At his recent news conference, President Biden made this sobering statement: “I predict to you, your children and grandchildren will be doing their thesis on who succeeded: autocracy or democracy. Because that’s what’s at stake.”
Right now, we as Mainers have a real opportunity to weigh in on the side of democracy. The Washington, D.C. Admission Act (HR 51/S.51) addresses the undemocratic disenfranchisement of the 712,000 citizens there who pay taxes yet do not have full voting rights and full representation.
Residents of D.C. have been petitioning for statehood for decades. Republicans in Congress are very clear that they are against statehood for D.C. because it would upset their balance of power in the Senate. They are calling it a “power grab.” But which is the abuse of power: to grant equal representation to marginalized citizens, or to deny it in an effort to cling to political power?
One of our senators, Angus King, has stated that he is considering the issue of D.C. statehood. He makes it his policy to hear what constituents are saying. This is our opportunity to speak up now: Call Sen. King to urge him to support D.C. statehood. Perhaps one day you will be telling your grandchildren how you helped to bring about the survival of our democracy.
Laura Lander
Harpswell
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