Instead of complaining about paid activists, Andy Barr could listen to constituent worries | Opinion

On Saturday morning, about 900 concerned citizens, mostly from the Sixth Congressional District, filled the Kentucky Theatre in downtown Lexington for a Town Hall.

They represented a wide swath of Kentuckians, from veterans and farmers to doctors and high school students. They were all concerned about the most recent actions of our federal government.

The Town Hall was organized by Gathering for Democracy, which wanted Congressman Andy Barr to be there, listening and responding to the people he represents. He was invited. He was told that if he scheduled a town hall of his own, we would cancel this one. But Barr was unavailable.

Since Barr was unavailable, we decided to provide a forum for the people of his district to voice their concerns. Each person who came was asked to write the story of how the of the Department of Government Efficiency’s chainsaw approach to cutting federal spending has affected them and their families. About 30 people came forward to a microphone and told their stories. Attendees were also given the chance to ask Rep. Barr — represented by an empty chair on the stage — questions about his part in what is happening in Washington and back home in Kentucky.

One attendee spoke of a friend who was a research librarian “who will most likely lose her job. She is a single mother of two children. This will push them into poverty.”

An archaeologist who often works with counterparts from the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, said friends in the federal government have been fired, but they have not committed waste, fraud, or abuse.

A teacher said Elon Musk was claiming fraud in the federal government “without proof. If money is being misappropriated, why have no individuals been accused?”

A gay immigrant expressed fear that Kentucky is not a safe place for him and his partner.

More than one cancer survivor spoke about eliminating federal funding for cutting edge research that saved their lives.

So many of the people at the Town Hall today fear the place they call home is no longer a safe and welcoming place. Does it still stand for the principles they fought for in the military? Does it stand for the freedoms they or their ancestors risked their lives to attain when they emigrated? Is it still a land of opportunity for us all? Is it still a place where we each have a voice?

On social media, a Barr staffer claimed that the Town Hall was “not coordinated” with his office. He called our group “paid liberal activists,” hoping to “stage a shouting match.” Contrary to these claims, there was a concerted effort over weeks to coordinate the event with his office. There was not a single “paid activist” in the crowd, which was peaceful and well spoken. I will admit that there were some tears shed in the audience. But they were silent.

Dismissing the concerns of the people he serves is a callous and disingenuous response to those who showed up at the Town Hall. We will deliver to Congressman Barr the stories that the people of his district wrote. I pray that he will listen to the good people of Lexington. And that he will do the work he was sent to Washington to do.

Kate Reilly Brinkley is a member of Gathering for Democracy, a cross-partisan group of concerned citizens of the Bluegrass.