Submitted by Diane Kretschmann, Greenwich
I support fundraisers for political candidates since money is, unfortunately, a necessary component of current political campaigns. However, I am astounded at the choices our local Republican Party has made to invite into our living rooms.
So far, the invitations to Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis fully illustrate the insidious policies that the Greenwich Republican party apparently supports.
By inviting DeSantis and Ramaswamy, they are acknowledging that they support:
- Government control of personal health decisions: In Ron Desantis’ Florida, abortion is illegal after six weeks, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. Parents are prevented from accessing gender affirming care for their teen children.
- Government censorship of education: Selectively erasing the teaching of American history and banning books that support inclusion and tolerance.
- Government attacks on businesses for exercising their freedom of speech: Both DeSantis and Ramaswamy oppose socially responsible investing and diversity training. DeSantis punished Disney, the largest employer in Florida, for disagreeing with his “don’t say gay” law.
- Government favoritism: Delivering superior protections to the wealthy, granting pardons to insurrectionists, and even pledging to do this in advance. Eliminating or starving government departments they don’t like such as the Dept of Education, the FBI and the IRS.
- Denying science: Deriding science and scientifically derived public health policy, denying climate science and pledging to overturn the progress we have made.
And to top it off, First Selectman Fred Camillo praised Ron Desantis for doing a “very good job in Florida” and for having a “backbone!” And this is just a top line of the anti-American actions these extremist Republicans advocate. That is why Greenwich Republicans warmly welcomed Vivek Ramaswamy last month and now are preparing to welcome Ron DeSantis.
So when the current Greenwich Republican Party puts forth its candidates for local government for this November’s election, we will know exactly what values those local candidates represent.
I was raised in a Republican household. I voted Republican on a national and local level upon turning 18. When I moved to Old Greenwich in 1991, I voted for local Republican candidates. Yet the current Republican leadership in town is unrecognizable to me and countless colleagues and friends. The current Greenwich Republicans are starving our town’s budget and standing behind national candidates that threaten the very values that I was taught to cherish by my Republican parents. And that is why I hope that every resident in Greenwich thinks deeply about the choices they make this November. We may be voting for local leadership, but our choices will speak loudly about the American values that we in Greenwich support for our families and our future.
Sincerely,
Diane Kretschmann, Greenwich