Debbie Irwin

In addition to providing voiceovers for Democrats and progressives and mission-driven organizations, Debbie is no stranger to standing up for what she believe is right. In the 1960’s, back in Chicago, she took part in the Civil Rights and peace marches taking place in her community. She now lives across from City Hall where protests and marches are a nearly weekly occurrence. But it is through public discourse, and in holding our public officials accountable that we as a community can bring about positive change. Debbie is a member of the Freelancers Union that has helped to pass legislation in New York to protect freelance workers’ rights.. In a gig economy, people work numerous hours to make sure 9 to 5er’s lives run smoothly, but they have no claim to the protections and securities others benefit from; such as minimum wages and health care. Freelancers are often not compensated if they are injured on the job or are not able to report against discrimination or harassment. In the workforce today, countless pay their bills through freelancing and they should have access to the same rights as those in salaried positions. There have been countless legislations being pushed through congress that endanger Women’s Equality and Women’s Reproductive Rights. A women’s bodily autonomy and access to crucial healthcare should not be something that is at risk of being lost in America in 2020. It is of the utmost importance that we insure a woman's right to choose what happens to her body, so that she has the ability to choose the path that is right for her own future. Likewise in 2020, more than 50 years after the Equality Act has been brought before congress, the US constitution should state that a woman is equal to a man and is entitled to the same rights. Healthcare is a human right, and in a country that totes wealth and prosperity, it should be available to all. Debbie wishes for an end to the days where people need to resort to asking strangers to help pay for lifesaving treatment, or hearing of a neighbor going bankrupt because of medical bills and parents needing to ration insulin for their children. We should all demand a healthier America, one that cares for and takes care of it’s poor and sick community. Climate change is at the top of the list of threats to our country and our planet. We need a government that values jobs in clean energy and holds companies that are endangering our environment accountable. We need to reenforce laws that ensure everyone has clean air and water, and take the science of rising temperatures and rising sea levels seriously. More than anything, we as a nation need to come together as one community. Debbie has experienced how people can come together in a time of tragedy. Debbie still lives very near to Ground Zero and was in the city on 9/11. She and her family were among those that had to be evacuated from lower Manhattan, unable to return to her home for months. It was in the generosity of strangers that Debbie found the importance of working together as a community to bring about a positive outcome from a very tragic event. We can take all that we learned that day and on election day in 2016 and move forward as a community to bring about positive change.