I did not watch the most recent State of the Union. To do so would have been to condone the current presidential administration, and I could not, in good faith, do so. But I’m just a private citizen with little importance. Not so Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. Richard Neal, and Sen. Ed Markey. These are individuals with a responsibility to thousands, and in the case of Sen. Markey, millions of people. They are also longtime participants in the national political process. And let’s be honest, though Rep. Neal and Rep. McGovern may belong to the same party, there is definitely a different hue in their political beliefs. But those differences didn’t matter at the State of the Union. These three gentlemen acted out their conscience. By not attending, our legislators sent a clear message: this is not the United States government they took an oath of office for. This is not business as usual. I know all three gentlemen have given their reasons for not attending, but I honestly don’t need to know them. Their actions of absence speak louder than any press release they might offer.
I salute and thank Rep. McGovern, Rep. Neal, and Sen. Markey. You all three made a stand for integrity; your absence clearly told all of us, this is not business as usual, and you will not be a party to it. May your example serve as an inspiration to us all.
Tim Anderson
Amherst