(Paid letter)
Dear editor,
“There’s something happening here, But what it is ain’t exactly clear…” Words from a great Buffalo Springfield song (For What It’s Worth) written by Stephen Stills. “…There’s battle lines being drawn, Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong, Young people speaking their minds, Getting so much resistance from behind. It’s time we stop, Hey, what’s that sound?, Everybody look, what’s going down?...”.
It was written in 1966 when the U.S. had over 385,000 troops in Vietnam. (https://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/timeline/index1) These were turbulent times. Remember Kent State – May 4, 1970. Members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of protesters at Kent State University and killed four students and wounded nine. (https://www.kent.edu/may-4-historical-accuracy) (Another great song memorialized that – Ohio by CSNY).
Could this happen again? National Guard or military attacking protesters speaking up about a policy or action they disagree with? On Oct. 14. Trump, who was President and is running again, said: “…I think the bigger problem are the people from within. We have some very bad people.… Radical left lunatics. I think it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military…”
A former President suggested using the military to handle what he called “the enemy from within” on Election Day! (https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/13/politics/trump-military-enemy-from-within-election-day/index.html) In a Trump administration, using his words, anyone who openly disagrees with him is “the enemy from within” and apparently it would be acceptable for the military to attack them anyone who doesn’t agree with his policies.
Women’s rights are now an important issue to me as I get ready to vote for our next President. In 1920, with the ratification of the 19th amendment, women (at least white women) were granted the right to vote. With Jim Crow laws and other barriers, some black women didn’t get that right until 1965.
Today, in 2024, the right of a woman to access necessary reproductive health care discussed and decided on between her and her doctor (and no one else!) is dependent on what state she lives in. This is a right that we had from 1973 until 2022. The impact of taking a healthcare right away from women has had a significant impact on maternal health (numbers are different depending on the source, but all report an increase in maternal mortality in states with any type of abortion ban). Women have died because they couldn’t receive the healthcare they needed since Roe was overturned – here are two names to remember: Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/investigation-links-georgias-abortion-ban-to-preventable-deaths-of-2-women).
All of us need to use our voice and our vote to ensure that rights are NOT taken away from Americans (including the right to vote) and that we retain our First Amendment rights to peacefully protest without fear of being attacked by the military.
We should look at character, empathy and policy when making our decision on who to vote for in this historic election. Will they respect our democratic structure that has survived for 248 years so far? Will they govern for ALL Americans, or just those who voted for them?
When evaluating the policies of each candidate, in addition to looking at the platform on their websites listen to what they say at rallies and how they say it. In interviews can they coherently describe how they will implement their policies? For those who are in AARP, the October edition of the Bulletin includes the transcript of interviews they did with both Harris and Trump about their policies. (https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/members-only-access/aarp-bulletin/) Well worth the read – a hint, Trump’s answers are fairly incoherent and similar to his rally speeches.
Maya Angelou said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them”. Watch both Vice President Harris and candidate Trump at their rallies. Look at their choice for running mate – is that person experienced and qualified to take over as President if needed to? How do the candidates treat other people, especially people who challenge them? Have they both agreed to accept the results of the election, without conditions?
To some people, the decision of who to vote for is easy – they might call it a no-brainer based on their values, ideology and knowledge of the candidates. Some may stress over the decision because they feel they just don’t know enough about the candidates. Some just don’t sweat it, they will just decide when they get in the voting booth. And of course there are those who just opt out of the process for various reasons (“my vote doesn’t count anyway”, “I just don’t care”, “it doesn’t affect me”).
As I have gotten older I realize how important the selection of a President and Federal and State representation is. A functional government works for everyone in this country – elected officials may have different approaches on solving problems, but they take their oath to our constitution seriously and respect our institutions and people. They listen to each other, find common ground and negotiate solutions that they believe will solve problems.
We are facing a choice between Harris, who has taken and respected her oath multiple times in various jobs and Trump, who believes that Jan. 6, 2021 was a “day of love” and will only accept the results of the 2024 election if he wins.
Trump has trampled on our democracy and will tear it apart if elected again – just look at the table of contents for Project 2025. Think it won’t affect you? How would you feel if the Dept. of Agriculture was eliminated, or Social Security was cut or eliminated? What about mass deportation of immigrants and rescinding protections for Dreamers? This is his plan. Listen to people who worked for him – they are sounding alarm bells.
Our right to vote comes with responsibility – we the people are responsible for the choice we make in this election and how that choice will affect our future. Choose wisely.
-Linda Pottinger, Oregon
