In a previous blog, I invited Mark Ronchetti to address two questions about abortion: one about “shared values,” the other about freedom of religion. As I expected, he did not respond to my personal invitation. I knew that he would not respond because he could not respond. I recognized him then as being too ideological, too ignorant, and too indifferent—all overlapping attributes—to answer to a citizen asking tough questions. Are we all lining up to vote for a man who refuses to answer questions about his views?
Recently, Ronchetti, to push his ideology, has confirmed his ignorance or indifference with a call for a referendum on abortion. The referendum would presumably specify an end to all abortions after 15 weeks and allow exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest—my goodness, there seems to be a lot of both and very few prosecutions for either—or threatening the health or life of the girl or woman.
Ronchetti, like so many men and a few women, either does not know or does not care about the medical facts which expose his radical contradiction. Most health-and life-threatening conditions during pregnancy do not become evident until after 15 weeks. If those conditions become evident after this date and thus threaten the health or life of the woman, then what? Hey, Mark, answer this one for all the women whom you would put at risk even if they want to become pregnant. Must a desire to become a mother come with a MANdated requirement to gamble with damage or death?
Ronchetti’s nonsense raises the most serious question about his competence to serve as the highest elected official in the state. Abortion has been a matter of national debate for longer than he is old. He has had the same access to information about abortion as I have had. Yet he seems clueless about the issues—medical, legal, religious, humane—involved. Is this kind of callous ideology and willful idiocy what New Mexicans want in a governor?
Of course, Ronchetti is a politician running for office against an incumbent in a state inclined to vote for statewide candidates of the other party. So we should expect some recklessness in such Republican candidates. He urges a referendum on abortion to wash his hands of his stated position which dirties them, to abort his pregnancy problem. He urges a referendum to appear ever so democratic and, at the same time, to rouse his base and even win some votes on the other side. But the effect would be an increase in mutual hostilities of New Mexicans and then a vote on an issue which many voters do not understand any better than Ronchetti does. If New Mexico needs to address the issue of abortion, it should be addressed in the usual way: by electing legislators who can debate the issue with more information and less passion than most people can. Moreover, if he is elected governor, he can still take administrative steps or fight for legislation to achieve what the voters, either by voting down his referendum or electing legislators opposed to its provision, indicated that they did not want.
The issue of abortion cannot be separated from other issues: immigration and various gender-oriented rights, like contraception, same-sex relationships and marriage, and inter-racial marriage. The common element in these issues is the Republicans belief that people exercising these rights are people morally inferior to straight white Christians, with preference to males; entitled to fewer rights as citizens; and deserving of abuse.
Ronchetti is only one member of a party which believes that bodies and people are different things. Republicans have shown their cruelty toward those whom they disrespect (women seeking abortions) or despise (people of color, LGBTQs, religious minorities), with inhumane policies and practices. (The old racist belief was that Blacks did not have souls.)
For example, to oppose immigration, Trump, with the support of the GOP and the efforts of the Border Patrol (BP), separated young Hispanic children from their parents. The point of the separation was to abuse family members, young and old, by separating them. A politicized BP did not even pretend to care whether they could be reunited. So it ensured the perpetuation of this cruelty by not keeping records; half a decade later, hundreds of children and parents have still not been re-united.
Trump is not an outlier. Republicans are continuing to treat the bodies of those whom they disrespect or despise without regard for the persons thus abused to serve their political purposes. Such cruelty to bodies and abuse of people are the policy of the Republican Party. The GOP now implements this policy by shipping the bodies of the disrespected and despised about as if they were, not people, but so many farm animals. Governors Abbott and DeSantis, both with presidential ambitions (can you believe it?), are the latest elected Republican official to abuse and use minorities. In accordance with GOP policy, they ship Hispanics here and there, by bus and plane. Can cattle cars to camps be far behind?
The GOP policy extends to women who seek an abortion. GOP intends legislation to deny girls and women capable of bearing children control over their bodies. The GOP expects females to breed like animals, with the only choice in the matter given by men.
Ronchetti should be asked about GOP beliefs and practices on this range of social issues. He should be asked to demonstrate how these GOP policies and practices reflect his respect for life. He should be asked to name his family values. He should be asked whether he thinks that the United States and its several states are bound by national and international laws and treaties. He should be asked whether he believes that, if elected governor, he would have the right to use state power to meddle in or control peoples’ lives.
You will get no more answer to your questions than I did to mine. Silence now is Ronchetti’s shield against accountability later.
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