Republicans have long argued they are the party of traditional family values and high minded morals which progressives supposedly are actively trying to destroy. Of course, if you followed politics for the last fifty years, what Republicans preach often is the exact opposite of how they actually conduct themselves in private and public.
Hawaiian lawmaker Beth Fukumoto must have finally came to this realization because as of yesterday she has officially left the Republican party after claiming the election of Donald Trump has made the party rife with sexism and racism.
So when will more sensible Republicans see the light and submit their walking papers from the party of Trump like Fukumoto?
Minority leader gone rogue
Thirty-three year old Fukumoto became the first Republican in twenty-six years to be elected in the middle class Oahu district outside of Honolulu in 2012. Fukumoto has a mixed ethnicity of Japanese and Irish heritage, and she proclaims to be a moderate. According to Fukumoto, she joined the Republican party because at the time she considered the Democratic party the status quo.
Fukumoto became leader of the House Republican caucus in 2014 but was removed from the position in February after publicly criticizing Trump at the Women’s March in Hawaii.
She became disillusioned with the party after Trump’s made comments about banning Muslims and instituting a Muslim registry.
Fukumoto told reporters, "I wanted very badly to see the Republican party denounce his comments, and that didn't happen." She also added a Muslim registry in her opinion was “one step away” from internment camps.
Who’s next?
I know for a fact there are Republicans all across America who are utterly disgusted a thrice married con man is head of the party. Just this last couple of weeks, Trump’s reckless wiretapping accusations were publicly refuted by the director of FBI, and his administration had to issue an apology to the British government for falsely accusing members of their intelligence agencies of helping Obama spy on Trump during the campaign.
Let us not forget all the degrading comments Mr. Grab’em by the you know what has made about women, the disabled, Mexicans, and pretty much any one of his political opponents during the 2016 election. So when will more moderate Republicans with a backbone like Fukumoto stand up and say enough is enough?
Will the GOP go down as a loathsome footnote in history like other political parties who elevated unscrupulous demagogues to the highest positions of power just to see them destroy the very country they proclaim to love, or will Republicans commit to standing up to Trump’s bullying and ridiculous lies? For the sake of the country and our children, I hope they reach the same epiphany Fukumoto did.
