Liz Cheney — Mid-Term Elections

David and I were never actively involved in politics in the past. We did our own research, discussed different candidates between ourselves, and then we voted. We avoided all controversial discussions that other people were having, and we chose to just listen to their opinions without expressing our own opinions. We always desired to avoid any kind of contention that usually arises in political conversations.

On January 6, 2021, when we watched on TV as an angry mob broke windows and stormed the Capitol Building, we were both horrified. We had walked the halls of that sacred building in the past and knew of the sacrifice of so many who had worked to build the United States of America and preserve its freedoms, democracy, and Constitution. We were totally devastated. With tears in our eyes, we looked at each other and said, “We have to get involved.”

Who Really is Liz Cheney?

The first question we had in our minds was, “Who really is Liz Cheney?”

Although we had voted for Liz Cheney as our Wyoming Republican Representative to Congress, we didn’t know too much about her. Now that she was receiving so much criticism from the Republican party, we wanted to find out for ourselves what kind of person she really was.

When we went to Washington D.C. for a commitment in November 2021, David called ahead to see if he could arrange for a meeting with Representative Cheney in her office. We were told by her administrative assistant that she would be out of town the week we were there, but he could show us her office and answer any questions we might have. After speaking with him at length in her office, he asked us if we would like Representative Cheney to call us the next week. We told him yes, and to our surprise she did call us exactly when she said she would.

Because we had heard so much in the news from many people saying that Liz Cheney doesn’t really care about Wyoming or about the people in Wyoming, we didn’t know what to expect from her phone call. After she thoroughly answered all our questions, she graciously asked about our family and our backgrounds. We then found out that we had a few common friends here in Cody, and she was very interested to know how they were doing.

After this phone call, we knew for ourselves that Liz Cheney does care about Wyoming, she does care about the Wyoming people, and she is a TRUE Republican.

When David returned to Washington D.C. in March 2022, he had the opportunity to meet and visit with Liz Cheney for the first time. At the end of their conversation, he asked her if she would like to come to our home in Cody and speak to our family and friends about what she is doing for Wyoming and for our country. She said she would love to come!

On July 30, 2022, after speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Meneta-Simpson Institute at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center near Cody, Liz Cheney came to our house, along with Alan and Ann Simpson and Deni Meneta, the widow of Norman Meneta who passed on two months ago. 

“Meet & Greet”

We had an outdoor “meet and greet” reception for 75 invited guests who were there to listen to Representative Cheney speak and also to ask her some pretty tough questions. We had Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all mingling together and having conversations with each other in a polite, respectful way—the way all political discussions can and should be done!

We learned from this experience that everyone has the right to their own opinions, everyone has the right to express their own opinions, and everyone has the right and responsibility to be respectful of other people’s opinions. We can disagree without becoming disagreeable. We can live in peace, love, and friendship.

This type of friendship, as exemplified by Alan Simpson, a Republican, and Norman Mineta, a Democrat, began when they were both 12-year-old Boy Scouts and Mineta was in the Heart Mountain Japanese Internment Camp near Cody. I hope you will take the time to listen to their story of friendship on YouTube.

“A decades-long friendship between the late San Jose mayor, U.S. Congressman and Cabinet secretary Norman Mineta and former U.S Senator from Wyoming Alan Simpson began across the barbed wire fence of a Japanese internment camp.” 

Thank You!

The next week after we had our very friendly reception with Liz Cheney, we received a bouquet of flowers and a sweet thank you note from her. In appreciation for the flowers, I wrote this note back to her:

Dear Liz,

It was such a surprise to receive the beautiful flowers you sent and read your sweet message! Yellow flowers have always been our favorite since we had them at our wedding 50 years ago! It was such an honor to have you at our home and have the pleasure of getting to know you on a personal level as a kind, sincere, amazing individual.

We appreciate all the good choices you have made throughout your life that have brought you to this point in the history of America where you can stand with a spine of steel, never wavering, and with an eloquent voice of conviction speak the truth for the whole world to hear. 

I hope you will always remember the words I said to you when you were at our home: 

One thing I love about you is that you have a “mother’s heart.” But your mother’s heart is not just for your own children, it’s for our whole country. I know you love America, and you love Wyoming! I know you will do what’s RIGHT to protect our freedoms and preserve our Constitution. I know your influence for good will inspire millions for generations because you have a mother’s heart.

Thank you for coming to our home and giving the people of Cody a chance to visit with you. We have had so many people thank us for giving them this opportunity. It was so special for all of us who were there! 

Please know you are always in our prayers.

Ordinary Citizens

Yes, we learned for ourselves that Liz Cheney is a person of integrity and cares about the individual. Why else would she take time for David and me? We were just ordinary citizens whom she had never heard of before but who were interested in getting to know her better. These are the kind of people we want to vote for who will serve honestly and valiantly in our government today.

I hope you will share this post with your family and friends, so the whole world will learn over time that there is a way to live in peace, love, and friendship.

P.S. For those who might be wondering, I did freshly bake and serve my “famous” chocolate chip cookies for Liz Cheney and our other guests. I found that they all loved my cookies just as much as kids and teenagers do!