Amie on Helicopter

The Woman in the Arena

Copyright by Tanzi Strafford

Maryland is regarded as a deep blue liberal state, yet today we have a Republican governor.  But we would not have had Governor Hogan to help reverse the failed policies of Martin O’Malley and fight the Obama Administration had Maryland Republicans heeded the call of some who would hold all Republican candidates to impossible litmus tests.

It is always easier to stand on the side lines and criticize the actions and views of candidates.  Locally in Montgomery County, Democrats unilaterally dominate the County Council.  Few Republicans are even active to point out publicly the most extreme positions put forth.

For example, the Democrat-controlled government of Montgomery County convened a  “Right to Vote” Task Force in 2013 on which Republicans were badly outnumbered.   One Republican resigned once he realized that the task force was pushing for non-citizens and children (16 and 17-year-old) to vote, he walked away from it in fear that what other Republicans would say during his upcoming local election race.  The lone remaining Republican spent countless hours on the “Minorities view” reports that ultimately became part of the  “Right to Vote”  task force report. He was the voice of the Constitution, integrity and common sense. Later on, in September of 2014, the man testified before the County Council at the “Right to Vote” task force hearing.  As he testified, he was visibly upset, his voice trembled as he was giving a heartbreaking testimony.  If not for that courage, the public would never knew what the Republican’s position was on these issues. Despite his efforts, January 2016, Montgomery County Democrats and Delegates attempted to change the Maryland Constitution and let Non-Citizens and children vote.

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Similarly, Amie Hoeber, a candidate for the 6th Maryland congressional district, was confronted during the first candidates’ debate with her involvement in 1971 with the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC).   In the first stages of the formation of the organization, the NWPC stood for “Increase the number of women in all aspects of political life — as elected and appointed officials, as judges in state and federal courts and as delegates to national conventions.  The organization…recognized equality for American women was not for the asking, but for the winning.”  At the time, women’s role in the society was different and only a few women were present in the political arena.  Amie Hoeber wanted to empower women and support their careers in politics.

Her passion to help women didn’t stop there.  Around 1972, she helped found the Los Angeles chapter and was chair of that chapter for a year.  Later, she moved to Virginia.  In Virginia, she went on to help found the Northern Virginia chapter along with Kathy Wilson — the first Republican Chair of the national NWPC — and chaired the Northern Virginia chapter for a year in the late 70s.  During 1979 and 1980, then-candidate Ronald Reagan asked her to speak to NWPC chapter and national meetings in support of his candidacy.   She has not been active at the NWPC since 1981 when she was appointed to a Reagan Administration position  as a Deputy Assistant Secretary  ; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary; Deputy Under Secretary; U.S. Army, The Pentagon, Washington, D.C. in the Pentagon.

Amie Hoeber has also served at the House of Ruth Maryland as a member of the Board of Directors.  The House of Ruth helps the domestically abused women and children find temporary shelter and legal advice when needed.  Unfortunately, some Republicans have used Mrs. Hoeber’s association with these organizations to attack her during this campaign season.

 

Since the early eighties, the culture of the country has changed.  Many social and women’s organizations have been hijacked by the Democrats while Conservatives have retreated from these organizations. Today, the NWPC supports women in politics only if they are pro-abortion.

Past association to an organization that stood for entirely different principles is not grounds for any conservative to attack a true Reagan conservative.  Mrs. Hoeber has been clear on her views regarding abortion.  During the first debate, Amie Hoeber responded: “That is settled law, and I have sworn on many occasions as a government and federal employee…I will uphold the Constitution and the laws of this country.”

Despite attacks, Amie Hoeber, stayed true to herself in the Frederick County debate and explain further her position on abortion, that she is “neither pro-life nor pro-choice…. I’m a mother, I’m a grandmother. I think I understand the preciousness of growing life inside myself better than anyone else at this table….I would never have an abortion. On the other hand, I believe that the federal government has no right to impose my views on anyone else, or anyone else’s views on me.”

Hoeber’s political opponents have begun to attack her stance in order to advance their own position.  The reality is that no member of Congress will be able to ban abortions regardless of their position.  The driving force for women to have induced abortions are poverty, economic instability and a disintegrated culture stable family.  It is an unfortunate reality of the human condition that abortion will always exist as it has for thousands of years whenever pregnant women do not see a viable way to raise a child.

Economic instability has worsened in America for the middle class and the poor. The U.S. economy and world economy are sliding into recession, despite President Obama’s positive outlook and labeling his critics of his economy as a “peddling fiction.”

As time marches on, our younger generation does not know what socialism and communism are.  But they also don’t know what Republicans stand for as conservatives retreat from all liberal dominated organizations, including academia and government task forces, for fear of being condemned by their own fellow Republicans for not being ideologically pure.

As Teddy Roosevelt observed on April 23, 1910:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

In Maryland’s 6th District this year, the man in the arena is a woman, Amie Hoeber.

 

Updated on April 28, 2016.



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