Garrett steers students toward legacies
Big Washington came to Little Washington last week when freshman Congressman Tom Garrett visited with the seniors of Rappahannock County High School. A freshman representative in Congress from Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Rappahannock County, Congressman Garrett has previously served as an elected member of the Virginia State Senate, an elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Louisa County, a veteran of the United States Army, and he is a graduate of both the University of Richmond and the University’s Law School. His visit to RCHS was part of his stated goal to visit with seniors in every high school of the congressional district he serves.
The congressman spoke to a rapt audience in the high school auditorium, sharing his experiences, his views on a wide range of topics, and his hopes for the future of both the 5th district of Virginia and the nation as a whole. Recent events in Charlottesville were mentioned frequently as Congressman Garrett stressed the necessity of citizens being able to express opposing views without resorting to violence, bemoaning the increasing polarization that has seemed to grip not only our political process but also our nation.
Several times during his presentation Congressman Garrett referenced the fact that Thomas Jefferson, a slave owner and undoubtedly an imperfect human being, was able to create a near perfect document in the form of the Declaration of Independence. His point to the RCHS seniors was that while all of us are likely imperfect, all of us are just as likely able to create lasting legacies that can rise above our own imperfections and help both ourselves and others to become better people and citizens.
He also took questions from the seniors, fielding topics ranging from the current volatile situation in North Korea to his adherence to the platform of the Republican Party to the legality of medical marijuana. Throughout his speech and the question and answer session that followed the congressman focused on a bipartisan theme, not extolling the virtues of any major political party or leader, but instead praising the virtues of the system of representative democracy in which we all live and stressing the value of every citizen’s contribution to that system.
Noting the responsibility that we as citizens have to continue to strive for perfection even while knowing we will likely fall short, he pointed out that his audience, the RCHS seniors, will inherit the system the current generation leaves them. And with that, he expressed the hope that our seniors will inherit a country as great and noble as what he has had the privilege of serving and that they, the seniors, will accept the responsibility to improve upon that which they have been given.