In 2016, my daughter had the opportunity to attend Utah girls state, where then-Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox impressed her with talk of unity.
Recently, I read Gov. Cox’s comments attributing Trump’s win not only to inflation and immigration but because “people are tired of being told that they’re racist or misogynistic or homophobic.” In other words, Trump gets another term in office because his supporters have hurt feelings.
A second Trump term is frightening to me because I remember his first term: a brutal family separation policy with children in prison-like facilities, constant lies, failed pandemic response that spiked inflation and resulted in supply chain issues, history of lawbreaking, including tax evasion and sexual assault, racist rhetoric, lack of substantive accomplishment except for tax breaks for millionaires that ballooned the deficit, and delivering Supreme Court justices that ended my three daughters’ and millions of other women’s rights.
I have supported Republican and independent candidates who demonstrate that they pursue policies to improve citizens’ lives, do not seek personal power, or harm others with the power entrusted to them. It’s hard to “disagree better” when disagreements are over whether a citizen deserves equal protection of the law regardless of the state where they reside and the constitutional rights to which they were formerly entitled.
When he was part of the majority that ended voting protections for citizens of color who held them for over 50 years, Chief Justice Roberts said, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating based on race.” Cox projects unease that his support for Trump will be interpreted as racism and other isms. To him and those similarly concerned, let me say, the way to stop people from believing you are a racist is not to be — or support — a racist.
Lori Reagan, San Marcos, California
