Dear Neighbor,
Thank you for reading my District Round-up. As your candidate for Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District, it is my honor and pleasure to deliver to you where I’ve been and what issues I’ve tackled in the past week. Criss-crossing the counties of Adams, Franklin, Fulton, Bedford, Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Cumberland, and Somerset gives me great opportunities to meet with voters, hear what is on your hearts and minds, and the chance to voice my fight for Everyday Americans. If you would like to contribute to my campaign, please donate here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/beth-fa,rnham-for-congress-1
On Wednesday, political commentator, Charlie Kirk, was assissinated by a bullet in front of a large crowd and several cameras at Utah Valley University where he was holding a public event. While Charlie Kirk was barely on my radar, I disagreed with what I had heard from him, especially his racist, sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic remarks, but none stand out as much as this ironic quote of his that I later read, “I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.”
Charlie Kirk was incredibly wrong about many people and that includes sacrificing himself for our Second Amendment right which is not “God-given” but created by the Revolutionary Founders who authored our Bill of Rights. He did not deserve to die for his words, as hateful and false as they were. Nor does our Second Amendment Right extend to mowing down our family, fellow students, neighbors, coworkers, lovers, ex-lovers, legislators, government leaders, pundits, and candidates with whom we philosophically, politically, and/or religiously disagree.
As a defender of Free Speech, knowing full well that it is about the government not persecuting us for our words alone, I broaden that understanding to include stumping on one’s soapbox where venues and platforms allow. It is not political violence that diminishes the appeal of cruel rhetoric like Charlie Kirk’s, but truthful counter messaging about Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion because DEI makes America great, not the guns.
While right-wing media began to assert that the alleged killer was transexual, Democratic, Black, and/or Muslim, the leading suspect was identified asTyler Robinson – a straight, white, Christian, American male whose father is in law enforcement and whose parents are registered Republicans who strongly encouraged their children to shoot guns. Pictures of him and his siblings holding or shooting guns abounded on his mother’s Facebook page until she removed them.
In other words, the suspected perpetrator of this heinous and violent crime is:
NOT Trans.
NOT Muslim.
NOT Immigrant.
NOT Black.
NOT Feminist.
NOT Democrat.
And definitely NOT the “radical left” as President Trump wrongly asserted prior to any facts being known.
While gunning people down for expressing their RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH is deeply unAmerican, it seems that the people most likely to use gun violence are… Americans who profess “conservative values”.
America, we can do better.
On Sunday, I enjoyed meeting members and volunteers of the the Cumberland County Democratic Committee who hosted their Rally for Cumberland. It was a delightful day for connecting with committee members, fellow candidates, and voters. I was thrilled by the number of candidates who are running this year for county commissioners, borough councils, school boards, mayors, and even prothonotary.
Their choice to run is a beautiful reflection of the ongoing experiment in self-governance our revolutionary founders sacrificed so much for.
On Monday, In response to Trump’s disgusting birthday card to Jeffrey Epstein, I posted the following:
Why am I running?
Because Everyday Americans deserve representation that represents us – the hard-working families, the retirees on a fixed income, the young adults just making their way, the nurses, the union members, the public school students, the veterans, and everyone who is NOT a multimillionaire covering up or supporting pedophilia, other human rights violations, financial crimes, constitutional violations, an incompetent tariff-by-tweet policy, declining cognition, job losses, denied healthcare and food assistance to the leat among us, and every other filthy behavior that lusts for power and money bring.
I run because the incredible sacrifices that every veteran, activist, and union member ever made in the name of Democracy, Women’s Rights, Gun Safety, Public Education, Universal Healthcare, and Immigration Reform have not been in vain, but to improve our lives.
I run because our representation should be responsive and accessible, not a slimy request to subscribe to a newsletter, not a dodge to Town Halls, not votes that would deny The People of PA-13 Infrastructure funding, financial Rescue during a pandemic, Inflation Reduction, Women’s Health, Emergency Climate Change Alert Funding, and more.
I run because if I don’t, these creeps stay in power.
Please contribute to my campaign and vote these guys out of office by voting for me.
Together, we #ChooseDemocracy and Everyday Americans!
On Tuesday, I noted that farmers are not faring well from under the Trump Administration.
American soybean farmers aren’t receiving orders from China.
“The absence of Chinese orders represents a dramatic departure from normal trading patterns. China typically accounted for over 25% of total U.S. soybean purchases, with roughly one-third of annual sales to the country normally booked by this point in the season. This translates to approximately 8%-9% of the entire U.S. crop that would typically be sold to China by now currently sitting at zero.”
Farmer says ‘we’re in a very dire situation’—with zero soybean orders from China | Fortune https://share.google/f8YHBODK6IIvP35wq
Farmers are feeling the effects of the tariffs due to “tariff-related cost increases on fertilizer, parts and equipment”.
Read more at: https://hermistonherald.com/…/tariff-surge-fuels…/
“Wyden said the wheat ranchers and farmers he has spoken with are worried they may lose the ability to sell products to foreign buyers because of the administration’s recent tariff hikes. He said the hikes are unhelpful and unnecessary. “
Read more at: https://hermistonherald.com/…/tariff-surge-fuels…/
When your grocery bill is higher, when local farms fail, be sure to thank Donald Trump for his incompetence and John Joyce for his silent support of Trump’s incompetence.
On Thursday, I participated in Game Night with Pride Franklin County at Good Luck Have Fun in Chambersburg. We had a blast meeting new people and playing Telestrations.
And yesterday, I thanked the Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance for hosting a 5k today at Norlo Park in Franklin County. It was a beautiful day to walk for such a worthy cause. For those gone too soon from breast cancer, their memories are a blessing. For those diagnosed and fighting, it was a honor to walk among you. For everyone else – GET YOUR MAMMOGRAM.
Lastly, Jack and I demonstrated for Democracy with the Adams County Democratic Committee on the square of Gettysburg.
If you’re like me, you love this country as much as I do and work to make a positive difference. In the midst of this Constitutional Crisis, please consider reaching out to your local Democratic committees or Democratic candidates so that we can strengthen our Democracy instead of letting it slide into fascism.
We don’t just #ChooseDemocracy, we choose Pennsylvania, we choose The United States of America, we choose Humanity and I am deeply glad to work along side you.
Sincerely,
Beth
Beth Farnham for Congress 