Perry Dror

To quote an autobiographical blues song that I wrote:
"I’ve been a hippie, and a soldier, artist, judge, and businessman. I got married, had three children, and raised ‘em up as best I can." Every word is true, although I took liberties with the chronology. These events played out over many years, and two continents, exemplifying the adage that, “the only thing that is constant is change.”

 

While the adage is mostly true, there are a few other constants in my life. Among those constants are my strong beliefs in the paramount importance of equal rights and opportunities, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965 (which our ultra conservative SCOTUS has decimated), the 2015 decision that legalized same-sex marriage, bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, and the separation of church and state.

 

These convictions were formed in my parent’s home, along with the importance of being an active participant in our democracy. They were also informed by my Jewish upbringing and identity. The Torah exhorts, “Justice, justice, shall you pursue.” And as Rabbi Tarfon (a first century CE priest in the Second Temple, and a rabbinic authority after the Temple’s destruction) used to say: “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.”

 

Unfortunately, both Project 2025, and the incoming Trump administration, threaten to tear these values and protections asunder. This not hyperbole, but rather the reality in which we find ourselves. Please let me know how I can support you, or your county, in our efforts to support our Democrats in the NC Council of State, and in our State Legislature, and to safeguard and improve life in WNC. This could take the form of training sessions, mentoring, or help with editing speeches and communiques.