Living in Pennsylvania as a liberal teenager can be very hard at times. I have lived in this beautiful state (actually a Commonwealth but I won’t bore you) for almost all of my life and learned a few thing about the large swaths of woods between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The very first political description using a map of Pennsylvania described the state as a conservative “T”. This makeup is largely caused by the democratic ideals of the two cities on the east and west borders and their exburbs and suburbs. Straight down the middle and the top corners, however, are nothing but good ole red state America, and these counties usually vote reliably Republican.
These red counties are almost always comprised of the people that people like Donald Trump pander to. White, farming Americans who relish their 2nd Amendment rights and their questionable ability to fly the confederate flag. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania has made me well versed in this experience and defending my views to many of my conservative peers. In fact, Philadelphia is where I first saw activism in its finest. While visiting Temple University in 2014, I witnessed a parade promoting the legalization of marijuana. I was simply blown away. All of these people were so willing to drop what they were doing and shut down Broad Street for an opinion that I had never even been exposed to!
I have become acutely aware of the politics in my small town and the adamant campaigning many locals do to prevent the election of a Democratic governor in our commonwealth. Gun control? Oh the horror! Terms such as “pro-choice” were never something I heard in a positive light growing up here, so Democratic Governor Tom Wolf’s decision is music to my ears.
I was very surprised to see that on Tuesday, Wolf vetoed a bill that would have made it illegal to have an abortion after 20 weeks of being pregnant. The current term for legal abortions is 24 weeks. Wolf even went as far as to point out the “attack on women’s ability to make their own decisions on health care”. Wolf blocked the bill after it made it overwhelmingly through the Republican Pennsylvania Congress, passing 120-70 in the House and 32-18 in the Senate. Wolf echoes the opinions of his voters in Philadelphia and some other counties which are vehemently pro-choice. Thank you Tom Wolf. Thank you for not only restoring my faith in our Commonwealth, but reminding me that there are people other than the avid Trumpers which I am surrounded by.
Tom Wolf is also seeking a reelection in the gubernatorial race that will take place next year. He will definitely be running against strong Republican opposition, but hopefully return a verdict in line with the triumphant Virginian Democratic wins recently. It will be the family-businessman’s second term in office after ousting incumbent Tom Corbett in 2014.
Photo via Flickr user Governor Tom Wolf
