A voice for change

I am a relative newcomer in Gettysburg (moved here June 2015 after 25 years of being a monthly visitor) and to Gettysburg DFA.

Like many progressive residents of this red area, my wife and I wondered often in our first six months of residence whether we were the only people in the area who thought like us. Then, shortly after the 2016 election, we discovered Gettysburg DFA.

We learned that Gettysburg DFA was formed 12 years earlier in response to another disastrous election by progressive citizens who wanted to be sure George W. Bush did not have a free hand to do whatever he pleased. At the time, some of the burning issues were the widening US involvement in the Middle East following the Iraq invasion, the suppression of rights as a result of the Patriot Act, an assault on social security and Medicare, and assaults on our public schools and the social safety net.

In the words of former DFA chair Will Lane,

“We committed ourselves to building a progressive organization that would give voice to policies promoting equality, social justice, getting money out of politics and championing a sane and moral foreign policy. We vowed to take action and advocate for universal healthcare, civil rights for women and all minorities, and to challenge corporate power rather than people power.”

I have found my involvement with Gettysburg DFA a stimulating and worthwhile experience. I watch with admiration the work of committed people in the areas of health care, education, and government accountability and reform.

Several years ago, we were one of the first groups in the country to recognize the broad threats to our democracy at loose in our political system. We adopted “protection of democracy“ as our central objective. Now, we are reaching out to other like-minded groups in the 13th congressional district to see how we can work together.

Just a few of our recent accomplishments include: 

• We played a lead role in persuading the county to use a transparent process to allocate pandemic relief funds.

• We contribute two monthly Op-Eds in the Gettysburg Times on public education, healthcare, and government reform, written by members of our own task forces. 

• We publish the monthly “News and Notes” newsletter, which informs people of the activities of DFA and other progressive groups in town;

• Our healthcare task force was honored by the Pennsylvania Health Access Network as one of its most effective partner organizations;

• Our education task force was able to get both state senate candidates to answer a series of questions on education, allowing voters to make a genuine comparison of the two opposing candidates’ positions;

• Members of DFA organized, edited and made many of the key contributions to an important “What’s at Stake in 2020?” booklet that has been widely circulated through Pennsylvania.

• DFA members collaborated on a year-long study of Poverty in Adams County, released in April 2021.

Our members also play leading roles in the life of the community, including leadership of the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra; leading roles in the local Democratic party; leadership of other groups including Green Gettysburg and Fair District; and public office, including PICPI/Housing Authority, township commissioner, and chair of the 2020 Census Complete Count Committee.

Join us and help make a difference in the community, nation, and world.