O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.

There are many options for those who want to take up hobbies. Some people garden. Some people knit. For my part, my hobbies include reading, cross-stitching, and engaging in a toxic relationship with the Boston Red Sox.

A hobby I don’t understand, however, is attempting to trick voters into selecting a candidate in the primary election by falsely filing under a mainstream party. Yet that seems to be a favorite pastime for Free Staters, a group who answers the question, “What if you took a bunch of Twitter edgelords and rallied them around an untenable goal and a hedgehog emoji?” It takes a considerable amount of spite to develop a scheme devised around deceiving voters, and it takes even more self-absorption to think that that actually accomplishes anything aside from a virtual high-five from your Twitter followers.

So, primary voters, I urge you to investigate your candidates. I’m running alongside genuine Democrats Tim Hartnett and Karen Hegner to be one of your three Hillsborough 41 State Representatives, but lest anyone think this is only a Democratic issue, the Republican side has imposters in their midst as well.

And to the Free Staters, I have some bad news: Joe Rogan is never going to notice you. I’m sorry, sweetie, but this little hobby isn’t actually going to get you what you want.

May I suggest you take up knitting?

Lilly M. Foss is a democratic candidate for Hillsborough County District 41.

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