Thalia Savage and Sisseline Lovejoy
Congresswoman Lateefah Simon conducted a town hall in the Albany High School’s Little Theater on Wednesday August 20th to engage with the citizens she represents. Both community members and Albany High School students were present to listen and ask questions.
Simon spoke at length about her negative opinions on the Trump Administration’s actions since he was voted into office. She said, “It’s tough to fight, but that doesn’t mean we stop fighting.”
She discussed her thoughts on the scientific research cuts, saying, “When you defund research, you defund the future of healthcare in this country.”
Having worked for eight years as a member of the Board of Trustees for the California University system, Simon shared her feelings on the federal government’s attempt to control the media and the teachings in the universities. Simon said, “I just hope that the trustees from the CSU and the regents have a damn backbone and don’t capitulate with this horrific administration that wants to not only violate first amendment but really destroy the basis of critical pedagogy in this country.”
She also mentioned her outrage at the ICE raids and then unconstitutional handling of immigrants, noting, “the constitution doesn’t say citizens; it says persons.” She continued on to talk about her work co-authoring the “Stop ICE from Kidnapping US Citizens Act” and the “No Secret Police Act.” One of the main goals of the latter act was to require law enforcement to clearly display ID in order to keep people safe.
Simon also touched on the overturning of Roe V. Wade and women’s right to privacy and autonomy. She shared her strong opinions, firmly stating, “The defunding of planned parenthood was a war on women.”
Simon communicated her thoughts about the Israeli-Palestine conflict and closed out the meeting by saying, “20,000 children are dead and we’re complicit in those murders.”
