By JULIANNE HOMOKAY
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
Is this a familiar refrain in your house?
“People are afraid to talk about their political standings,” said Diana Lee, the sheer force of nature behind the town hall meeting in Running Springs on Sunday, April 12 at the Hootman Center. “It results in arguments, ruined relationships. I wanted to break through that.”
Diana Lee and her right-hand Nancy Richardson.
And break through she did. The small but lively crowd at the Hootman Center were engaging in congenial discussion and helping others to the information Lee’s colleagues had prepared about California’s gubernatorial candidates.
The purpose of this town hall meeting, sponsored by Refuge Christian Church, was to engage community members in the political process. “We want to get people registered before the June 2 election,” Lee said. She emphasized, “No matter what, people are allowed to vote.” Meaning, any U.S. citizen can show up at a poll, register and vote on the spot. Events like Lee’s streamline the process. And volunteers like Joe (pictured here) go through training to get certified to register our citizens.
The event last Sunday offered much more than the opportunity to register to vote. Lee and her brigade of volunteers, namely Nancy Richardson and Julie Biggs, helped her to compile nonpartisan information sheets on all of the top gubernatorial candidates, and supply a one-sheet containing contact information for our area representatives. “We want to educate people!” said Lee.
And no matter what your religious affiliation is, “This is what scares me the most,” she said. “We’re not going to be knowledgeable enough to know when they’re taking our rights away.” Separation of church and state is very important to Lee. This is why they took such care in compiling the information sheets they offered to the public. “It took us a month to do all this!”
All of the volunteers at this event understood how the voting process and the issues facing us as voters can be overwhelming. Lee hopes that Refuge Christian Church will help her sponsor another town hall before the November election.
“We gotta do it,” she said.
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