I am writing to ask for your support for Tamisha Civil for Governor’s Council in this year’s election. As many of you know, Tamisha and I were competitors in the primary, and it was my privilege to get to know Tamisha in that process. She is smart, dedicated and hard-working. We will be so fortunate to have her serving on the Governor’s Council for a more progressive future.

We need to appoint judges for the future who will protect the rights we have today without reservation and who are also able to adapt to changing times and accommodate new information to ensure they are solution focused and dedicated to developing a more equitable and responsive system of justice for us all.
Today, an alarming percentage of those incarcerated have underlying health conditions — mental illness or substance use disorder. In many cases, treatment is more indicated than incarceration, and in all cases, treatment is paramount. Tamisha understands that.

It is also well established that people of color and those from disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances are over-represented in the criminal legal system, and we need the appointees of the future to be a part of the solution to correct for that. It will not be easy. Tamisha has lived this experience with her family, and she will advocate for the change we need.

Please plan to vote — early voting is available all week at Town Hall, and the polls will of course be open at Hopkinton Middle School from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on Nov. 5. When you vote, please vote Tamisha Civil for Governor’s Council.

— Muriel Kramer, Hopkinton

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