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To the Editor:
As a lifelong Democrat and social justice activist I write to praise Senator Richard Blumenthal’s announcement that he will not seek reelection to encourage CT Democrats to nominate a woman, and preferably, a woman of color.
No issue defines Democrats like social justice. President Biden noted that “systemic racism” is an “ugly poison” that has “long plagued the United States”. After the murder of George Floyd, Senator Chris Murphy launched his “Juneteenth Agenda”, a substantive program, not another gimmick, from a leader who feels the pain of disadvantaged communities. Vice President Kamala Harris recently said, “Sadly, we are still making so many firsts”. Fifty-nine US Senators have represented our state, all men, all white. Are there really no women, even women of color, CT deems qualified?
Polls tell us politicians have lost the respect of the people, a removed elite, cynically demanding one thing but doing another. Unfortunately, this has applied to Democrats. Gavin Newsom, Nancy Pelosi, Gretchen Whitmer, Muriel Bowser and London Breed all broke their own Covid-19 rules. We cannot require Americans to behave properly unless we set an example.
This is why Senator Blumenthal’s announcement is so important: He is a white male who grew up in New York City. He attended Riverdale, Harvard, and Yale. One of the richest men in the Senate, he married an heiress and lives in a mansion in Greenwich. Senator Blumenthal’s action proves his privilege is not white privilege. Senator Blumenthal’s announcement, excerpted below, conveys the urgency of now:
“I am amazingly grateful to have represented the people of CT for thirty-three years. But the most important thing I can do is step aside to help advance a woman, preferably a woman of color, to become the next United States Senator from Connecticut. I am committed to allyship in the fight for racial justice. Achieving justice has always required sacrifice and my sacrifice is small indeed…“
Thank you, Senator Blumenthal! You set an example for our party, state and country.
G. David Bednar
(as Henry Rogers)
Greenwich, CT
Editor’s note: The author includes a purported quote by Senator Blumenthal as parody