[Dr. Hinton, our co-chair 2015-2020, posted this on Facebook yesterday]
It’s taken me a while to say this, I think because I can’t fathom the need to do so, but it’s not too late to say: we need to vote.
Not voting puts almost everything we value at risk. We’ve heard over and over the Republican plans for our future: impeach Biden, Harris, Pelosi, Schumer, even Dr. Fauci (yes, they don’t value Dr. Fauci’s good work keeping most of us alive and well during a pandemic). These are not serious solutions to real problems.
We need to vote.
I too feel the concerns about the price of gas and food, but those are short term things; I feel an even greater distress about our democracy being at risk, and that’s not short term, that’s something we may not get back if we lose it. Racism and sexism are also on the ballot. We need to do better than shake our heads and shrug our shoulders: we need to vote.
The Democratic candidate Josh Throneburg is an ordained minister and owner of a small business, a husband and father. He said, “As the father of two young girls, and both of them are young women of color, you want to make sure that they’re going to have a future that is happy and healthy.” I believe him. I trust him. I want his way of thinking to represent me in Congress.
For that to happen… we need to vote.
Larry Sabato said that “VA-5 is a safe Republican seat this year”. But it doesn’t have to be a safe seat! The 5th District is the third most competitive district in the state; if we have a big turnout of Fifth District Democratic voters, Josh will win.
It may be asking a lot for everyone to go vote, but there’s a great deal at stake:
• Please make a plan for when you’ll vote (Early Voting is now through Saturday, polls open on Tuesday 6am-7pm).
• Please take a friend or two or three.
• Please save our democracy.
• Please: go vote.
