Patriots group part of interview series
Staff writer
Iola resident Virginia Macha gave a talk about her “American Made: Telling Our Story” project during a Proud Patriots meeting Sunday at Marion County Lake hall.
Macha, who was elected vice-chair to the Kansas Republican Party in 2019, is touring the state and interviewing people to learn their life stories. She will air the interviews at a state fair booth. So far, she has interviewed 50 people.
The four Marion County women who formed the Trumpettes, a group that supported Donald Trump and evolved into the Proud Patriots, inspired her, Macha said.
“I saw passion in these four ladies, and it encouraged me to keep going,” she said.
State representative Patrick Penn, a Republican serving the 85th district, was her interviewee.
Penn, of Wichita, was raised in foster care until he was 16. He lived in Michigan, Virginia, and Florida with foster families who had “hearts big enough to take in me and my brothers.”
He entered the military, retired from service in 2017, and moved to Kansas because he fell in love with people’s values.
Penn spoke about what he regarded as a lack of conservative views on the Committee on Children and Seniors; and that the age for young people to remain in foster care might be raised to 21 — with which he disagrees.
Asked what reception American soldiers received in Iraq, Penn said the Iraqis were grateful to have a say in how their country would be run.
Macha said her son and other relatives had served or were now serving in the military and said it was a “family affair.”
“My heart goes out to anyone who is serving, and their relatives,” Penn said. “That’s your heart, halfway across the world.”
Penn angrily answered questions about American flags and the Pledge of Allegiance allegedly not being allowed in schools, and the alleged indoctrination of liberal values at Ivy-league schools.
Rose Davidson, vice chairwoman of the Proud Patriots, suggested the group fund a scholarship.
The fund would require teaching or testing potential recipients on the U.S. Constitution.
Democrats meet
Marion County Democrats met via Zoom on Saturday, July 10.
County Chair Eileen Sieger conducted the business meeting.
A thank you note was read from scholarship recipient Laura Savage from Marion High School.
Topics discussed included the scholarship program, state candidates, fundraisers, new projects, community visibility, and precinct committee people.
The steering committee will meet on August 3 to develop recommendations for the August 14 meeting, which will be via ZOOM. Beginning in September, the group will meet again in person.