The “hero of the Hudson” is back, and this time he wants Americans to take back their Republic.
Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger gained national attention in 2009 when he steered a 154-passenger flight to a safe emergency landing in the Hudson River.
Now, in an op-ed in The Washington Post, he is encouraging Americans to fight back against the “cowardly, complicit enablers” currently leading the country.
“This is not the America I know and love” he wrote in a message encouraging voter participation ahead of the midterm elections.
“To navigate complex challenges, all leaders must take responsibility and have a moral compass grounded in competence, integrity and concern for the greater good,” he wrote.
Tragically, people in positions in power today are not projecting their best, Sullenberger wrote.
“Many are cowardly, complicit enablers, acting against the interests of the United States, our allies and democracy; encouraging extremists at home and emboldening our adversaries abroad; and threatening the livability of our planet.”
“Many do not respect the offices they hold; they lack — or disregard — a basic knowledge of history, science and leadership; and they act impulsively, worsening a toxic political environment,” he continued.
Sullenberger, an Air Force veteran, said that the “current absence of civic virtues” should not be normalized.
“We must rededicate ourselves to the ideals, values and norms that unite us and upon which our democracy depends,” he wrote. “We must be engaged and informed voters, and we must get our information from credible, reputable sources.”
Sullenberger wrote that he has been a registered Republican for the majority of his adult life but has “always voted as an American.”
“We cannot wait for someone to save us. We must do it ourselves,” he wrote. “This Election Day is a crucial opportunity to again demonstrate the best in each of us by doing our duty and voting for leaders who are committed to the values that will unite and protect us.”
Election day is Tuesday, November 6th.