Kos readers — I’ve arrived as a Democratic Candidate; I was recently attacked by one of the local conservative blogs. In said blog, I was attacked for sending out a blast email in honor of Memorial Day, suggesting that I was capitalizing on the solemn holiday for political gain. Simply because I was calling for folks to honor our fallen by exercising our right to vote, I am now a “Theft of Valor.”
Note: said email blast had no solicitation for campaign contributions, nor did it call for anyone to vote for me specifically. It simply included the deadlines to request an absentee ballot by-mail, and to vote early in-person.
In the blog, they also repeatedly referred to me as “Mr. Hollywood” and a “Hollywood liberal” because I was born and raised in Los Angeles. Something tells me the street I grew up on — a low income neighborhood where shootings took place — doesn’t quite fit into the type of Hollywood glitz they had in mind.
Regardless, I’m not running away from the fact that I wasn’t born in Virginia. I’ve lived in several states, and I fought for progressive ideals in each and every one of them. Our latest mail piece brings that fact front-and-center:
Anyone that knows Virginia knows that a large population of the folks up here in Northern Virginia are transplants. Either by necessity, or by choice (I came here by choice!) we’re proud Virginians who have fully embraced our new home. To alienate me for being from a different state is to alienate those who help make this area unique, but something tells me they don’t care about that.
I’m ready to bring the various ideas and experiences I’ve carried with me from other states, and help improve the lives of working families with them. I feel like Virginia’s ready for it, too.
After all — Virginia has always been about growing the best and brightest at home while also bringing fresh ideas from elsewhere. We’re the birthplace of American Democracy only after immigrants and refugees arrived here from other lands. It’s part of who we are and why I’m proud to be a Virginian.
I hope you’ll stand with me, Kos, and help us fight for progress. Don’t forget, Virginians — you can absentee vote until June 10th!