Oregon has suffered for years under Democratic leadership, and the voices outside of the I-5 corridor have been all but silenced. The oppressive blue thumb has dictated disastrous policy for far too long, and it’s time we made a stand.

Not everyone in Portland supports these failed policies, and these “leaders” do not support my view or yours. The far left progressives are destroying this country. They fail to acknowledge the very importance of our Constitution and choose to impose their will on our daily lives.

They remove God from our schools, prevent us from capturing rain water, raise our taxes, and force us to respect their “values” while continuing to strip away our rights. The Declaration of Independence states that we all have the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Our Founding Fathers wanted us to determine what those were to us, as individuals, and allowed us to pursue those so long as our rights did not trample on the rights of others. The progressives control the media, they censor our conservative views and shame us when we speak out. They call us bigots, racists and misogynists while they force our daughters and wives to share bathrooms with men. They impose their will on us and ridicule us when we disagree.

We can change this. We can make a difference. I want to make that change, but I cannot do it alone. Together, we need to vote. We need to let the “leaders” in Salem and the far left progressives in Portland know that we will not follow their failed policies. We want to bring jobs back to Oregon, we want to revive that spirit that has been missing.

Unfortunately, few people east of the Cascades take the time to cast a vote. They’ve been beaten down by the socialist party in Portland. But this isn’t the end, this is the beginning! If you think back to 2010, the people of Oregon almost voted in a Republican governor! Unfortunately, Dudley lost to Kitzhaber by about 1 percent. That shouldn’t make us feel defeated though! That should fuel our fire!

With the progressives going after our firearms with IP43 and IP44, it’s time we stand up. It’s time we voice our opinions at the polls! We need everyone to start talking, to share your feelings and to stop hiding from the name calling on the left. We have the primaries coming up on May 15, 2018.

Please, for the love of Oregon, share this with your neighbors, your friends and your family. Tell them you’re going to make a difference and you’re going to vote. We can save Oregon and we’re going to start by taking down Kate Brown.

Scott Templar

Beaverton