Sebastian Robinson for Honesdale Borough Council 

I am writing to introduce myself as a candidate for Honesdale Borough Council in this election. My name is Sebastean Robinson, and I am an openly gay person who is passionate about building community bonds by bringing people with diverse backgrounds together.

Growing up in Northeast Pennsylvania, I experienced firsthand the challenges of being different in a small town. 

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I faced discrimination and intolerance. However, I learned to channel that negative energy into something positive. I became a community activist, working to promote inclusivity and unity in our town.

As a candidate for the Honesdale Borough Council, I believe that building strong community bonds is essential to the long-term success of our town. By bringing people with diverse backgrounds together, we can create a vibrant, dynamic community that is welcoming to all.

I am committed to listening to the needs and concerns of all Honesdale residents, regardless of their sexual orientation, race, gender or religion. As a council member, I will work tirelessly to promote inclusivity and unity and to ensure that every voice is heard.

I believe that together, we can build a stronger, more resilient Honesdale, one that is grounded in the values of inclusivity, compassion, and cooperation. I humbly ask for your support in this election, and I promise to work tirelessly to serve the people of our town.

Sebastean Robinson
Honesdale, PA

Freedom from child trafficking

There are ways we can help end the sale of young children. 

Note: Send emails and letters to government officials to be watchdogs over state, federal and U.N. activities regarding changes that could decriminalize sexual relations with minors via child marriage laws, etc.

Promote: Purchase tickets ahead of the release of films that expose the widespread industry of abductions and enslavement of millions of the world’s children. Paying tickets in advance sends a clear message to the movie industry to provide large-capacity theatres for such films as “Sound of Freedom,” which will be released July 4.

Vote: Support candidates who are outspoken on U.S. border protection. Many innocents are smuggled across our poorly protected Mexican border.

Michelle (Sackett) Schroeder
Callicoon, NY

Bring down barriers so all can get ahead

The Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate affirmative action in higher education is a direct attack on every Black and Brown community in our country. This unconscionable ruling threatens to unravel decades of progress in advancing equity in education and in our society at large.

As a union of healthcare workers, predominantly people of color, we condemn this act in the strongest terms as an outright assault on our children’s futures.  

Likewise, the blocking of President Biden’s student loan program will push countless young people into poverty and a life of perpetual and inescapable debt.

Decisions like these—championed by the wealthy and powerful and a corrupted Supreme Court—are precisely why vast racial and class inequalities exist in our nation.

Higher education institutions are pathways to positions of power in our country. Colleges and universities must recognize how essential racial equity and diversity are to a vibrant and inclusive society. 

In the face of these decisions, we urge institutions to continue to bring down barriers to ensure that all of us—no matter what we look like or where we come from—can get ahead.

George Gresham,
President, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
New York, NY