Boricua Rising!

The events at the Trump rally at Madison Square Garden left many of us in shock and utter dismay. I first saw it pop up on social media and soon, other reports of a “comedian” speaking at a Trump rally were making headlines for the racist and denigrating comments made about Puerto Rico and Latinos.

The “comedian” made a “joke” about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage.” It naturally infers that those that live on the island, mainly Puerto Ricans, are also garbage. I’ve traveled through much of the developing world and the images this comment conjured up for me were visceral. The comments also denigrated Latinos for having babies and not being able to “pull out,” but rather, “come inside” just as they had done to the U.S. These are vulgar comments at a rally for a candidate that claims to promote Christianity and is their proclaimed champion. Apparently, the “comedian” also made comments about Black Americans peeling watermelons instead of pumpkins, and, not to leave out any of the groups on his hate list, he also made comments about Jews.

That these comments have caused trauma and outrage is clear. How many times can people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ communities, Jews and other minorities hear what has become the daily onslaught of hateful comments without it having an impact on our mental state? We have given to our country, in every facet of life in the USA (military service, government, business, art, education, labor, etc., etc.). How can a speaker at a political rally speak about us this way? And a week before the election? I have spent much time, thinking about the many Latinos that are supporting Donald Trump and how they can do so, when this former President has shown us, time, and time again, that he has no regard or respect for our people, our island and for Latinos.  I can speak of the outrage and the offensive comments, but I want to address what I think is more disheartening and incongruent.

What is more disturbing to me is the unwillingness of those that support him – some targeted by his comments – to see the references for what they are: expressions of race and ethnic hatred, misogyny and intolerance toward certain religious groups and those from the LGBTQ community. Most of his supporters, immediately point out that Donald Trump didn’t say these comments. Indeed, he did not. However, political rallies are designed to “rally” support for the candidate. Campaign organizers vet the speakers carefully to make sure that nothing is said that speaks against the message of the candidate. The comments were cast on a teleprompter, so clearly, the contents were known. Although I had never heard of this “comedian,” apparently this type of humor is his “brand,” so there are no surprises there either. Finally, and most importantly, Donald Trump, the candidate and former President, has not repudiated the comments. This last fact is the most significant piece of evidence to illustrate that he supports the comments. It is, after all, his rally.

We have a saying in Spanish, “Eres, o te haces?” It translates to “Are you, or are you pretending? If you have traded in your moral compass for a monetary one, then, hey, you’ve prioritized the price of a gallon of gas and/or a carton of milk and/or you believe that the last 4 years have been “disastrous” and you obviously don’t care if the candidate of your choice calls you “garbage,” “dirty,” and/or any of the numerous other expletives that the former President and his minions have hurled at our people, numerous other minorities and women for several years. We are, after all, a capitalist country and money matters. I understand that for some people, food prices are a REAL issue and it needs to be addressed. However, there are many in our country that do not hail from the bottom of the economic scale for whom money matters more than the words in our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution and the lives of those that have died bravely fighting for “freedom” in our country. The price of gas matters more than the well-being of your neighbors or those that toil in your community that may be undocumented workers. The misinformation about “migrant crime” and Haitian immigrants “eating cats and dogs” is more credible than the reality of data which shows that crime is down, in general, and that US citizens commit most of the crimes in this country. The reality that inflation is getting better is dimmed by the belief that this is the “worst economy ever.” The belief that many women have abortions in the 9^th month, prevails over the reality of data concerning terminations of pregnancies that show they occur much earlier in the term. The belief in Christian nationalism “trumps” our freedom of religion and the sacred separation of church and state. Those that believe the lies, perpetuate and propagate the lies, in order to justify their belief in the lies.

Indeed, many of the wealthy and most powerful have also kowtowed in fear to the former President and his threats of retribution. Tragically, there is a deep lack of courage when we need it most. When Jeff Bezos kowtows to the former President and refuses his editorial board the right to editorialize, then we have hit the proverbial “bottom.” The battering rams of fascism and authoritarianism are at the moat and those that can best defend our castle — our “temple” of democracy — are negotiating with the attackers, so that they can protect themselves and their assets. Tale as old as time. What can we ask from those of us that are far less powerful?

Here is what I ask: for the love of what’s left of our morality, please don’t try to convince me that he doesn’t mean what he says. He has threatened to deport immigrants; weaponize the institutions of justice against those that have spoken out against him; and use the military to suppress freedom of speech. He and the GOP have already stripped women of the right to their own bodies, as same-sex marriages and separation of church and state are being readied for the guillotine. Out of respect for what is left of community between us, please stop saying that he isn’t exactly what he says he is: a person who will trample our civil rights and basic freedoms to carry out a racist, xenophobic, misogynist and regressive social and political agenda. Stop trying to convince me that he won’t do what he says he’s going to do. It’s an insult to my intelligence and to the collective intelligence of those of us that understand what is really happening; those of us that value our principles over an inflation that will surely pass, as so many other periods of inflation have passed.

Recently, someone said to me that people should just vote and “let the chips fall where they may.” This person is a member of the upper middle class in Westchester County, NY. I responded: “Let me tell you where the chips will fall: the chips will fall on the undocumented immigrants and their US born children; the chips will fall on women – your daughter, nieces, and all the women in your life and the men that love them; the chips will fall on the possibly broken same-sex marriages and their families; the chips will fall on people of color that will be victimized by the “green light” that the Proud Boys and the KKK have received; it will fall on Jews; it will fall on Muslims; it will fall on the ordinary citizens who dare express dissent against hatred and fascism; and one day, if history holds true, the chips may fall on you.”

I love my country. I respect the rule of law. I concede that the two-party system may be permanently broken and that we have serious problems to solve. If Kamala Harris wins, she will face a daunting task of uniting this country. The Democratic Party must be honest and look back to some of its failed policies from the 1990s and admit, that although well-intentioned and widely supported at the time, some of these policies created catastrophic results for our communities. We must address the problem of immigration with humanity, fairness and firmness. The Democratic Party must institute transparency. We know what to expect from the GOP. We must be better. I am heartened by the many Republicans that have committed their support to Kamala Harris. She has stated that she is not above re-thinking policies for better solutions. She has stated that she may consider a bi-partisan Cabinet. These are good ideas.  We must engage, coalesce and compromise to find solutions. That is how democracy works. It takes participation and compromise. It takes putting our country FIRST. Our progress has never been perfect, but it has been consistent, even through very difficult times. We must have faith.

When I became an attorney, I swore to uphold the Constitution and our government. I still believe that democracy is the best form of government. It has abolished slavery, provided rights to the disenfranchised and it has protected our rights to freedom of religion, press, speech, to bear arms and to be protected from unjust prosecution.  But if the majority chooses something and someone else, then I will cry my beloved country and move forward with the rule of law. Democracy and the rule of law are the foundations of my “temple.” But for the love of the Christian God that many of you are using as a shield and banner, to justify and perpetrate the very worst acts of hatred, please stop denying who and what you are supporting. Inflation comes and goes, but the experiment of democracy, in which we have engaged, for better or worse, since 1776, and 1789, if eradicated, will not so easily reestablish itself.

We must have faith and move forward this week with one purpose: defeat these forces of hatred and speak with a majority voice: “WE ARE NOT GOING BACK!” if you already voted for either candidate, and you are now disgusted by what you saw on Sunday night – drive others to the polls, observe the polls for proper procedures, do your part to preserve what I love with all my heart and soul: THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY in our country. It is what gave me an education, the privilege to travel and see the world — to go beyond the destiny of a Puerto Rican girl-child born in Newark, NJ. Democracy has given me my opportunities — my LIFE. It has given the descendants of slaves, indentured servants and immigrants a better life.  We MUST defend it, within the rule of law, until every vote has been counted. Let us not give justification to delegitimize a Harris victory – that was the purpose of the rally on Sunday night – to inflame hearts. We are better and smarter than that.

Regardless of who prevails we must live together and face each other as neighbors and citizens of the United States. God bless my beloved country. God bless us all.