SOUNDING OFF:

Elections matter! In these most troubling times, we voters need to understand the candidates and issues as part of our responsibilities as citizens.

A few years ago I learned my local congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, would be holding a town hall meeting. Being that I am a public school educator who daily teaches the principles of citizenship to my young students, I thought it only right that I should give up a rare free afternoon to attend.

After I rushed to arrive on time, I was asked to stand outside until the congressman finished with another clearly more important meeting. After about an hour, the door opened, the important people departed, and we were allowed to enter and be seated.

Because I had been greatly troubled by our government’s rush to war, and alarmed at our president’s confrontational posture toward the leaders of other countries, my question to my congressman was, “Do you think there is a way to reach out to the leaders of other countries and establish better relationships around the world?” Rohrabacher sneeringly replied, “Oh you’re one of those hug-a-Nazi, be-a-liberal types!” I was stunned, and wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. Still I ventured again, to share my own vision of a better world, only to be ridiculed once more.

The others in the audience asked Rohrabacher extremely intelligent questions on important topics and got equally shocking answers. As a member of the House Science Committee, Rohrabacher admitted he had no background in science and revealed he knew very little, depending on others to supply information as needed. He ridiculed hybrid cars, calling them “tin cans,” and called global warming “baloney.” He said if there actually was such a thing, it was caused by termites. Rohrabacher was clearly an underachiever who didn’t like to do his homework.

When some in the room objected to his dismissive attitude toward us, and toward the issues we brought up, Rohrabacher told us that if we didn’t agree with him, we didn’t have to vote for him. He made it clear that his positions mattered; ours did not. Because our congressional district is cleverly gerrymandered to favor his party, Rohrabacher could feel secure that he would hold his seat forever, and it didn’t matter if we agreed with him. This didn’t look like representative government to me.

This is not about Democrats and Republicans. This is about the validity of the democracy we used to believe in, the one I thought I was teaching about in school. This is about the ideals I learned growing up during World War II, the democracy I wanted to leave for my precious grandchildren.

We do have a better choice in November. As citizens, we can vote more thoughtfully and responsibly in the 46th District than to send Dana Rohrabacher to yet another useless, destructive term in Washington. We need to take our country back!

BARBARA EPSTEIN is a resident of Rolling Hills Estates.