Dear Editor:
Over the last few weeks residents of the Fourth Ward have been inundated with campaign literature, letters of endorsement and most importantly, exposure to the three candidates, each in an attempt to persuade voters that he or she would be the best person to represent the dynamic Fourth Ward community. While I am a candidate in this Fourth Ward Election, and therefore it goes without saying who I believe would do the best job serving the residents of the Fourth Ward, I would like to focus on something that is greater than any of the candidates.
In light of the terrorist attack on our Country, September 11 and our military’s response to the dastardly deed perpetrated in our own backyard, I would urge all registered voters to come out in record numbers. It is imperative that we as Americans use November 6th as our personal opportunity to send a clear and poignant message from the Fourth Ward in Hoboken, to the State House and Governor’s mansion in Trenton, that our democracy will not be defeated by the cowardly acts of terrorism.
In wake of those tragic events, I have been inspired by the countless stories of heroism that Americans have exhibited during and after the situation unfolded. Acts of heroism like that of Hoboken’s own Jonathan Gordon who at great peril to his own life helped evacuate fellow co-workers down a darkened stairwell to safety. Stories like the many police and fire rescue workers who amidst all of the chaos and confusion kept focus and worked tirelessly on saving lives.
Among all of the stories that I have heard since the tragic events of September 11th, I believe there is one that should resonate with every registered voter in New Jersey. I hope that the story of what occurred on United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Somerset County Pennsylvania, gives each of us reason to pause and reflect on how important it is for us to vote. As several passengers learned via cell phones that hijacked planes were being used to attack our country, they leaned on the only process they knew to determine their course of action. They Voted! Thomas Burnett, Jeremy Glick and several others voted to rush the hijackers, take control of the plane and prevent the terrorists from using their flight to inflict any more pain on an already bruised nation.
Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind us how precius life and our values as a Nation really are. It is easy for us to get caught up in our daily routines and forget about the ties that bind us together in this great Democracy. However, I implore each of you on November 6th, to remind all of our enemies here and abroad, that the greatness of America does not lie in the structures that we create but in the hands and hearts that created them. So whether you support me or not, come out to vote and honor those men and women who have in the past, are in the present, and will in the future risk their personal safety to preserve our way of life.
Sincerely,
Christopher Campos