Editorials & Commentaries
I’ve written editorials, commentaries, op-eds, and letters to the editor to engage members of my community and raise awareness of social issues affecting people locally and nationally.
Upsurge in problematic behavior has led to burnout, stress, resignations
February 6, 2023
Working in public service is not for the faint of heart. As someone who has worked in government for the last eight years, I’ve received my fair share of harassment and threats from the public. But the tone has taken a frightening turn in recent years.
Supporting Reproductive Liberty
September 15, 2022
Member Allie Breyer (32) recently spoke out on social media about her journey to undergo an elective tubal ligation (sterilization.) In sharing her story, we hope to spread awareness about reproductive paths available to our members.
Gun violence has long-lasting social, physical and emotional impacts
February 7, 2022
Most people who haven’t experienced gun violence believe it will never happen to them. Unfortunately, I was one of those people. Until it happened to me.
Support S.30
February 1, 2022
I applaud the members of the House for passing Senate Bill S.30, including my Middlesex representative, Rep. Jessup. Our state needs meaningful, comprehensive, gun safety reform and S.30 is a crucial step in the right direction.
Living in Fear
October 30, 2021
The intersection of guns and domestic violence is deadly. As we close out Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we must remember that many people across Vermont will continue to live in fear due to the prevalence of guns in our state.
Vermont has the highest rate of gun deaths in New England
April 1, 2021
While mass shootings attract our attention and our horror (and rightfully so), we tend to overlook the fact gun violence is a ubiquitous, everyday problem in the United States. While many of us experienced mass shooting amnesia – due to fewer mass shootings in the news during the pandemic – it did not mean gun violence went away. In fact, 2020 was the deadliest year for gun violence in decades.
Diversity Needed
November 11, 2020
Come visit Rutland and you will find out why we locals love this community. There are natural amenities and a historic downtown with new COVID-friendly parklets. Despite this, Rutland lost 7% of the population during the past decade and is suffering from a declining population and ongoing workforce development issues. This is a similar trend occurring elsewhere, particularly in rural America. To remedy this, communities, large and small, are implementing innovative and collaborative solutions to save their beloved towns, specifically by attracting diverse populations. Rutland would benefit from the lessons below from similarly sized cities. This includes embracing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and incorporating it into our policies and programs to ensure economic prosperity and a diverse, welcoming and thriving population.