Leonard Witt: Radical right using wedge issues to betray our constitution

The radical wing of the Republican party is using HB 544 as a cultural wedge to divide the races and to silence anyone who disagrees with them. It prevents a teacher and anyone who does business with the New Hampshire government from having an honest discussion about race, disabilities or gender in America. The law would allow a contractor doing business with the state to say New Hampshire government is not sexist; but forbids her from even hinting that it might be sexist. That’s not how free speech works. No politician can tell you what you can or cannot say.

Right wing ideologues like Rep. Glenn Cordelli, who co-sponsored the D.C. written bill, apparently want to up their status with the Marjorie Taylor Greene wing of the party. No surprise there. However, to see once thoughtful leaders like Sen. Jeb Bradley and Gov. Chris Sununu cave is both sad and sickening. Maybe though, for the sake of our Democracy, this little D.C. inspired ploy will backfire.

Some 200 New Hampshirites from across the state, including a couple carloads from Sandwich, came to Concord last Saturday to help expose this radical right ruse. The marchers understand democracies fall via the slow chipping away of freedoms: Cordelli’s HB 544 and Bradley’s recent rewrite for the senate are attempts to erode the First Amendment, which makes clear: No governing body shall infringe upon the rights of the people to express themselves freely.

The rally in Concord is one step in a movement to hold accountable those politicians who betray our constitution and our right to free speech. To save our democracy we must isolate the Marjorie Taylor Greene/Glenn Cordelli radical right and bring balance back to American politics.

Leonard Witt

Sandwich