Editor’s note: The following three editorial endorsements represent the shared view of The Famuan leadership team.
Americans are willing to vote for just anybody considering we have the worst president sitting in office throughout our country’s history. The state of the American union is desperately at stake and this election is critical to uphold our constitutional democracy.
The Famuan Editorial Board is compelled to announce its endorsement of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for the United States presidency and vice presidency. We believe this Democratic ticket has the capacity and expertise to run this country better than President Donald Trump.
It comes as no surprise that we say that the reelection of Trump would be a setback for our nation considering the current state of the world. Trump has been a catalyst for many of the socioeconomic issues that are currently plaguing the nation. From the neglect and downplaying of the COVID-19 pandemic to the strained race relations, President Trump and his Make America Great Again campaign has been at the forefront of many of the nation’s shortcomings during the past four years.
“I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I’ve been challenged by so many people and I don’t, frankly, have time for total political correctness,” said Trump at the first Republican primary debate back in 2015.
Fortunately, Biden and Harris have provided a reputable choice for this year’s presidential election. Not only does Biden have the endorsement of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, but he has chosen an accomplished United States senator and HBCU graduate as his running mate.
A graduate of Howard University and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Kamala Harris is the first African American and Asian American woman to receive the nomination for the vice president of the United States. Her nomination is a sign that minority voices can and will be heard this election. Minority voters, especially those that are 18-to 25-years old, are turning out in significantly larger numbers than the 2016 election.
Currently, Biden and Harris have a five-point lead on President Trump in the state of Florida, according to a recent report published by Monmouth University.
“The contrast between Donald Trump and me is about as stark as it can get in terms of where our values set and how we view the world,” said Biden during an interview with 60 Minutes. “I think we have to fundamentally change the way in which we deal with institutional racism.”
Harris has similar views.
“For our children and for all of us, we’ve got to do the work,” said Harris in a speech at the PBS News Hour. “To fulfill that promise of equal justice under law, because here’s the thing, none of us are free until all of us are free.”
The Famuan Editorial Board is more than happy to endorse these phenomenal candidates for the highest offices of our nation’s government. We encourage the students of FAMU to get out and vote to make a change in our democracy. Information about polling places can be found at leonvotes.gov.
Ausley for state Senate District 3
We’re not quite sure why the Republican Party of Florida thought it smelled blood in the water when local Democrat LorraineAusley decided to leave her seat in the state House of Representatives to succeed Bill Montford in the state Senate, but they did. The RPOF has bankrolled Marva Preston, a Black woman from Wakulla County, to the tune of more than a half-million dollars as she bombards the airwaves with attack commercials in her bid to take a seat that has been a Democratic Party stronghold for more than two decades.
Ausley, a champion for children’s rights, has a stellar resume on many of the issues we care about most: our environment and our schools. In addition, Ausley is a veteran of the Legislature. She knows how the system works and knows who she has to work with in order to enact legislation in a Republican-dominated institution.
Our main question for Preston is this: Aren’t you embarrassed to be used by the Republican Party of Florida? If not, you should be.
Richardson leads by example in Tallahassee
Curtis Richardson, seeking a third term on the Tallahassee City Commission, is facing a challenge from Bill Schack, who is running for office for the second time in three years and has yet to gain any traction with voters in the capital city. If there hadn’t been such a crowded field in the primary — five candidates in all — Richardson certainly would have claimed a majority and Tuesday’s election run-off for City Commission Seat 2 would not be necessary.
Richardson represented Tallahassee well in the state House of Representatives for the maximum eight years and he is doing well by his community on a city commission that is still trying to find its way with a police department that too often seems out of control. Richardson is a proud resident of the South Side, and we are proud to support him for a third term on the Tallahassee City Commission.