Pushed to Be Partisan
Dear Leading Ladies,
Nonpartisan, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, means “not partisan, especially: free from party affiliation, bias, or designation.” Disinterested, dispassionate, equitable, impartial and indifferent are a few of the suggested synonyms. Leading Ladies was founded with the promise that we would be nonpartisan by not endorsing any candidate or political party. We would take a stance on issues, however, and those positions might sometimes, and even often, ally with particular candidates, and even one party, more than another.
Consequently, for the past several years, we have, and continue to, fight for equal access for all to quality education, medical care, and housing; an end to food insecurity and gun violence made possible by a lack of gun control legislation; the expansion of voting rights and access; and a woman’s right to choose. We have never named candidates or parties, positively or negatively, though clearly, we have never been dispassionate or disinterested.
And, as of today, nor are we even impartial when it comes to candidates. Or at least one candidate.
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
– Maya Angelo
Why? Because times have changed, and sitting on the fence has become too risky. As we watched the Republican debate last week and heard former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie admonish his colleagues/competitors to stand up to the reality of the former president’s danger to our country, we found ourselves compelled to repeat the same warnings, loudly and clearly.
If, for some, that means Leading Ladies is no longer nonpartisan, so be it. We believe the future of our country is at stake if Donald Trump is elected to the presidency again. Just a few days ago, when Sean Hannity of Fox News asked, “Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?” Trump responded, “Except for day one…I want to close the border and I want to drill, drill, drill.”
This came shortly after he referred to his political opponents as vermin and vowed to seek retribution against his enemies if he wins the election. Add those intentions to his espousals to establish a ban on Muslims, terminate the federal department of education, and fire tens of thousands of career civil service employees. He also has said he will ask Congress to pass a bill establishing that “only two genders,” as determined at birth, are recognized by the United States. He wants to exit the Paris Climate Accords, end wind subsidies and eliminate regulations aiming to eliminate incandescent light bulbs, gas stoves, dishwashers and shower heads. His answer to the homeless problem is to force them off city streets by building tent cities on large open parcels of inexpensive land.
In the era of our parents or grandparents, Republicans and Democrats had some ideological differences. Republicans were said to stand for less government; Democrats for more federal involvement in social issues. Many people described themselves as fiscal conservatives but social liberals and might vote for candidates from either party, depending on the current economic or societal environment.
That’s not where we are today. Today, we are threatened by a man who tells us almost every day what he wants to do and what he plans to do. We need to believe what he says about himself and his intentions. He is not joking. He uses the language of tyrants who have come before him, men who wielded power because they were charismatic to those most susceptible and in need of a radical leader and ignored by those who believed it could never happen.
It can happen here in our country. We are not immune. But to avoid it, we need to pay attention and fight back. Leading Ladies will continue to avoid endorsing a specific candidate. What we can no longer do is fail to decry the current candidate who could devastatingly and possibly irreparably harm the country our children and grandchildren will inherit.
They deserve better.
Therese (she/her/hers)
Judy (she/her/hers)
Didi (she/her/hers)