The following Letters to the Editor appeared in the October 28, 2026 edition of the Star Valley Independent.
What we stand for
Dear Editor,
“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” As a child I was taught that this proverb originated within my religion. I’ve since learned it’s of unknown origin and has long been popular in broader society. Author unknown and popularity aside, this saying speaks profound truth.
On November 3 we have the opportunity to demonstrate what we stand for.
Our outgoing Senator, Cynthia Lummis, has signaled what she stands for. Nothing has alarmed her – not Trump’s erratic tariffs, his illegal and ill-advised war in Iran, brutal and unconstitutional ICE/CBP tactics, billions in shameless grift, or his betrayal of our Ukrainian allies by unilaterally waiving Russian sanctions to fund Putin’s aggression in Ukraine. Recently Lummis blocked a senate resolution that would have denounced Trump’s campaign-style ads, paid for with taxpayer dollars.
Harriet Hageman, a would-be senator counting the days until she can move into Lummis’ D.C. office, has overtly signaled she will continue her 97% Trump-aligned voting in Congress. She’s stood up for nothing. She refuses to debate her General Election challenger, James Byrd. Chuck Gray, too, proclaims his adoration for a Trump-First administration and refuses to debate Lisa Kinney in his outside-money bid for Wyoming’s lone House seat.
Candidates who advertise their allegiance to Trump stand for:
• economic struggles of everyday Americans (which will continue to intensify if Congress won’t challenge the current path)
• our armed services sent into another Middle Eastern war (despite Trump’s campaign promise for “no new wars” only two years ago)
• the dehumanization of immigrants and U.S. citizens of color
• Trump’s inner circle of wealthy elitists bilking our US treasury
• authoritarian tyranny with Putin as Trump’s model and poster child
Add plunder of public lands, unchecked pollution, rampant AI and surveillance, plus pedophilia (the Epstein Files may have been swept under the rug, but they haven’t lost their relevance) to the list of things our GOP congressional candidates stand for.
The actions of Lummis, Hageman and Gray suggest that they think Wyoming’s people are fools – that we stand for nothing, so we’ll fall for anything.
Let’s prove them wrong.
Stephanie Henderson
