July 23, 2023

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National Ban on Abortion is on the Republican Agenda. We Must Support A Woman’s Right to Make Their Own Decisions

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Pro-Choice is not a luxury, it is a necessity.  A woman should be allowed to decide for herself in consultation with her family and physician, how she should decide. The facilities that support this choice should be available without intimidation or violence. In my campaign, I would be a tireless and fearless vocal and legislative advocate to protect CHOICE.  The health, well-being, and the right of women to decide for themselves what is best for their own bodies is at stake.

I have repeated the above paragraph time and time again. Ever since Roe vs. Wade (1973) in which the Supreme Court recognized that the right to liberty in the Constitution, which protects personal privacy, includes the right to decide whether to continue a pregnancy. It ruled that Texas law was unconstitutional in criminalizing abortion. For the state to tell a woman what her parameters are when it comes to her life and health in a medical situation, was wrong on all counts. It had led to backroom abortions, which were all too frequently botched by unqualified medical personnel, leading to bloody deaths and untold injuries. There were no qualifying exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother. It was an uncompromising effort to control a procedure that was ordained as a natural heavenly event. No further discussion is needed.

They are wrong on all counts. We were given our God-given cognitive abilities to make our own decisions. The Republican Party is set to tell us otherwise. For the Republicans, in many states, they will appear to be compromising by saying the exception will be 16 weeks before an abortion is forbidden. But then it becomes 12 weeks. They don’t stop there as it then becomes 6 weeks when most women don’t even realize they are pregnant. Make no mistake. Then there will be a TOTAL ban. Those Republicans who are silent, THOSE SILENT ENABLERS, will then march in lockstep with the rest of the MAGA and Far Right EXTREMISM crowd, for fear they might upset that base. They will say they are not extremists. But by their silence, they actually are.  Support me and my fellow Democrats in helping to stop this dangerous movement. Even if you have never voted Democrat in the past, this time, make an exception. That is the beauty of America. Free Choice. In this case, Pro-Choice. Deciding for yourself how to control your body.  See you next week in this column. Have a good week.

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July 16, 2023

 

The Silent Enablers, A National Ban on Abortion, and the Military

 

There is a national, as well as local battle against extremists on the right. Whether they are MAGA, Proud Boys, Neo-Nazis, white supremacist, election deniers, conspiracy-believers, or even holdovers from the John Birch Society, they represent a danger to our constitution and democracy. Then there are the Silent Enablers. They are the members of the Republican party, (which I used to vote for occasionally as an Independent), who allow them to get away with what they are doing. Whether they do not want to upset their base of support or are personally afraid for their lives, they are no better than the formerly mentioned groups. Their silence gives power to extremist actions. Our opponents in the coming election are part of this group of silence. It does not matter if it is a state Senate race or for the local Coroner. The Republicans will be running on issues that seek to divide us.

With the recent passing of the National Defense Authorization Act by the Republican-controlled House, funding that our military desperately needs, the extremists insisted on including amendments to defund our support for Ukraine in their fight for freedom and against a cruel dictator who has slaughtered innocents in his quest for expansion. We all know that Ukraine would only be the first step as Putin would then set his sights on NATO countries in order to re-establish the old communist Soviet-era block. Although this version of the Act is unlikely to pass the Senate, it is important to remember that 70 Republican Congressman helped pass this “surrender” amendment in the House, and that these individuals will be trying again. Amendments also included preventing reproductive care for women in the military or their spouses from having access to abortion options. Once again, this invasion of telling women what they can or can’t do with their bodies, which may be a life-threatening situation, shows the insensitivity of the extremists. The extremists continue their push against reproductive rights with this being only a stepping-stone toward a future Republican sponsored ban on abortion rights. The extremists did not stop there. Then there was the elimination of Diversity training in the military. How much more uncaring and bigoted can one be?  Diversity training affects everyone so we can understand the problems of everyone around us in terms of not only race, but also gender, religion, civil rights, voting rights with the list going on and on. And I haven’t even discussed the extremist Republican Senator, Tommy Tuberville from Alabama, who is holding up the promotions of hundreds of military officers to get his ban on abortion agenda approved.  Another stab that affects our national security and military readiness.

And what does the rest of the Republican party do when these issues are being promoted by the Extremists?  They do NOTHING!  This election we must vote out not only the extremists, but also the Silent Enablers who allow them to get away with their deadly national security beliefs. We need to send them a message this year. Please help us so we can help you and the nation. What is at stake is our national soul and our national security. Please help.

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July 9, 2023

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Why I am running for the General Assembly (House of Delegates)

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I have been alarmed at the level of anger and division in our country and state. As a believer in moderation, I want to act as a bi-partisan activist, to seek compromise on both sides. To ensure the effectiveness of governance, the inflammatory and often confrontational tactics of extremists on the political Right serve no purpose. As a strong supporter of the Military, Veterans, and Police, I was horrified by the Jan. 6th attack on our nation's Capital, which was an attack on our Democracy, Law Enforcement, and Constitutional system, especially pertaining to the peaceful transfer of executive power. My overall goal in the Virginia Assembly will be to uphold the principles of our Founding Fathers, which have made the United States the greatest country in the world. With compassion, we should be working as advocates for sensible legislation that will principally benefit the working and middle classes in our state. Our success will then be a model for the rest of the nation.