Publisher's Note
As of the time of this writing, it appears that the young man arrested for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, viewed Kirk as a "fascist, full of hate and spreading hate".
What is clear is that political dysfunction in our country has reached a new low point. Everyone, whether they agreed with Kirk some of the time, all of the time, or not at all, should take pause to think about how we arrived here, and how shameful it is. And then we need to begin to walk our way back to a place where we can talk to each other, listen to each other, compromise with each other, and move forward without violence.
The Autumn season is here. The weather is cooler, kids are back in school, and it’s voting time. As this edition’s article from Pew Research shows, most of us still believe that voting is an effective way to voice our support or opposition for governmental policies and leadership; to effect changes that affect our daily lives. Now is the time to exercise our voices.
Remember that those who serve in local offices are of US! So, while you are asking questions and hoping for the answers you want to hear, treat candidates, whether incumbents or newcomers, with the courtesy and respect they deserve. Most serve without pay; they donate their personal time and energies to try and help make our towns and cities work better.
To facilitate hearing the candidates and their positions, qualifications, and ideas, The Goshen News and The Litchfield County League of Women Voters are partnering again this year to give candidates a platform on which to be heard. Interviews with candidates for the top spots in Goshen, Litchfield, Torrington, and Thomaston will be published in our next edition.
As you make your choices, consider taking a step toward a better-functioning democracy. Vote for the persons who will do the best for the whole community, not just yourself. Unless, of course, you can build a school, plow a road, run a town hall, or respond to emergency calls by yourself. Vote for the person, and not necessarily, the party. Why? Because voting in lock step with a party, in lieu of the best ideas, hurts us all, especially in these times when both parties seem to harbor vocal minorities with extreme ideologies. That just further divides us and brings us no closer to solving the biggest issues of the day.
Let’s do our homework and exercise our responsibilities as citizens to elect the best and the brightest who have our community interests at heart. And remember, if you don’t vote, you can’t really complain.
Leya L. Edison,
Publisher
