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Editor, Asbury Park Sun,

I feel the need to respond to [the YOUNG NEW JERSEYANS CAN SAY “NO” TO CHRIS SMITH] Letter to the Editor posted on Jan 8, as I feel it misleads your readership to promote an alternate agenda .

The letter strongly implies that residents of Asbury Park, particularly the youth, will have a voice in the November election of New Jeresy’s 4th Congressional District involving the incumbent Republican Chris Smith and a Democratic challenger –  potentially Josh Welle who the author, an 8th Avenue resident presumably of Asbury Park ‘supports.’

The issue is that Asbury Park is not in the 4th Congressional District – Asbury Park is in the 6th Congressional District represented by Democrat Frank Pallone. Now neighboring Wanamassa and Ocean Grove – two areas which are target audiences for the Asbury Park Sun – are within the 4th Congressional District, which does make the author’s support of Mr. Welle relevant for this publication. But let’s be clear – as currently situated the author will not be able to vote for Mr. Welle.

Additionally, the author uses this letter to state how today’s youth can make an impact on policy within the current political system and ‘isn’t just a pipe dream.’ The author gives an example of working on Vin Gopal’s [D-11] successful State Senate campaign this past fall and then promotes the upcoming Asbury Park Women’s Convention – which she has co-founded. The author then in the next paragraph goes into Rep Smith’s record on Women’s Rights regarding birth control and states, “I don’t believe that most people in NJ, especially young people, want a man in office who holds this believe,” – a statement I’m sure most people attending the Women’s Convention would agree with.

The truth here is that the author is utilizing Rep. Smith’s record as ‘click bait’ disguised in a letter to the editor in order to promote her own agenda for the Asbury Park Women’s Convention – an event in a district that Mr. Smith doesn’t represent.

Concluding I need to state that this rebuttal isn’t a knock on the author’s work or the upcoming convention – it appears that she is a tireless worker for her political beliefs which is admirable and I hope the Asbury Park Women’s Convention is a tremendous success. But in my opinion, I feel her letter was a bit of sleight of hand to those not informed about NJ voting districts by utilizing a long-time polarizing out-of-district NJ politician to promote her agenda.

Jason O’Keefe

Wanamassa

[These letters represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here.]

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