Time to Speak Out

Rep. Arvind Venkat April 17, 2025 | 3:29 PM

This weekend, I again had the opportunity to meet constituents in Hampton Township.

The consistent emotion I heard was Fear:

Fear of the Loss of Due Process and Individual Rights
Fear of Defiance of the Courts by the Administration
Fear of Attacks on Immigrants and Visa-Holders, Including Ones Here Legally or Under Court-Ordered Protection
Fear of Dangerous and Ill-Founded Unilateral Economic Decision Making That Has No Basis in Reality and Raises Costs for All of Us
Fear of Non-Governmental Organizations, such as Universities, Health Care Institutions, and Law Firms, Capitulating to Blatantly Unconstitutional Demands
Fear of Funding or Administrative Cuts, Again Unilaterally, That Threaten Vital Services to the Elderly, Children, the Disabled, the Working Poor, and Countless Other Vulnerable Populations
Fear of the Apathy Shown By Many of Our Elected Officials To Speak Up and Assert Their Constitutional Prerogatives To Check the Executive Branch
Fear of the Courts Shying Away From Definitive Decisions and Taking Steps to Enforce Them

I agree, and though my elected position is relatively low in rank, I believe I have an obligation to speak up and urge others to do the same.

There have been many moments of choosing in American History. As a legislator, physician, husband, father, and citizen, I believe this is one of those moments.

I urge all of my fellow Pennsylvanians and Americans to raise their voices, peacefully, but loudly, and demand that all of our government officials and institutions turn away from this precipice of autocracy. There is no time to wait, hope this moment will pass, or assume that the tide will naturally turn. This has to be our moment. Let’s grasp it.

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