By Shawn Nowlin
One would think that a candidate that focuses on the issues that matter the most to voters would defeat their opponent. Election Day 2024 definitively proved that to not always be the case.
Leading up to Tuesday’s monumental contest, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump both traveled across the country to convey their vision to as many people as possible. At her Raleigh, North Carolina, rally, Harris told more than 15,000 attendees that if he is elected, Trump will use his time in office to go after those who he feels have wronged him.
“Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy,” she said. “He wants to put them in jail. I would give them a seat at the table. That’s what real leadership looks like. That’s what strong leadership looks like.”
Trump held a rally at the Salem Civic Center on November 2. Despite the venue having a 7,500-seat capacity, Trump claimed that “we had the biggest crowd ever, I’m hearing more than 25,000.”
For Freeda Cathcart, it was imperative that she and her friends provided a safe platform for those who oppose Trump to express their views. From noon to 4 p.m., she led a protest in front of the building. If things escalated with MAGA to a point where safety was an issue, she had a contingency plan in place.
“The Virginia State Police should have done a better job at protecting people’s rights. We had picked a location that was out of danger for us to protest. They moved us right in front of the people who were waiting to get in which led to them yelling and trying to intimidate us,” she said. “It’s not legal to drink beer while threatening people, but the cops didn’t seem to care. At a certain point, we would have left if things continued.”
Added Lisa Brazil, “I am here to be a voice for my father. He was shot down in an airplane while flying over Germany. He parachuted out and was captured by German soldiers. For 18 months, he was tortured and abused in a POW Camp. He sacrificed for this country in ways that Trump will never understand.”
As the Trump rally was underway, the Salem City Democratic Committee held an event just miles away.
“With the arrival of Donald Trump on the same day, we were reminded of the stark contrast between his diverse extreme politics and the inclusive, hopeful spirit we believe best represents Salem. Together, we can look forward to a brighter, more compassionate future under Kamala Harris’ leadership,” the organization said in a public statement.
