PORT JEFFERSON – The Shelby County Democrat Party tapped Linda Long, Sidney, to be the 2023 Democrat of the Year at its annual Jefferson/Jackson dinner held at Hussy’s Restaurant in Port Jefferson.

In front of a packed house, Central Committee Member Marguerite McGlinch provided the accolades of this year’s unsuspecting nominee. McGlinch noted the awardee had volunteered for Wilson Health, assisted with hospice, has been a lecturer, and has been a long-time member of the Democrat Women group in Shelby County.

A surprised and emotional Linda Long accepted her recognition from Chairman Tom Kerrigan. She told attendees that while time is valuable, she finds it costs nothing to give hers to help others, and she never expected anything for giving of herself. “Volunteering is like ministry to me,” said Long.

Building a brand

Kerrigan agreed that Long demonstrates exactly what the Shelby County Democrat Party stands for, and that is taking care of people. He stated he was so proud of Long because she represents what the Shelby County Democrat Party is building its brand on and that is service to people and service to fellow citizens.

“In Shelby County, we cast aside culture wars, divisiveness, limits on our voting rights, and attacks on our fellow citizens”, he said.

Laboratories of autocracy

Kerrigan asked Central Committee Member Christopher Gibbs to introduce keynote speaker David Pepper. Prior to Pepper’s introduction, Gibbs recalled a section in Pepper’s book, “Laboratories of Autocracy,” that illustrated how unchallenged members of the Ohio General Assembly can disregard rural Ohio. In the 2021 Ohio State budget, Gov. Mike DeWine allocated funding to expand broadband access to rural Ohio. But DeWine’s proposal was stripped by Senate President Matt Huffman in order to pay for high-income earner tax cuts. Gibbs explained that limiting broadband access to rural Ohio limits children’s ability to benefit from online learning. A limitation for school-age students that became even more evident during the pandemic. In addition, with rural hospitals in decline across Ohio, some locations can only receive advance care from health professionals in larger hospitals via telemedicine which depends on high-speed internet.

Gibbs introduced Pepper from Cincinnati as an author, artist, politician, professor, political analyst, attorney, father, husband and provocateur. “But most important, David’s my friend,” said Gibbs.

What if?

Pepper began his remarks by posing a series of hypothetical questions to those gathered. He asked what if we saw another country rigging districts so that every result was guaranteed from the outset, and the Party in power would remain in power even if the people voted for another Party? What if those same politicians never had to face a general election throughout their entire careers? What if that faction then began to attack the way people vote, including making voting harder? What if they started to attack the courts or simply ignored or didn’t follow the court’s orders? What if they simply ignored their constitutions? What if they started censoring books?

Pepper predicted that if all those questions were seen in another country in rapid succession Americans would say, “My God, they’re losing their democracy at breakneck speed.”

“We’ve seen this in Russia and Hungary,” said Pepper. “The reason I wrote this book is that everything I’ve described is happening in Columbus Ohio, in Tallahassee Florida, Jefferson City Missouri, and all around the country.”

Earlier in the evening chatting to a small group of attendees Pepper related that he’s seen firsthand how democracies can be thwarted as he worked in Russia near to Vladimir Putin prior to Putin becoming Russian president.

Pepper suggested that voters need to stop focusing on national figures and begin focusing on members of their State Legislatures. He claimed Statehouses, more than Mar-a-Largo, more than Washington, is where democracy is being most aggressively attacked and is where the real damage was being done. “We’re in a full-on, full-fledged battle for democracy,” he said.

Mitigate the damage

To fight for and mitigate the damage to our democracy, Pepper offered five ways to make a difference. First, he claimed Democrats must recognize factions are fighting ‘against’ democracy, while the collective fight must be ‘for’ democracy. Second, Democrats must engage in all fifty states. Left unchallenged, outcomes within those states will continue to deteriorate. Third, every district in every state must be challenged in every general election. Fourth, Democrats must stop thinking about Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Pepper claimed the dysfunction witnessed today began well before Trump. As an example, he asserted that Frank LaRose (Ohio Secretary of State) has suppressed more votes than Trump ever has.

In closing, Pepper challenged listeners to ask themselves what they are doing personally to register voters and make everyone they engage daily understand how and when to vote and to ask themselves what they are doing each and every day to protect and lift democracy.