Letter: Shameful to urge residents to skip recall vote

Posted 10/9/19

To the editor:

Nothing is more anti-Democratic, anti-patriotic and anti-American than when an elected official tells the people he represents to not vote.

I implore every Tiverton citizen to …

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Letter: Shameful to urge residents to skip recall vote

Posted

To the editor:

Nothing is more anti-Democratic, anti-patriotic and anti-American than when an elected official tells the people he represents to not vote.

I implore every Tiverton citizen to make sure you get to the polls this Thursday Oct. 10. Vote! Exercise your right as a citizen of the United Stats, a citizen of Rhode Island, a citizen of the town of Tiverton, to cast your ballot to recall Justin Katz and Robert Coulter.

In all healthy democracies, differing points of view are essential. Political factions challenge each other and create opportunity to understand issues from many sides. Debating differences enriches our knowledge and strengthens our political process.

The line is crossed when your elected official instructs you to not vote. That means your opinion doesn’t matter. It’s an anti-democratic maneuver where the “ends justify the means,” a phrase Justin Katz used more than once when we worked together on the Tiverton Budget Committee.

If anyone ever tells you not to vote, be suspicious, ask why, what are they hiding, what truths have been corrupted?

Dictators tell you how to vote. Despots order you not to vote. Political maneuvering, sleazy tactics, authoritarian strategy: these are the warm and welcome modus operandi of the two town councilors: Robert Coulter and Justin Katz, whose legitimacy is being challenged. Their attacks on the democratic process and misuse of their positions of power in Tiverton need to be reviewed by you.

Vote! It is not only your right it is your patriotic obligation. Good Americans go to the polls.

See you there, Thursday Oct. 10.

Jennifer Jones Rashleigh

Member, Tiverton Budget Committee

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