BRATTLEBORO-Recently, a friend and I, each from our own homes, did a half-hour Zoom training to phone bank for Jamal Bowman, the Black Democratic congressman representing lower Westchester county and parts of the Bronx.
As many readers know, he's facing a huge challenge in the upcoming Democratic primary there on June 25 from one George Lattimer, an undistinguished, retired former county executive who probably had no thought of running until he was approached by AIPAC [the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee].
From the beginning of Israel's terrifyingly destructive backlash in Gaza and the West Bank, Bowman - like Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and other progressives - issued statements calling for a ceasefire in an attempt to encourage both sides to negotiate both a hostage-release deal and, eventually, hopefully, a future Palestinian state. That's when AIPAC stepped in.
According to the Bowman campaign, they have already spent $13 million and may end up spending $25 million altogether, making this the most obscenely expensive congressional primary in the country, probably in history.
They're even, according to The New York Times, running attack ads featuring none other than Elie Wiesel's son, calling Bowman a friend of Hamas - at best, a wild exaggeration; at worst, a downright lie.
Bowman is no antisemite. He is simply in favor of a more evenhanded approach to the conflict, rather than being 100% behind Israel no matter what it does.
Early voting is in progress, and the campaign needs the usual: money, phone banking, door canvassing. (Westchester is about a three-hour drive from Brattleboro.)
I've sent Bowman money, and now I'm going to phone whenever I can until June 25. (If I had a newer, more-fuel-efficient car, I'd run down there.)
I urge others to do the same. It's easy. Just visit bowmanforongress.com.
As Bernie Sanders would counsel, the only way to fight big money - in this instance, really, really big - is with people power. Bowman, to me, represents compassion, sanity, diversity, and a better America.
Please consider helping him in his hour of need in whatever ways you can.
Richard Evers
Brattleboro
This letter to the editor was submitted to The Commons.
This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of the writer. In the newspaper and on this website, we strive to ensure that opinions are based on fair expression of established fact. In the spirit of transparency and accountability, The Commons is reviewing and developing more precise policies about editing of opinions and our role and our responsibility and standards in fact-checking our own work and the contributions to the newspaper. In the meantime, we heartily encourage civil and productive responses at [email protected].