I was raised in Melbourne, Australia, and lived there for 22 years before spending 7 years in Canada and 30 years in Michigan. In Michigan, I managed the sales division of my husband’s automation and robotics company until 2017. After relocating to the somewhat rural Cottonwood, Arizona, I found myself with time to contemplate my next chapter.
Then, 2020 happened. Heartbroken, I couldn’t visit my elderly mother in Melbourne due to the strict COVID laws. From afar, I watched as a wonderfully active, intelligent woman faded away from government-enforced isolation. Dementia crept in, and I felt a deep sadness, upset, and then fury.
I realized that if my beloved Australia could change so drastically, any country could. This was evident in my former home state of Michigan. Anger began to overtake my life until I read Col John Mills’s book, The Nation Will Follow. It was a revelation.
“Citizens are standing their ground where they live. They are doing their best to secure their county to secure America,” he wrote. “They are your average men, women, moms, dads, run-of-the-mill citizens.” He was speaking to me—a mother, wife, and lawful immigrant who came to America in pursuit of the American Dream. I was not content to be a passive observer.
I ran for City Council and took my oath in November 2022. What I thought would be a minor position turned out to be a demanding role, often requiring 40-plus hours a week. I discovered corruption, government incompetence with no accountability, and a leftist Mayor and Vice Mayor pushing their own agenda at the city’s expense. There was no representative government to be seen.
I faced immense opposition when trying to follow city codes and Arizona statutes to prevent a “Family Friendly” drag show in a city-owned building. This battle continues as the same show is scheduled to return to Cottonwood in 2025. My name will appear on the November ballot as they attempt to recall me.
My drive comes from the vision and promise this country has always represented. Witnessing the assault on our Constitutional Republic’s integrity, I could not, in good conscience, remain idle.
email- lisaduvernay@sbcglobal.net
GETTR-@LisaDuVernay6
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