August 2023 Chairman’s Notes

“I love agitation and investigation and glory in defending unpopular truth against popular error.”
– James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States

Misinformation. Disinformation. Lies, damn lies, and statistics. Popular error.

How many names do we have for things that simply aren’t true? How many words do we have for things that are “known” by most people, but are also untrue. We just heard Vice President Kamala Harris claim that Florida’s new curriculum praises slavery as beneficial to those who suffered under it, when the truth is the exact opposite. We heard President Joe Biden claim that Georgia’s new voting laws were “Jim Crow 2.0” until the election happened and 0% of black voters said they had any difficulty voting. We heard Rep. Adam Schiff claim proof of Russian election interference which is now thoroughly debunked. We heard Hillary Clinton claim that MAGA Republicans are responsible for heat waves, that the 2016 election was stolen from her, and that she would only wipe her server “with a cloth”.

We live in a time when the popular error is very popular, and we must agitate and investigate and defend unpopular truths at every turn. The popular error is that Republicans are racist, sexist, and classist. The unpopular truth is that Republicans simply want everyone to be treated the same way – equally before the law, fairly by society at large, and by their character and actions rather than their immutable characteristics.

To quote the RPV Creed: we believe that all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, and opportunities and should assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society.

Simple, straightforward truth. We will keep defending the truth, no matter how unpopular it is. It’s too important to do otherwise.

AUGUST MEETING
We will hold our next official meeting on Monday, August 14 at 7 PM at the Falmouth Fire Station – 250 Butler Rd. The full call is below. We will be considering an Endorsement for Griffis-Widewater School Board, a nonpartisan office. If you have questions, please let me know.

It is expected that we will move into Executive Session to consider confidential business. Executive Session is open only to active SCRC members, with special limited allowance made to others that the committee requires for the confidential business. Members will be sent a memo with additional details about the meeting.

GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN IN STAFFORD
Governor Glenn Youngkin will be in Stafford County for a “Parents Matter Conversation” at the Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department, 250 Butler Rd on Thursday, August 10. Doors open at 10am. Tickets are required. Follow this link for full details and to get tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parents-matter-conversation-with-governor-glenn-youngkin-tickets-689434736857

TARA DURANT POSTCARD PARTY
Join Tara Durant and her volunteer team at Amy’s Cafe |103 W Cambridge St on Wednesday, August 9th at 6:00pm for her first ‘Postcard Party’ of the general election! Help spread the word of Tara’s campaign by writing postcards to neighbors across the 27th District and meet with fellow supporters. You can RSVP at: https://taradurant.com/postcard-rsvp/

FREDERICKSBURG FAIR
We had a great run at the Fredericksburg Fair, and I wanted to give a special Thank you! to Bill Stewart who really stepped into the breach to set up and manage our booth. Great job, Bill!

SECURE YOUR VOTE VIRGINIA
Secure Your Vote Virginia has been established by Governor Glenn Youngkin to help ensure our victory in November. I know many of you have deep concerns about election integrity. The Governor and his team have worked diligently to eliminate any problem areas, to ensure proper ballot safety and security measures are in place, and to create this portal to help us all ensure that our votes are secured for 2023 and beyond. You can visit the portal at https://secureyourvotevirginia.com/

We fight and fight and fight and fight because we are the only ones who can do it. If we let up, if we allow them to lie and cheat and steal, if we leave our fellow citizens undefended and unprotected, then we lose everything we have fought for. I gave some examples of obvious lies, but their lies go so much deeper and lead to real harm. James Garfield did not serve long as President, but he did fight for the truth with the time he had. We owe it to everyone we know and love to do the same.

In Freedom,
Tony DeTora
Chairman