By Donna Petrangelo and Rick McDonald- Plymouth Massachusetts
Dear Editor:
Although we on the Social Action Committee of First Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts are not constituents of Representative Virginia Foxx, we feel compelled to share our feelings regarding her behavior at the first press conference held by then newly elected Speaker of the House Michael Johnson.
When journalist Rachel Scott posed a question regarding Johnson’s previous attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, Representative Foxx yelled, “Shut up!”
That response was extremely undignified and rude, demonstrating not only disrespect for a fellow human being, but also a total lack of understanding of the role of journalists in our democracy.
In America, journalism is a public trust—a trust whose goals are to inform the public truthfully and to safeguard our democracy. Sixty court cases determined that there had been absolutely no significant election fraud. Any citizen who ignores the outcomes of these court cases demonstrates a complete disregard for the U.S. Constitution, upon which our democracy is based.
Having an election denier elected Speaker of the House is grave cause for concern, a concern that any responsible journalist should be acknowledging. As a member of the House of Representatives, an elected official’s first allegiance should be to our nation and the U.S. Constitution, not to party or peers, and one’s conduct should reflect the dignity of the representative’s elected office.
Sincerely yours,
Donna Petrangelo, Co-Chair and Rick McDonald, Co-Chair