Let Freedom Ring!

Let Freedom Ring!

Your vote matters.

I was raised in a family of staunch Democrats.  My parents were the children of legal immigrants who cherished this country and the opportunities it afforded to its citizens.  The Republicans were the party of the rich and privileged while their party, the Democrats were for "the little guy," for blue collar, working people.

Of course, I was solidly behind their party of choice.  I was elated when John F. Kennedy was elected to the highest office in the land because he was not only a Democrat, he was, like me, a Roman Catholic.  

John Kennedy passed through our little community when I was in Jr. High.  His motorcade was routed right up our street and I was among hundreds of neighbors who turned out to see him.  He sat on the passenger side of the back seat of his convertible and he smiled at me as he went by.  That beautiful moment is forever etched in my mind --and I still cry every time I see a rerun of that horrible day in Dallas.

Yes, I was a staunch Democrat.

But something changed.  My party fell away from the morals and values of the people who supported them.  It took several years for me to figure out that the people I was voting for were not representing me when they got to office.

With much sorrow at abandoning the party of my family, friends and neighbors, I became an Independent.

The events at Mar-a-Lago this week confirm the necessity of my political evolution.  The party of the people, the party of the little guy, the party of the blue collar workers I knew as a child would not have performed such a treacherous and un-constitutional act.

Whatever your political party of preference may be, I implore you to weigh carefully the values your party supports.  When you go to the poles this November, and in November 2024, be mindful of those values.

Don't allow yourself to be chained to a party that no longer exists.  Don't allow yourself to vote for candidates who do not represent your ancestors -- people who cherished their freedom and supported the party that reflected their deepest beliefs.  Weigh each candidate by his values, not by his party.

Use your one vote to elect honorable people to power.  Your choice will shape the nation you live in -- not just for you but for generations to come.

Use your one vote to let freedom ring!