FRANKFORT — To the winners of the recent statewide elections, Congratulations and to all who put their name on the ballot, THANK YOU! The newly elected and re-elected candidates will assume their term on Tuesday, December 10, 2019.
Their terms will last through December 2023. Over these next four years, I hope that we can truly make meaningful and significant changes that bring progress and prosperity for all Kentuckians. I will continue to keep you updated on any developments within the executive branch as they come about.
Our right to vote is certainly one of the most powerful tools we are afforded as American citizens. A heavy price was paid for this freedom that we are granted today. On Veterans Day we reflected on the sacrifice of the American heroes before us that fought and died for us to carry on this tradition. It is for that reason that we must pay tribute to the 42 million men and women who have worn this country’s uniform over the last two-plus centuries.
Because of them, we have opportunities, we have freedoms, we have our independence, and we have our democracy. But that all comes at a cost – a cost paid by those servicemen and women. They are proof that freedom is never free, nor does it come without sacrifice. They paid with their time, with their health and with their lives.
Veterans Day provides us that opportunity to honor those who served our country and to learn from their experiences. We mustn’t remove their humanity from history. We need to hear their stories to have a better understanding and a deeper appreciation of what they did and we need to share those stories with our children so they too will remember. We do not ever need to take for granted the men and women serving our country or our veterans.
Under the backdrop of the USS KENTUCKY banner, I had the opportunity to speak to the Worthington Elementary School and the Veterans that they were honoring this week. The experience meant a lot to me, as we paid tribute to all of our Veterans, and their sacrifice. I got to remind the young people that Greenup County has two Congressional Medal of Honor winners, in John Walton Collier, who was born in Worthington, Kentucky and presented with the award posthumously for the ultimate sacrifice and bravery in battle, and Ernie West, born in Russell, Kentucky, who I got to celebrate with for his birthday recently, and how he went above and beyond in selfless show of valor to save others in battle.
Greenup county, and northeast Kentucky, have always answered the call in the defense of our country in war and peace time in numbers disproportionate to our population. We are blessed to have our Northeast Veteran’s cemetery and the Greenup War Memorial grounds.
It is important to honor our Veterans and teach the history of service, sacrifice and the reward in the preservation of our form of government, freedoms and way of life. I am thankful to have a school system and educators like Ryan Biederman at Worthington Elementary for the opportunity.
Veterans Day is set aside so that we as a country can celebrate and honor all of our veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Many have served and sacrificed since before the Revolution and until this very day and many more will continue to do the same. For this, we are grateful. For this, we will forever be indebted.
I will keep you informed on any new developments. For comments, questions, or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me by email at Robin.Webb@LRC.KY.GOV or by phone on the legislative message line toll-free at 1-800-372-7181.