Posted on by Californiacontrarian

The 51st District

Today I was reading in the local paper about a forum sponsored by The League of Women Voters between Mary Edly-Allen (D) and Helene Walsh (R), who are vying to be the representative from the state’s 51st district. You are probably not familiar with either of these two women as they are opponents for the seat in the 51st district . . . in Illinois. Why Illinois? Well that’s where I happen to be right now.
In the debate there was a question about the advisability of allowing teachers in Illinois classrooms to be armed. Predictably the Democrat was a flat out, “No!”, whereas the Republican said that she “supports the idea for those who are well trained, in order to make students safer.”

Later in the forum when they discussed other specific issues, Edly-Allen (D) said that she favors high schools holding classroom discussions about sexual consent and LGBTQ issues, whereas Mrs. Walsh (R) panned this suggestion, and responded, “l believe that schools are supposed to teach reading, arithmetic, history, and provide for physical exercise. I further believe that other discussions should be had at home and in your church, synagog, or mosque.”
In her closing statement Mary Edly-Allen said, “This race is a microcosm of our country. We represent the two spectrums of what we have right now in our country. We have homophobic, racist, kind of xenophobic views and we have the other side.”
Actually the fact here is that Edly-Allen’s opponent, Helene Walsh has been an advisory board member at Project H.O.O.D., an inner city non-profit organization and has spent a lot of time on the South Side of Chicago, which is predominately black. Yet Edly-Allen, the Democrat, calls Mrs. Walsh a racist!
In response to the xenophobic charge, Mrs. Walsh responded that she has traveled the world and believes that those who come here should do so legally. I presume that it is this view that according to Eddy-Allen, makes Mrs. Walsh xenophobic!
I found this interesting because to me it just reenforces my view that these days the Democrats seem to have no message, even in the small towns in northern Illinois, and when one has no message, he or she is apt to resort to personal attacks and name calling despite the fact that the name-calling may have no basis in fact.
If I still lived in Illinois, I would vote for Helene Walsh, not because she is most likely Irish, but because her philosophy is spot on! Likewise, I would not vote for Mary Eddy-Allen, not only because of her hyphenated last name, but also because she is resorting to the same old tiresome tactics as those Democrats on the national stage, and is peddling their same old tripe.
After the election, I will try to remember to let you know who won.

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