Amherst will be having an election this fall to select a state representative to succeed Ellen Story. Ellen has served us well and we shall be sorry to see her go. However, she has “done her duty” in serving the Commonwealth and our area and rightly recognizes the need for a change.
We are fortunate in having excellent candidates with a broad range of merits ranging from extensive experience to youth and vigor. My concern is that many of the young have not been much involved in the political process, attending politically oriented meetings, and voting in elections.
Many are “turned off” by politics, thinking it is dirty business, corrupt, and difficult to change. The reaction is often to engage in protest demonstrations rather than to engage in accepted processes. This is contrary to my belief that such involvement of the young is highly important in affecting their future and we need a candidate most likely to attract them.
It is good that one of the candidates, Solomon Goldstein-Rose, is capable of serving this role. While not as experienced as some of the others, he is bright, energetic, and has good recognition of problems that need to be addressed. He says one of his missions is “to inspire a new generation of political leaders.”
I believe this desire and skill is of utmost importance. We need the efforts of a person with the energy and open-mindedness to dedicate himself to this difficult task. I believe Solomon is the candidate best suited to do this and recommend your voting for him.
Richard S. (Dick) Stein
Amherst