Staff Report
To the Editor,
As a young mother and student here in Hays County, I’ve realized how often women, especially those of us just starting out, are silenced or dismissed. Too many of us feel like our voices don’t matter until we’ve earned a degree, held a title, or proven ourselves twice over. But if we wait until then, who speaks for us now?
My stance is simple: government exists to protect, not control. That means protecting the free will of families, women, and future generations, not silencing us. When women step forward, we carry not just our own perspectives but the weight of our children’s future.
I embody multiple layers of an American identity, from my heritage to my reinvention of who I choose to be. I am not who others tell me I am. I am who I say I am. That’s why I believe more young women, mothers, students, daughters of faith, need to take their place in community life, in politics, and in shaping the direction of this country.
If we are absent, the silence speaks for us. And that silence is costly. It’s time for more of us to rise, speak, and remind the world that protecting freedom means protecting the voices of all people.
Thank you for your consideration,
Sarah Rose Welles
Kyle, Texas
