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I read with interest our representative, Tommy Wright’s “Your Turn” column titled, “Say Goodbye to Biden” on Friday, July 26. It contains the tried-and-true repetition of Republican “talking points” especially: “If Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to be President.”  Well, that is interesting since the candidate of Tommy’s choosing for the top post is certainly “not fit” to run since he is not only a convicted felon, but also has a history of lying. Think of the democracy! After all, Trump also makes “gaffs” regularly during his speeches.   

In addition to making a false claim that the previous Presidential election was stolen without any viable evidence, he recently said in a speech at The Believers’ Summit, (A Christian Conservative Turning Point Action convention in West Palm Beach) that: “You won’t have to do it (voting) anymore, you know what?  Four more years, it’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t need to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”  Yet, Mr. Wright does not seem to think that Trump’s false claims or comments such as this one, matter.  But our democracy does matter!

Wright goes on to contend that under Biden/Harris administration the border policies: “will make our economy weaker and out country less safe.”  Though it is true that migration initially increased under the Biden Administration, it was his party under the urging from Donald Trump that scuttled a bi-partisan initiative to improve the border situation.  According to an article in Politico, the illegal migrant crossings have decreased 40% after the president implemented his new asylum restrictions in a recent executive order since Congress has been deadlocked on the issue after Trump’s personal insertion.

 Also, in a Brennan Center for Justice article, Debunking the Myth of the Migrant Crime Wave: “The research does not support the view that migrants commit crime or are incarcerated at higher rates than native-born Americans. . . Numerous studies show that immigration is not linked to higher levels of crime, but rather the opposite.” (May 29, 2024).

Tommy Wright and the Republican Party continue to follow lockstep behind Donald Trump. As voters, it is imperative that we take the time to look into such false claims as well as listen to what our candidates say about the issues that are important for our democracy and call out misinformation when it occurs.

This election is too important to the health of our nation, to our economy, and most of all, to our children who will need to live with its consequences.  Do we really want to live in a country where our elected officials cite such false claims? I think not. 

One suggestion that strikes me now is for our paper, The Farmville Herald, to post editorials that fact check such statements or that we, personally, take time to write in and hold our representatives accountable for their words and actions.

Chapman Frazier
Rice