As U.S. military veterans and New Hampshire residents, we want to support Chris Pappas. But support comes with an expectation: that he will demonstrate the courage to stand for human rights, listen to constituents who challenge him, and be clear about the values guiding his decisions.
His partnership with Don Bolduc raises serious questions about those priorities, such as Bolduc’s close alignment with Donald Trump, opposition to abortion rights and a history of promoting unfounded claims about elections, vaccines and New Hampshire schools.
Working across party lines can serve the public good. But bipartisanship is not a virtue in itself. It must be judged by what it accomplishes, whose voices it elevates and what elected officials are willing to overlook to achieve it. A partnership does not erase legitimate concerns about a person’s record or public statements.
Meanwhile, New Hampshire veterans who have sought conversations with Pappas about peace, diplomacy and veterans’ needs deserve more than acknowledgment. New Hampshire veterans deserve meaningful engagement, and a fair opportunity to influence the policies pursued in their name.
If Pappas can make room for Bolduc, he should make room for veterans asking him to put human rights and diplomacy at the center of American foreign policy. Their perspectives should not carry less weight because they challenge him rather than offer a politically convenient partnership.
Veterans do not speak with one voice. For many of us, military service strengthened our conviction that war must never be treated casually, that civilian lives have equal value and that our country’s power must be matched by accountability. Those convictions deserve a place at the table.
This is not a demand that Pappas work only with people who agree with us. It is a demand for consistency. Reaching across the aisle should not become an excuse to turn away from constituents asking difficult but necessary questions.
Congressman Pappas, meet with the veterans who have been seeking that conversation. Address their concerns directly. Explain what your partnership with Bolduc is intended to accomplish and how it reflects the principles you ask voters to trust.
Many of us want you to succeed. But we want more than a Democrat who can attract Republican support. We want a leader who will stand firmly for peace, human dignity and accountability, even when it carries a political cost.
Bjorn Lange, from Concord, served in the United States Army. David DeTour, from Weare, served in the United States Navy.