The power remains with the people as we speak up
Last Saturday I celebrated National Women's Day with hundreds of citizens from the Sixth Congressional District, participating in a town hall with Congresswoman Emily Randall. The community participation far exceeded the venue capacity of 300 people at the Olympic College theater, resulting in a subsequent Town Hall discussion with an additional 300 people, who were willing to wait more than an hour to participate. It's clear that the people of the Sixth Congressional District realize that there are big problems happening in the other Washington that impact everyone living here.
As I listened to stories of veterans, federal employees, service members, students and retirees, the urgency in the room was palpable. Our community is gravely concerned by the immediate and future impact of decisions made by executive action and Congressional inaction. I hope that our community continues to stay engaged and willing to share stories with the power to effect change.
The power of a democratic republic lies with the people, by design. I encourage my community to continue speaking up about the impact of legislative decisions before any more rights are removed. I am grateful to live in a community that cares deeply about the needs and rights of all people and hope that more elected officials will intentionally listen to citizens, here and nationally. The diversity of our voices is important.
Laura Rarig Pugh, Bremerton
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Community participation in Kitsap shows power of democracy | Letters
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