Letter to the editor from Greenwich High School senior Vaishali Shah
Dear Editor,
As a high school senior preparing to leave home in the coming months, I have been increasingly aware of my broader community outside of Greenwich High School. While I am incredibly grateful to live in Fairfield County, I also know it is not perfect.
This is the first election in which I can vote, and I was eager to familiarize myself with the candidates running in the midterms. I was immediately drawn to Jim Himes, a member of the House of Representatives in Connecticut’s 4th district.
Jim has demonstrated continued advocacy for the issues about which I feel most passionate. Elections aren’t about campaign promises, they are about the kinds of tangible results which Jim has steadfastly provided throughout his five terms.
Jim has been dedicated to maintaining democratic ideals in Connecticut through economic revitalization, efficient transportation, innovative education, and sustainable energy.
Jim was among the first representatives to vote for a ten-year budget plan that would reduce deficits by more than $4 trillion, without hurting the most vulnerable Americans. Jim joined both fellow Democrats and Republicans to support the piece of budget legislation. The bipartisan group was praised in an editorial in USA Today as the “Brave 38” for their courage, collaboration, and commitment to fiscal responsibility. The plan’s success serves as a testament to Jim’s admirable ability to compromise in the face of hyper-partisanship and policy gridlock that seems to consume the news.
His common-sense policy tactics, in conjunction with an unequivocal investment in the future of Connecticut, has to lead to Jim’s reputation as an accomplished congressman.
As I freshman, I contacted Jim and his office about my concern over gun control and my safety in school. After a shooting threat at my high school, the armed policemen that guarded the doors made my classmates and I feel like criminals. Throughout my junior year, fear of school shootings and gun violence pervaded school hallways. However, Congressman Himes assured me that he would protect my teachers, peers, and friends. He has been dedicated to creating the type of firearm control needed to make Connecticut citizens feel safe.
As the November 6th election quickly approaches, I urge readers to look into the candidates running and be deliberate in their voting decisions.
Today’s political climate is plagued by partisanship and often feels far from genuine progress.
However, I feel strongly that Jim Himes has the qualifications, principles, and decency to move our district towards a better future.
I speak directly to the youth when I say that these elections are not innocuous – your vote is not insignificant. A democratic vote towards Jim Himes will further secure our state from the political turmoil and uncertainty that has characterized political arenas in recent years.
Note: The deadline for letters in support of candidates in the November 6, 2018 election is Monday, October 29, 2018.
Not all letters will be published. Instead we will select a sampling of letters.