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| Robbie Wilson, Arkansas progressive running for Congress |
But there are plenty of good progressives in the state, and many have been inspired by Bernie Sanders' grassroots movement. We focused on Robbie Wilson, who is running for the congressional seat currently held by radical right Congressman Steve Womack in the northwest corner of the state (AR-03: Fayetteville, Benton, Fort Smith). So far there are no other Democrats running for Congress anywhere in Arkansas except for a Blue Dog hand-me-down from Blanche Lincoln, Connor Eldridge, hoping to replace John Boozman in Lincoln's old Senate seat.
Wilson isn't hiding his admiration for and support of Bernie Sanders:
I take great satisfaction in the fact that I align with Senator Sanders on every issue. Most importantly, I agree with the Senator on the subject of overturning Citizens United. There is no greater threat to the survival of the middle class, and no darker bruise on our political structure. Furthermore, this issue goes hand-in-hand with the likelihood that we will need to appoint Supreme Court Justices over the next two presidential terms, and the idea that a Republican President and Congress would steer those appointments is almost too much to bear.Right after the horrific gun massacre in Oregon, Wilson communicated to Arkansas voters that something has to change with the way the NRA dominates American politics. (In Arkansas the NRA virtually controls both political parties.)
Senator Sanders and I also share the same stance on the issues of women’s rights, foreign policy and economics, among others. But in a broader sense, we both believe that our government was intended to benefit all Americans, not to hold down the many in order to appease a few. This is a fundamental theme that is woven throughout the fabric of my platform, and I’m proud to say Senator Sanders reflects these same values.
While nothing would please me more than to be part of a Progressive landslide across the country in 2016, and to have the honor of serving the Arkansas 3rd as a Congressman aligned with President Sanders and as a conduit for his policies, I’m not naïve. Secretary Clinton is running a powerful campaign with powerful support, and may well win our party’s nomination. The importance of either Clinton or Sanders having Democratic support in Congress is not lost on me; in the wake of recent Republican abuses of power and self-serving legislation, I have already come to terms with the fact that my job, whether it be under President Sanders or President Clinton, will be to support legislation that rolls back the damage done, and to work in the interests of my constituency and for the benefit of the American people.
The change we all want may not happen in one single election. But my aim is to be a part of that first step toward reclaiming our government from the few who push their discriminatory policies on us through political puppetry. There will be no prouder campaign supporters than those who support my campaign, because for the first time in a long time in Arkansas, they’ll get what they expect; a compassionate, realistic and clear-headed Representative with their best interests at heart, regardless of which Democrat wins the White House.
"Today," he wrote, "I actually found myself wondering if I wanted to count myself among those who say their hearts and prayers go out to the victims and families."
And the answer is no; because this response is the new automated talking point of Republicans these days, as if a party-wide memo had gone out. And no, because these same Republicans turn around and vote against gun law reform every single time it comes up.
Republicans like my opponent Steve Womack in the Arkansas 3rd, who in 2013, just after the unthinkable Sandy Hook shooting deaths of 20 first-grade children, responded to President Obama’s proposed gun controls by regurgitating another party line about Second Amendment rights. Steve Womack, who in 2014 voted Yea on House Amendment 1098, which prohibited the District of Columbia, a city with a gun violence and death rate among the highest in the nation, from implementing firearm registration laws. Steve Womack, who in a letter just seven months ago to ATF Director B. Todd Jones, expressed concern over their attempt to classify certain ammunition as "for non-sporting use," and strongly supported the continued manufacture and civilian sale of armor-piercing rounds.
And what will it say on his Facebook page today? I haven’t looked, but I bet it’s something along the lines of "My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families." I’ll say that my heart aches for those parents, and my heart breaks for those lives that were snuffed out. And I’ll say that I think we’ve had enough of this contemptible voting, and that I am going to be a voice of reason, and one who knows that the Second Amendment doesn’t just give us the right to bear arms and form a militia; it specifies a well-regulated militia.
The time has already passed for us to legislate guns out of the hands of the wrong people and ensure that individual security and responsibility measures are nonnegotiable. We can’t wait until this nightmare comes to our own towns. Support my campaign. Be a part of the revolution across the country and let’s make sure our representation is being taken seriously.
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