LETTER: Who's Jeff Johnson? He's Running for Congress!

Who is Jeff Johnson? Jeff is a high school teacher, residential counselor, political activist, and champion for underdogs everywhere. He has also been my father for the past 32 years. Today, Jeff is running for congress to change the political conversation and tackle the issues that threaten our future.

Why do I think you should vote for him? The values Jeff modeled for me during my childhood are precisely the kind of antidote our political culture so badly needs.

Jeff taught me to care about people who have little social and economic power. When I was 7, he explained that some people treat other people badly because of the color of their skin. Being a science teacher, he explained that skin color is determined by the amount of melanin in the skin cells while observing how ridiculous it was that such a trivial difference could lead to discrimination and hatred.

Every year, on Black Friday, Jeff taught me to reject mindless consumerism and instead focus on giving to others during the “Buy Nothing Day” annual coat drive on the State House lawn in Providence.

Jeff taught me to respect and care for the environment. On Earth Day, he gathered together neighborhood
kids to pick up litter and plant trees. He cultivated earthworms in a fish tank on our porch, rescued injured wildlife, and took his children and students out into nature to learn the names of the fungi, trees, flowers, and animals that make up the natural world. He encouraged his children and his students to respect “all creatures great and small.”

When I was 10, Jeff ran for Lieutenant Governor. We spent many hot summer days outside of the local library collecting signatures getting him on the ballot. I remember the way my father engaged people, patiently explaining his positions to each potential voter. I watched him explain that he was running as a third-party
candidate to introduce fresh ideas and change the political conversation. He explained that corporate money and the ability of a powerful few to shape politics and policy was dangerous for our democracy. He wondered what might “blow back” from American military interventions in cultures we did not understand or from sanctions targeted at civilian populations.

Jeff’s fears about the direction of our country in 1994 turned out to be remarkably prescient, and we are a lot further down the wrong path today. Our country is in crisis, and we need new ideas. Jeff Johnson has spent his life advocating for peace, progressive ideas, environmental stewardship, and social justice.

That’s why I encourage you to consider giving your vote to Jeff Johnson for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Sincerely,

Kerrie Johnson