Protect the Voice of Virginia’s Valley and Mountains

I realized something recently—I haven’t spoken to many people face-to-face in quite a while.

Most days I’m walking through the woods or along the lake with my dog, Buster. He’s usually right there beside me, exploring every trail and sniffing every tree. In fact, he’s at my feet as I write this.

Buster has his own personality. He has his bark, his energy, and the little quirks that make him who he is. I wouldn’t want to take those things away from him, because those are the very things that make Buster unique.

And that’s what worries me about what’s happening here in Virginia.

If we lose four congressional seats and the voice that our region has in Richmond is weakened or taken away, then something very important will be lost. It feels wrong—deeply wrong—to silence a group of people and diminish their representation.

The Shenandoah Valley and the mountains that surround it are special places. The Alleghenies. The Blue Ridge. The people who live here bring something to Virginia that simply cannot be measured.

You can’t buy it.

You can’t read about it in an encyclopedia.

You can’t look it up on the internet or ask artificial intelligence to explain it.

You have to experience it yourself—by listening to the voices of the people who live here. Gentle people. Hard-working people. People who care deeply about their communities and their neighbors.

There is truly no one else like the people who live in the valley, in central Virginia, and in these beautiful mountains. To stifle that voice—to take it away or reduce it—is an awful tragedy.

I’ll admit I’m deeply upset about it.

I’m troubled by what feels like an abuse of power by those who have been elected to lead.

When power is used to manipulate the Constitution or bend the rules for political advantage, something fundamental is lost. Our system depends on honesty, integrity, and fairness.

So instead of shouting or arguing, I will do what many Virginians have always done in difficult times. I will pray—quietly, in my own heart.

I hope others will do the same.

Pray for honesty.
Pray for equality.
Pray for integrity in those who hold power.

And pray that we preserve the spirit of fraternity that should unite all Virginians—not just a select few. Virginia has always been a place that tries to lift people up, not leave them behind. That includes the good people who live in our valleys and our mountains.

God bless you.

And may the Lord bring equality and justice to this land that helped create this nation—Virginia.

Larry Johnson
Warren County, VA

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