What makes us Americans? Is it freedom? Opportunity? Second chances and stories of redemption? Underdogs overcoming the odds? Apple pie? All the above, in my opinion. Only in America can we rise from the pits of the darkest struggles to beyond our wildest dreams.
I know this firsthand, because it’s my own story; a story I have never hidden from the voters. It’s always been out there in the open.
Currently, I’m being attacked in political ads and mailers for my lowest, most self-destructive point in my life nearly 30 years ago when I struggled with drug addiction – a struggle that is all too familiar to families across our community.
From my initial conviction for selling LSD to a police officer to support my addiction, to my incarceration, a drug relapse that led to my second incarceration, and the second chance that allowed me to pursue a brighter future and obtain a postgraduate degree, leading to a career in public service and volunteerism within my community. Because of my successes, I received a pardon from the governor and my record was expunged.
Anyone who has watched a loved one struggle with the crisis of addiction knows that everyone deserves a second chance. A second chance that sends a message of hope to people currently struggling and reassures those on the path to recovery that there is life beyond their past mistakes.
The mailers and ads my opponent has run imply that second chances are meaningless and impossible to achieve. This very notion is simply un-American. And untrue. America is built on second chances and hope for a better future. Right now, families in Pennsylvania are being ravaged by addiction and the opioid crisis. Let’s not destroy all they may have left — hope that their loved one will get a second chance and a better future. Because to do otherwise, like Craig Williams, is simply un-American.
Cathy Spahr
Democratic Party Candidate
for state representative in
the 160th Legislative District
(10 votes, average: 3.10 out of 5)
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