Gashette is Encouraging, Motivating and Supportive

Dear Editor,
My story about Shane Gashette is through the eyes of a wife, mother, and an immigrant woman. I came to the United States many years ago wanting to pursue the American Dream. Growing up in a poorer country, the pursuit to happiness had a completely different meaning.
When I met Shane, I was a permanent resident, single mother with a struggling career, but filled with hope for the future. He came in my son’s and my life as a guardian angel. He saw the passion in me in wanting to be an American woman and showed me the path. Since then, he has always been by my side, encouraging, motivating, and supporting me at every step of the way so that I can be the best of me. There’s a reason women can have it all - when they have a partner like mine. He was the one who encouraged me to pursue the path of citizenship in this country. He is my husband and will always have my undying love and support.
When people who know him encouraged him to bring that positive influence in the community he lives in as a Board Supervisor Candidate, I was filled with pride. It was a compliment to the person whose values have enriched the lives of people around him, especially this immigrant and our son. Those who know our son will tell you he is one of the kindest, gentlest, determined, and well-mannered young adult, with high principles and morals - the credit goes to his dad, my husband, who has taught him to be confident and not be part of a crowd, but be different not because of the color of his skin but by his actions, principles, creativity, values, skills and knowledge.
It upsets me terribly to see people who have no idea and have never met him go to extreme lengths to malign his name just because he is running for District Supervisor. He is not a politician, just a humble family man who has a wonderful family and circle of friends who love and respect him. I encourage anyone with a political motive to malign him to reach out to me regarding everything they accused him of in recent articles. I’d be more than happy to prove them otherwise in a thousand different ways. I will stand up for him and challenge anyone who calls him an anti-immigrant, racist, homophobe, criminal, etc. It would be my pleasure to recount the number of times he has protected and acted when people were not kind to my immigrant nature or color.
We know what career politicians do to our communities, cities, and to the country. When they fail to denounce malicious intent, they just prove their own detrimental, divisive logic and the fact that they have no interest in expressing how they’ll contribute to the community. The time, resources and energy that can be spent towards the good is wasted with this type of rhetoric. I was not born or raised here but I know very well that America is great because of its people, in their abilities to see the right from wrong, for their desire to have a free, safe and inclusive community.
Kaushiki Gashette,
New Glarus Wife and Mother