Elections Matter

Melissa Clapper, Letter to the Editor, 05/21/2022

MI Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Picture from michigan.gov

Elections Matter

On April 21st, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson received a Profile in Courage award from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation. The foundation stated that the award was being given in recognition of Benson’s courageous defense of democracy.

On the day that the award announcement was made, Secretary Benson said: “I share this award with every Michigander who is working to protect and defend our democracy in the face of a barrage of lies, hateful rhetoric, and threats, and I hope this emboldens all of us to continue doing that work, even as the challenges intensify in the months and years ahead"

On April 23rd, the Michigan Republican party endorsed a candidate for Secretary of State who is a virulent promoter of the big lie that the 2020 election was “stolen” from former president Donald Trump. This Republican candidate insists that Michigan’s election was marked by “widespread fraud”, despite the findings of many audits and investigations, including a Republican-led State Senate investigation that reported there was “no evidence of widespread or systematic fraud” in Michigan’s 2020 election.

Democracy will be on the ballot in November. Jocelyn Benson is strongly committed to protecting our democracy. The Republican candidate wants to destroy it. Elections matter, as does your vote.

Melissa Clapper

Benton Harbor