Letter: Local Peace Group to Interview Challenger to Rep. Jared Huffman in Public Zoom Event

Welcome to our letters to the editor/opinion section. To submit yours for consideration, please send to [email protected]. Please consider including an image to be used–either a photograph of you or something applicable to the letter. However, an image is not necessary for publication.
Remember opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of Redheaded Blackbelt nor have we checked the letters for accuracy.

The Humboldt Committee for Peace and Justice (HCPJ), formed in the early spring of 2024 as a result of our distress that California’s two Senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff as well as the 2nd District Congressional Representative Jared Huffman were voting in favor of funding the Israeli military after the horrific nature of Israel’s actions in Gaza were made manifestly clear to the entire world. The membership is a cross section of Southern Humboldt

With regard to our 2nd District Congressman who is up for re-election, until Gaza, Mr Huffman had been a steadfast supporter of progressive issues, particularly for the environment, so we were taken aback fully, and continue to be, by his votes.

In the Spring of 202, 4HCPJ invited our Congressman to a zoom meeting and he accepted. We expressed our horror regarding Israel’s ongoing atrocities in the genocidal war against Palestinians. But he was steadfast in expressing his support for Israel as being a close ally and the right of Israel to defend itself. He did not offer any reasoned foreign policy objectives that benefit the United States. When Trump won the presidency, he blamed our cause for weakening the Democrats rather than reflecting on the unpopularity of their position.

Since that meeting nearly two years ago, he has continued to vote to fund Israel’s military actions.

As a result, HCPJ has been looking for other congressional candidates during this primary season who can meet our local needs while not voting to spend the taxpayer dollars needed at home on another nation’s military.

She lives in Shasta County. She has been the Chair of the Democratic Party there. She decided to run for Congress because she opposed her new Democratic Party affiliated Representative voting to fund the Israeli military under these circumstances,

She also says she advocates for other progressive causes especially health care for all.

HCPJ has reached out to her to hear details of her vision for governing this new expanded district.  We will meet with her in a Google Meets call on Wednesday April 15th from 7pm to 8pm.

You are invited to listen in on this interview as we seek strive to learn if she can be a strong Congressional Representative to replace Mr Huffman, who has been a good friend locally, but who has not kept his eye, in our opinion, on our best interests globally.

After hearing a short presentation from Ms Yee, our group will ask pointed questions and then audience members will have the opportunity to ask followup questions.

Here is the link:

https://meet.google.com/wcc-dhus-ecq

Ali Freedlund