By Bessy Reyna
Storm Sandy is gone. Halloween is gone. But the possibility of the Republican party winning new Senate seats or, !Ay bendito! even the presidency, is scarier to me than any horror nature can bestow upon us.
Why? Think about it. The President of the United States of America gets to nominate Justices to the Supreme Court and the Federal Judges. The decisions to approve or denied those judges are made by Congress. If we think for a moment about the current composition of the Supreme Court, in terms of ideological positions, and in terms of the possibility of the resignation of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is elderly and ill, introducing a new Justice, who would be aligned with Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito, Antonin Scalia and Chief Justice John G. Roberts, could turn back many of the gains women and minorities have fought for so hard in this country.
The current political climate could not be more “anti-women” or “anti-immigrant.”
It is appalling that someone like U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, Republican from Missouri, would even consider that any rape could be “legitimate” while another Republican, Indiana’s U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, said during a debate, that if there is a pregnancy resulting from a rape “it is something that God intended to happen.” I have no idea what kind of “God” he believes in, but to use this excuse to justify denying an abortion to women under any circumstance is demeaning and an insult to women.
If the possibility of packing the court with right-wing ideologues, doesn’t concern you enough, think about what a more conservative court will mean when it comes to the rights of minorities.
While there is much talk about getting out the “Latino Vote,” I am not sure that Latinos are cognizant of the extraordinary repercussions which electing one candidate over another can have for their lives.
Sadly, our electoral process, at both the State and national levels, has become a game in which millions of dollars are spent by both conservatives, and liberals, to get tell voters that they candidate is better than the other guys’ just because “their” candidate will serve and protect the interest of their business or industries, while half-truths and lies go mostly unchecked.
If we take Connecticut Senate race, for example, the millionaire Linda McMahon has spent millions of her own money to buy herself one of those coveted seats. Like other very wealthy candidates before her, she too has jumped on the ring much like children demanding a new toy just because their parents can afford it. When these candidates lose, they seem to forget how much they “cared” about Connecticut; nor do they seem to care how much good their millions could have done if spent supporting any of the non-profit groups who are struggling to help the citizens of this state.
I know who I am voting for. But, in case you have any doubt, please consider the possibility of more restrictive immigration laws, anti-abortion laws, lack of health care for millions of people because they lack insurance, and so many issues which have a direct effect in the quality of all of our lives.
On Nov. 6, if you need to get motivated to get to the polls, try to honor the memory of those who marched, went to jail and died, so all of us could vote.
(Bessy Reyna is an opinion columnist for CTLatinoNews.com whose views do not necessarily reflect those of this website. She is a former opinion columnist for the Hartford Courant and the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Connecticut Center for the Book.)
