These are times that try men’s souls
We live in challenging times. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as conflicts in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, are causing immense human suffering. Our domestic politics are fractious, often vicious.
The fundamental values of our American Republic remain under assault. The leading Republican candidate for the presidency is an authoritarian bully with intense contempt for our democratic system. What can we, the Democrats of Tompkins County do, when faced with such threats against our democracy? Thomas Paine’s The Crisis comes to mind.
We must first understand the difficulty of the task ahead of us in the upcoming year. Donald Trump could be elected president. We also expect State Senator Lea Webb and our candidate for Congress, Josh Riley, to face well-funded, tough opposition.Secondly, we must keep in mind that any Democratic victory in the Southern Tier hinges on a massive turnout of Democratic voters in Tompkins County. Third, we must, as the Tompkins County Democratic Committee, do everything within our power to deliver that turnout next November. Together we can achieve victory.
The task ahead might seem daunting, but Americans always have risen to tough challenges. I take comfort from history. Thomas Paine wrote The Crisis to inspire Americans at the lowest points of the Revolutionary War, when the very existence of our young nation hung by a thread. The words of that document should continue to inspire our efforts today.
–Thomas Paine, The Crisis
Linda Hoffmann, Chair
Tompkins County Democratic Committee