Have you ever read a book that taught you so much and moved you so much that you wanted to wave it around and get everybody you know to read it? This happened to me when I read the book “Chasing the Scream,” by Johann Hari. This book documents the origins and outcomes of the United States War on Drugs, and while it is a nonfiction book, it reads like a thriller. Dave Silberman, who is running for the position of High Bailiff, has read “Chasing the Scream,” and many other books about the racism and injustice of U.S. drug laws. Dave cares so much about this issue that he has been advocating for legalized cannabis in Vermont for years. Legislation he helped create will soon become law in the Green Mountain State.
Because Dave has such a deep understanding of the criminal justice system and the ways it has failed poor and marginalized Vermonters, I can’t wait to vote for him for High Bailiff. Although this position is mostly a symbolic one (the High Bailiff is the person who can arrest the Sheriff in the case of wrongdoing), I think it’s a position that should be held by someone who understands the way policing has failed so many people. We can and must do better. Please join me in voting for Dave Silberman for High Bailiff.
Joanna Colwell
Middlebury