July 1776

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to speak briefly at the WCDP Family Reunion Picnic. It being a few days prior to the Fourth of July, I took the opportunity to reflect on the Declaration of Independence. The text of my speech follows below:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,— That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it…”

A radical idea from 1776. The idea that human rights and dignity are not bestowed by royalty or doled out by governments. It is a good time to remember some of the complaints against King George.

· “He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
· He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
· He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.”

My name is Jeff Sinnard and I am running for Congress in the Ohio Second District. I was born and raised in Cincinnati. I am a husband and father. For nearly 20 years I have made my living as a civil engineer. I am running for Congress to propose a vision of possibility and hope in a time of cynicism and fear.

In America we are blessed with great abundance, but some of the least of us remain in need. We face challenges, but let no one ever doubt that American can solve any problem; face any enemy and survive any test. America is the greatest nation on the face of the Earth, but I believe we have the opportunity to be even better.

We have forgotten our founding commitment to human dignity. Our responsibility to one another. People from different backgrounds, colors and creeds coming together to find common ground, to work for the common good. It really is just common sense.

The founders were committed to one another and to the common good. The Declaration of Independence ends, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

My name is Jeff Sinnard and I am running for Congress to represent you, the people of the Ohio Second District. Thank you and God bless.

It is Unofficially Official

To the people of the Southern Ohio:


You have probably noticed the 2008 election season has already started. In this Presidential election year you will likely get tired of hearing from candidates. But I hope you take a moment and consider my candidacy.


Beginning in the 2005 special election I ran for Congress for one simple reason – I got tired of waiting for my perfect candidate. That is not to say I am perfect, far from it. I do not have any prior experience holding elected office. I am not independently wealthy. I am, by nature, quiet and introverted. But on the other hand I am not tangled in the political system. I owe nobody any favors. I passionately care about the issues and believe that the actions of politicians in Washington have real consequences. And perhaps, just now, a quiet thoughtful representative might be a nice change of pace.


So why vote for Jeff Sinnard? The simplest reason I can give is because we agree on more than we disagree. I have tried to be honest and straightforward with my positions. Check it out. Look at the web site, attend an event and listen to me speak or just drop me a line.


I remain gravely concerned about the future of America. As I prepare for another run, I hope that you check back often and see how we are doing. The formal campaign will likely start this May.


We all need to find a way to work together. Democrat with Republican. America with the world. People from different backgrounds, colors and creeds coming together to find common ground, to work for the common good. It really is just common sense.


Thank you for your consideration.

Overblown?

I can’t tell you how many times I was asked, “What qualifies you to run for Congress?” My answer consistently was to refer them to the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, “No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen”.

I would often follow up by saying that we could get better representation in Washington by picking names from the phone book. Our current Representative has again vindicated this position.

Rep. “Pollyanna” Schmidt again carries water for the Republican Party in a bucket that is half full. In her statement Schmidt says, “While I found the situation at Walter Reed to be overblown by both politicians and the media, I hope that future accounts will bring more light to the real issues. We need to do more to make sure that our veterans get the level of healthcare they desperately need.”

Overblown? I don’t think so. Most reasonable observers don’t think so. I read Jean’s release last Monday the way I read most everything she says – with a grain of salt. Does clueless go far enough or too far. I don’t know. I do tend to agree with the Enquirer editorial staff that this is an easy shot and “Those simplistic approaches do a disservice to the veterans who need our help and who should be the only focus of non-partisan action to improve the situation.”

So then what are the “real issues” we should be addressing? Without question the overall care of our veterans and VA system. But I propose that beyond having earned the right to quality care by their service; our veterans and all Americans deserve a health care system that treats them with dignity. “That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Let’s take this opportunity to begin a conversation about the state of health care for other vulnerable populations in our society.

That it takes a scandal to bring us to advocate for our vets is a sin, but that many of our fellow Americans remain without advocates may be the greater unnoticed sin.

Tuesday May 2nd - Primary Election Day - VOTE

Vote in the primary election. Voting is more than a right it is a responsibility.

Remember all registered voters, regardless of voting history, can participate in either party's primary.

"Democracy, finally, rests on a higher power than Parliament. It rests on an informed and cultivated and alert public opinion. The Members of Parliament are only representatives of the citizens. They cannot represent apathy and indifference. They can play the part allotted to them only if they represent intelligence and public spiritness." - Dr. Eric Eustace Williams, First day of Trinidad and Tobago's independence from Great Britain., August 31, 1962

Sinnard campaign makes front page of Enquirer

This photo captioned "Protesters and supporters try to catch the eye of President Bush as his limousine speeds east on Euclid Avenue in Madeira en route to the Indian Hill fundraiser." contains yours truly. For the record the supporters, as far as I could tell, consisted of two high school kids.

As the story notes,

Selling $10,000 worth of tickets to the fundraiser earned a personal photograph with the president.

I think I got a pretty good deal. For the cost of a sign (maybe a dime) and some of my time (a few hours) I had professional photographer Glenn Hartong capture this image of me (inside blue circle) and President Bush (blur in smoked window of speeding limo). I would like to thank Mr. Bush for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with me and 200 of my friends. It is good to know he still has time for the "little' people.

In case you are wondering the sign read:

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT,

I DO NOT SUPPORT
YOUR WARRANTLESS
SPYING ON AMERICANS.

WANT TO HEAR MORE,
EAVESDROP ON
513-582-4241

SINCERLY,
JEFF SINNARD

(on back)
P.S. I AM NOT A FAN
OF YOUR WAR.
along with a Sinnard for Congress yard sign.

Jon Stewart is looking for “reasonable people”

I want to revert back to the pre-race theme of this blog and my principal reason for running for Congress. That is, the divide between Washington and the people.

In a recent interview on the Daily Show Jon Stewart talks with conservative Fred Barnes about, among other things, the red or blue nature of Washington.

“Washington views the world bicamerally, as though the world is Republican and Democrat or liberal and conservative. Whereas, the rest of us sit on the outside and think holy (bleep) these can’t be the only two options.”

This bit falls around 4:30 in the interview. A lot of people would say Jon Stewart is a “Hollywood liberal”, but listen to his frustration with the divisiveness in Washington. I contend this is a very common frustration and one of the reasons for a disenchanted electorate and low voter turn out.

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this day honoring Rev. King, I would like to share a small part of the body of work from a great American. Rev. King revealed the power of love to change the word. “Yes, it is love that will save our world and our civilization, love even for enemies.” He also shows the power of one man to make a profound difference. From my comfortable and sheltered life, I can only begin to appreciate the challenges that faced Dr. King. As a human being, I can't help but be awed by the power of his message and the strength of his character.

Loving Your Enemies