of our true source of strength. The idea that credit unions must depend on politics is, in many ways, contrived. Instead, our focus should be on empowering our members and meeting their needs, regardless of which political party is in power.
After all, the cooperative movement challenges both traditional capitalism and political centralization by proving that community-driven finance is a force to be reckoned with.
Senator Booker and Cooley are both asking we carefully consider what we believe in. What are we willing to stand up for? The actions we take when moral moments arise, will test who we will become.