As we get ready for the August primary election in Lewis County, voters have important decisions to make.
Who will be the best leaders for our community? Who can we trust to make good choices that help our families and neighbors? Will everyone be treated fairly under the law?
These questions need careful thought.
Each race has candidates who want to serve for different reasons. It is up to you to decide if their goals match what is best for our community by strengthening our core treasures and values. Our votes show the true character of our towns and neighborhoods.
Lewis County has done well before, but now we are at another important turning point.
Lewis County voters: This is your time to step up. Be informed. Seek the truth. Go to town halls and forums. Meet the candidates yourself and ask them questions. For candidates who already hold office, look at their public record over the years. For new candidates, follow the idea of “trust but verify.” The choices we make today will shape the world our children live in tomorrow. This election is your time of testing.
The rule of law is one of our most important values. It is the agreement we all share to live fairly together through our government and elections. Elections are how “We the People” pick leaders to carry out our shared wishes.
In every healthy community, trust is easy to break. When false stories spread, when accusations replace real evidence, and when loyalty to a group matters more than facts, relationships break down and peace disappears.
The best answer is simple: truth must come first — higher than loyalty to any person, group or political side.
Foundational teachings that helped shape all of Western civilization give us good advice. They say real justice does not come from protecting friends or attacking enemies. It comes from holding firmly to the truth and the facts. Justice is blind to its citizens while having eyes fully focused on the law we must all be subject to.
Strong communities need people to make judgments, but they must do it fairly. We should judge with honesty and without favoring the rich or poor, the powerful or the weak. Leviticus 19:15-18: “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.”
Loyalty to people instead of truth leads to unfairness. Staying quiet or twisting facts to protect “our side” makes us part of the problem. Real loyalty means speaking the truth honestly, even when it is hard.
False witness (spreading lies) is one of the most damaging things in society. Lies in court, gossip or news stories hurt people’s reputations and lives. Ancient laws took this very seriously. After a careful investigation, a proven liar would receive the same punishment they tried to give the innocent person. This helped stop lies, protect the innocent and rebuild trust.
A community that allows lies will soon fill with suspicion, fighting and anger. No friendship, family tie or political group should protect lies. Truth must win.
A key part of this is looking at ourselves first. The Bible says in Matthew 7:1-6, “Do not judge others so that you will not be judged.”
We will be judged by the same standard: God’s. Before pointing out someone else’s small mistake, we must first fix our own bigger ones. This humility stops angry mobs and keeps trust in the law.
History shows us a common problem. Some people see but do not understand. They hear but do not learn. Some become good at doing wrong while ignoring what is right. Some choose to use lies, hurt the weak and ignore justice for those in need. Loyalty to truth means we must name these wrongs clearly and stand for truth and reject the lies.
In the end, all these teachings point to one main idea: loyalty to truth must be higher than loyalty to any person, group, or political side. Loving our neighbors means refusing to spread rumors, gently calling out wrongdoing, checking facts carefully, fixing our own mistakes first, and choosing healing instead of harm.
When loyalty to a person or group is more important than truth, we build walls of lies. When truth leads the way, we build trust, fairness and healing. In our time of fast-spreading rumors and divided groups, this wisdom is more important than ever.
Aspire to seek truth in public discussions, judge fairly and speak honestly. Reject the idea of “my side is always right.”
A community that puts truth first will be stronger, freer and fairer. It will protect the innocent, discourage liars, and allow honest differences while keeping us united.
Our nation was built on this value. Many have fought and died for it. We cannot control every challenge we face, but we can control how we respond.
Choose truth today.
Greg Rohr is the elected executive chair of the Lewis County Republican Party. He can be reached at info@lcrpwa.org. To learn more about the party, visit https://www.lcrpwa.org.
