Election Day 2018 is just around the bend. Yard signs, media advertisements, flyers, and phone calls beckon the electorate for support at the polls. A moment of irony struck me a few weeks before writing this article. As I drove around our community, I took close notice of the campaign slogan of our own Senator Bryan Simonaire: “Restoring Your Voice.” At first glance it seems like a strong statement about serving those who have been silenced by our representative form of government. But on closer analysis, I saw dereliction of duty.
Restoring Your Voice? Where has our voice been since Senator Simonaire and Delegate Nicholaus Kipke took office? Senator Simonaire won his election in 2006 and took office in January 2007, as did District 31B incumbent Delegate Kipke. On 10 October 2014, Simonaire wrote an article published in the Capital Gazette, where he stated: “The reason I entered politics after 25 years of engineering is easy: I wanted to restore the voice of the people. Too many times, I saw a government filled with politicians who had forgotten that they were a representative of the people.”
I don’t believe a word of this. I see the slogan “Restoring Your Voice” as a poorly thought-through, hasty attempt to portray Republicans—who have had only Republican representation in the General Assembly for at least the past dozen years—as having suffered loss. You don’t fool me, Senator. After months of knocking on doors, speaking directly with the people of District 31B, and listening to their concerns, I can assure you that the people of this district have a very strong voice. I have heard their concerns loud and clear.
I don’t know what goes on in the minds of the other members of the electorate of District 31B, but I refuse to wait another moment to have my own voice heard in the public arena. Likewise, I will not let the people I’ve listened to wait another moment for their voices to be heard. These voices clamor for help with lowering their healthcare costs, ensuring clean air and clean water, earning higher wages, and fully funding schools. The voices are stronger than I have ever heard them. Our collective voices do not need restoring. The people charged with making our voices heard need to be replaced.
We are stronger than this. We are better than this. With your support, your trust, and your vote for Harry E. Freeman for State Delegate, I assure you that your voice will be amplified and always heard in the Maryland General Assembly.
Harry Freeman, a candidate for Maryland State Delegate in District 31B, is a U.S. Army veteran and DOD project manager living in Pasadena with his four-year-old son. Facebook/Instagram: @Harry4Maryland. Website: www.harryefreeman.com