To the editor:
There is an article written by David Enrich in the October 29 Sunday New York Times, in “The Great Read” section, that is worth the 15 minutes it takes to read. The headline is “A Grieving Mother. A Famous Uncle. An Unlikely Crusade.” It is about Nadia Milleron and Michael Stumo’s journey from losing their beautiful daughter Samya in a tragic 2019 plane crash in Ethiopia to Nadia’s decision to run for Congress, opposing Richard Neal for the Massachusetts 1st Congressional District.
Richard Neal has been our representative in Congress for 35 years. He is probably a good guy. His voting record represents his district, and he has a surprising amount of clout, based on his seniority. That said, I can’t recall Mr. Neal holding town hall meetings or engaging with our community with any regularity. I imagine he has attended some ribbon cuttings and other similar ceremonies where federal dollars were being doled out, but I have zero sense that he is in touch with the southern Berkshires. It seems like he has become a creature of Washington and a poster boy for term limits.
We had the good fortune to see the Stumo kids occasionally at social gatherings as they were growing up. They were talented and fun to be around. The tragic loss of Samya has propelled Nadia Milleron and Michael Stumo to advocate passionately, against all odds, for better airline safety oversight. They have overcome the influence of big money and pro-business biases to achieve some truly surprising accomplishments. My family will be voting for Nadia to represent our district in Congress. I encourage District 1 voters to read the New York Times article and to seriously consider Nadia Milleron when they cast their ballots in November.
James Hall
Alford
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