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An inescapable fact of life is that our decisions have consequences. In America, this truism is born out every time we elect our governmental leaders. The decisions we have made by casting our sacred vote have consequences. With respect to the upcoming Nov. 8 election, while many across the county, state and country have already cast their vote by mail-in ballot, the majority of Americans will be going to the polls this Tuesday to finalize their decision on which candidates to support.
On the national level, provided the results were accurate, on Nov. 3, 2020 a majority of voters decided to give Democrats majority control of our House of Representatives and Senate, and the office of the President. When that majority took office on Jan. 20, 2021, the decision of those voters immediately began to have consequences. Clearly it must be up to each individual to decide if they believe their life, our communities and our country are in better or worse condition since that time. To put it in Ronald Reagan's terms, "Are you better off than you were two years ago?"
While time and space do not permit me to address the numerous categories that tend to define "better off," here are a few. First, this administration's war on energy is having the exact effect that we should have expected. On their first day, they shut down the Keystone XL pipeline project, making good on their promise to the climate activists who helped them get elected. As I mentioned in my September article, the left's war against energy and support of "green energy" have now taken us to a crisis point, dangerously depleting our strategic oil reserve to its lowest level in history since we began filling it, all in an attempt to "lower" gas prices until AFTER this election. When and if those daily one-million-barrel withdrawals end, prepare for those prices to again skyrocket.
To bring it home, as I write this article on Nov. 4, home heating fuel in Lycoming County is now a record high $5.70 per gallon. Our fellow citizens living paycheck to paycheck now realize each time they fill their heating oil tank (often a MONTHLY need in our climate), what cost them $600 each month last year will cost them nearly $1,300 this year. Vice President Kamala Harris is not known for being articulate or accurate. However her statement in March of this year could not have been more clear or accurate: "As we all know elections matter, and when folks vote, they order what they want, and in this case they got what they asked for." Decisions have consequences.
Turning to our most contested Pennsylvania elections, the greatest battles are for our offices of governor and US senator. In the Senate battle between Dr. Mehmet Oz and John Fetterman, the recent debate did not go well for the latter candidate. While risking being termed an "ableist" by the left, another term they recently made up to attack conservatives, something needs to be pointed out. New York Magazine's Rebecca Traister fawned over Fetterman's performance, flattering him as being "transparent," while acknowledging frustration and stress made his communicative problems worse. I have news for Traister and those like her who still contend Fetterman is the better candidate. Having met Dr. Oz and heard him speak on numerous occasions – they are wrong. One of the primary duties of our senators is to be able to publicly articulate their points on the Senate floor, and contend for the will of the majority of Pennsylvania voters who sent them to Washington. If that's "ableist," so be it – it's also reality.
On the gubernatorial side, Senator Doug Mastriano faces off against Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Again, for sake of time, I will only mention two items. First, with respect to crime and law enforcement, Shapiro advertises that he has the backing of "20,000 police officers." I can tell you that is not true, he simply has the backing of their union leaders to whom he has made promises not to change Pennsylvania to a "right-to-work" state. This is a promise every union seeks and nearly every Democratic candidate pledges. I can simply assure you that the vast majority of police officers in Pennsylvania support Doug Mastriano over Josh Shapiro as our next governor. Period.
Second, regarding our governor's race, be aware that Josh Shapiro has 10 times the amount of money for advertising that Senator Mastriano has – approximately $50 million versus $5 million. Much of this money for Shapiro has been sent in by those like the Soros family and the abortion industry. To tie these two thoughts together, Doug Mastriano has made a promise to police officers in Pennsylvania: I've got your back. Joshua Shapiro made the same exact promise – not to police officers but to abortion doctors and out-of-state abortion seekers who come to Pennsylvania: "I've got your backs."
Clearly the biggest issue in this election for governor has become abortion. The two candidates could not be further apart, with Senator Mastriano wanting no abortion, and Josh Shapiro demanding no restrictions on abortion. For what it's worth, given the temperature of our Republican-controlled Pennsylvania House and Senate, neither of these men, should they become governor, will ever receive a bill to sign that allows partial-birth abortion, nor one that does not allow exceptions for abortions.
In closing, In the recent Dobbs case overturning Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court correctly referred the matter back to the states to decide what is legal and what is not. If you're one of the voters that will make your decision for governor of our commonwealth based on abortion, I simply encourage you to research what an abortion actually is. Coincidentally, and with perfect timing for this article, NPR just released an audio recording of a woman receiving an abortion. Even the liberal media calls it "ghastly" and "disturbing." The more conservative commentators are quoted as saying it's "this is what hell sounds like." Before you cast your vote, please take time to listen to it. Also, take time to find an online video of an actual abortion. If you've done that and still believe it's appropriate to vote for a candidate that believes there should be no restrictions on abortions, then vote your conscience. But I remind you, your decisions have consequences.
Donald Peters currently serves as the Chairman of the Lycoming County Republican Committee, a group of 80 elected and appointed volunteers from various communities throughout Lycoming County.