Hello,
It's been a while since my last blog post, but I'm happy to say that I have been active politically/legally.
1) I voted in my first election! In Pennsylvania, the primary was May 17, 2022, so I was able to do my civic duty. Many do not vote in primaries, but moving forward, they are crucial to the political process because they allow people to prioritize certain candidates for the party in hopes of nominating them for the general election in November.
2) I wrote a letter of concern to my local municipality. Where I live, there are a lack of sidewalks and safety measures in place for pedestrians, so when the opportunity arose, I expressed my thoughts and potential solutions to this issue. We sometimes forget that we can work with local government as an effective means to change policy.
3) I went to court-- no, not as the defendant or as a member of the jury, but instead, as a citizen. My teacher invited a few students down to the Allegheny Courthouse in order to learn more about how the Court functions and its commitment to upholding the law. I was able to see a few criminal cases at the Court of Common Pleas (state court).
Before I continue, I would like to express my condolences to the victims and families of the Uvalde Texas Shooting. It is deeply concerning that events like this continue to happen in America, and hopefully there will be changes moving forward.
Here are some takeaways from primaries in battleground/politically significant states:
1) Madison Cawthorn, a Trump backed House of Representatives member from North Carolina, lost the primary, and additionally, his chances of running for office again appear to be in jeopardy. He has faced sexual misconduct allegations from his time in college and on two separate occasions been charged with driving on a revoked license.
2) Stacey Abrams (Democrat) and Brian Kemp (Republican) won their respective gubernatorial primaries, which is significant because Kemp won the election in 2018, and Georgia is now deemed to be a "swing state" following the election of 2020.
3) Dr. Oz has a narrow lead over David McCormick in the Pennsylvania Republican Primary for Senate. Oz has been backed by former President Donald Trump, and Oz spent millions of dollars in advertising, a fact which has been the center of controversy given his background in entertainment. Many ads have depicted Oz as being a "RHINO," or Republican In Name Only. Pennsylvania has to recount the votes, but the Republican National Committee has sided with Oz.
To conclude, if you did not vote in your state's primary, I strongly encourage you to vote on Election Day this fall. State elections are, in my opinion, just as important as the national election, as state representatives can better represent your needs as constituents and recognize local needs. As one American put it, "If we don't vote, we are ignoring history and giving away the future."