Lingamfelter promises family-friendly agenda
Lingamfelter, a Republican, announced his intent to run for reelection to the 31st House District to about 120 supporters Saturday afternoon at the Coles District Volunteer Fire Department.
“A I did in my first election, the standard for this election will be faith, family and freedom,” Lingamfelter said to his audience who sat around folding tables that bore the remnants of barbecue sandwiches, baked beans and potato salad.
“These simple words clearly describe what ought to be the central focus of political leadership,” Lingamfelter said.
“Faith in a loving God, who inspired our founders to institute a government where the rule of law, the right to posses property and a common national identity with inalienable rights would be the new standard for nations of the world. A nation unlike any other ever founded and, even now, the hope of beleaguered nations around the world,” Lingamfelter said in his announcement speech.
Lingamfelter, a pro-life candidate, described family as the “best social program ever conceived.”
Lingamfelter, who is currently running unopposed, said he intends to continue the fight for lower taxes, educational choice, tougher criminal penalties and to protect innocent human life.
The family is, Lingamfelter said , “The place where we raise our children to be citizens worthy of self-governance and able to carry the promise of our founders to generations to come.”
Lingamfelter, a retired U.S. Army colonel and Desert Storm veteran, quoted C.S. Lewis to explain how common sense conservatism safeguards freedom.
“Those who would torment us for our own good will torment us our life long, because they do so with the permission of their own conscience,” Lingamfelter said, quoting the author of the “Narnia” books for children.
“Well folks,” Lingamfelter returned to his own words.
“We don’t need government to manipulate our freedom for its purpose, we need leaders who will protect our freedoms for our purpose,” he said.
“That’s why I pledge to you today that I will fight to protect our freedom by insisting on policies that do just that, lower taxes, control spending, create greater economic opportunity, and more, not less freedom,” Lingamfelter said.
Lingamfelter told his supporters, who regularly interrupted his speech with applause, that during his first term he fought against the tax referendum, helped to add $500 million to school funding and, along with other Republicans closed a $6 billion deficit.
He promised, in his next term, to continue to keep tax rates low because common sense conservatism indicates that “businesses thrive, revenues grow,” under lower tax rates.
The thriving businesses and growing revenues then support increasing requirements of education, transportation, public safety and health care, Lingamfelter said.
“Governor [Mark R.] Warner thinks you can tax yourself to prosperity. But you can no more tax yourself to prosperity than you can stand in a bucket and lift yourself with the handle,” Lingamfelter said.
Lingamfelter, who entered the political arena as an advocate for school choice has not altered his stance. He supports tax credits religious and private schools.
“We must move beyond ‘One-size-fits-all’ education and see public, private, religious and home schooling as a basket wickered neatly together to contain valid alternatives we can use to educate our children,” he said.
If he is re-elected, Lingamfelter said, he will continue to fight for the rights of Virginians to keep and bear arms.
“My idea of gun control is this: I’ll control mine. You control yours,” Lingamfelter said.
Lingamfelter also speaks against abortion.
“How can we call ourselves great when we stand watch over the systematic destruction of human life? That is why I joined [Delegate] Bob Marshall to pass an end partial birth abortion,” Lingamfelter said.
“And that is why I joined [Delegate] Dick Black in requiring parental notification for abortion. And that’s why I will be a warrior for the unborn,” Lingamfelter said.
Staff writer Keith Walker can be reached at (703) 878-8063.