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Dear Editor:
Since moving to Noblesville over 20 years ago, I have avoided partisan politics. It has been easy to do. As folks here will tell you, we live in a one-party town. According to local folklore, the last time a Democrat was elected in Noblesville, the year was 1946.
Over the years, in primary elections, I would choose the Republican ballot (often there were no Democratic candidates). I recognized the names and often had working relationships with the candidates listed there.
And then, in the wake of the 2016 presidential election, I was faced with the guilt resulting from my own silence.
In the months preceding the 2016 elections, I had stayed quiet for a number of reasons. At that time, it felt like nice people didn’t talk about politics. I felt scared to step into the fray by openly supporting a Democrat. It was so much easier to remain quiet, and surely my candidate would be chosen in the end.
After the election, disgusted at my own paralysis, I vowed to engage! I found a way to speak up without aligning myself with a political party. From my safe nonpartisan perch, I sang the praises of redistricting reform (a cause with bi-partisan appeal that I continue to support.)
In my advocacy for redistricting reform at the local and state levels, I have come to realize an obvious fact. The people who have the power to make decisions that affect our everyday lives are part of a partisan system. They wear a red jersey or a blue one. The system is designed to ensure opposition because democracy requires it.
Because democracy requires opposition, I’m getting off the fence, and I welcome you to join me at the next meeting of the Noblesville Democratic Club at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 17 at Barley Island Brewing Co.
Jenna Stewart
Noblesville