NM Democrats: Hypocrites in the Extreme

NM Issues

Mar 24

New Mexico Democrats have completely lost credibility in their blatant hypocrisy and betrayal of Progressive New Mexican values and history.

*All 5 New Mexico Representatives to Congress Voted Against Funding UNRWA Relief in Occupied Palestine.*

Although it shouldn’t be, you may be surprised to learn that every member of the New Mexico Delegation to the US Congress has voted in support of a package which explicitly strips funding from United Nations efforts to mitigate the immense harm being done to the Palestinian People by Israel and its allies. In fact, based on their collaborative statement championing semiconductor funding for Intel in the state, it can be assumed that they are also willing to burn the candle at both ends by further dragging the State of New Mexico into the weapons manufacturing industry; not only denying life through limitations of food, water, and medicine into the occupied territories, but to deliver death explicitly through precision strikes on marketplaces, schools, hospitals, and refugee camps with NM-manufactured arms.

As an anti-war Progressive, it can be assumed that I would love a world in which my home does not involve itself directly with the death-dealing of our federal government; that the land I share in would not so easily allow the exportation of its best minds and resources in the name of a failing empire’s expansionism. Unfortunately, that is not the world we live in, and despite voting for “progressive” Democrats in force here, the months leading to today show that despite the use of populist-Progressive rhetoric and language, they are just standard neoliberals.

Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-1): “champion of efforts to address hunger, food, and water insecurity” of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Labor Caucus, House Hunger Caucus, Mental Health Caucus, Native American Caucus, and Democratic Women’s Caucus has voted to starve Palestinian families.

U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-2): touting his experiences growing up in La Frontera and member of the Equality Caucus, Native American Caucus, and leader in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has voted to strip Palestinian sovereignty.

Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-3): “proud member” of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Labor Caucus, LGBTQ+ Caucus, Mental Health Caucus, and the Native American Caucus has voted for further colonization of Palestinian lives.

Senator Martin Heinrich (NM-Sr): self-proclaimed “champion” of women, minorities, and childhood development and opportunities; HEARTH Act Author and DREAM Act Co-sponsor; has voted to deny Palestinians a home.

Senator Ben Ray Luján (NM-Jr): “unwavering supporter of women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights” and member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Indian Affairs had voted to deny Palestine a future.

Can any of these so-called representatives truly claim that title following months of movements showing extreme displeasure with the status quo of violence under which we all live today? Across the nation, every week, people are becoming more and more fed up with the foul business of upholding empire in foreign lands; they are organizing in the streets, showing themselves larger and louder with every day that passes that our legislators continue to directly fund violence and defund justice.

The truth is that we must continue to remind those who wish to espouse the ideals and virtues of Progressive ideology that when the time comes, they must act in accordance with these principles. The days of the two-faced politician only interested in their own power, of “representatives” willing to say whatever it takes to ensure that, are verifiably over as the open access of information ensures that before the lies can flow, the truth is already at our fingertips.

In the case of our New Mexico Delegation, the cause for their ultimate betrayal of their constituents’ comes at the behest of weapons manufacturers and billionaire tech companies who wish to extract ever more of the precious value from the People and lands of New Mexico; freely exchanging our time, energy, taxes, and experience to industries that take much but give little back to the communities in which they are based.

Perhaps, as the New Mexico Primary season warms up, it is time to apply the pressure that this portion of the election is all about; taking some time to inform our neighbors of the absolute hypocrisy of the leadership in our government and those we have trusted to represent our voice and interests on the national-stage.

Despite efforts to suppress the voters of the Land of Enchantment, the DNC has made a grievous error in assuming their traditional stronghold will remain content as the season grinds ever forward. Every day that the national Democratic establishment and Joe Biden continue in their bloodthirst against Palestinians and refugees along our southern border is another day that will never be forgotten for the raw brutality it is; another day that thousands of Americans see one too many beheaded Palestinian babies, mothers unable to nurse, or fathers shot down while trying to get a simple bag of flour. Every day that our government builds a pier in assistance of Israeli plans to annex the north of Gaza is another day that will add to the sentence for the war criminals currently in office across our State and Nation.

To those of Indian/Indigenous descent: do you support the same violence that this country visited upon your ancestors to continue to the People of Palestine? Do you believe that children in cages along the southern border of our state is representative of your interests?

To the LGBT+ Community: does the killing of Queer people by US bombs and US-enforced starvation match with your desires for the world?

To the Feminists & Pro-women Coalition: does the murder of Palestinian mothers and their children align with your vote?

To the Worker: do you wish for your labor to be used for violence upon the innocent?

I cannot personally see any reasonable person saying yes to any of these questions, not after what we have all seen and heard from our elected Representatives in the last 6 months.