Editorial: Treated as Useless

During the Republican National Convention, the rebellion against nominating Donald Trump as presidential candidate was the time to express dissatisfaction over the worst nomination that this party has made in recent memory.

The conservatives who rose up have reasons for it. Hispanic Republicans should have more than enough reasons, but they were noticeably absent.

Republican officials and activists, who throughout the GOP primaries made it clear that they were upset and angry at Trump’s campaign because of its hatred and resentment toward immigrants, should have been outraged when immigration was mixed with terrorism, as happened during the convention’s first day.

After mentioning a relative killed by a terrorist, mentioning another relative killed by an undocumented immigrant is a twisted logic. And these Republicans could have expressed their displeasure inside or outside the convention, but didn’t.

Some of them, like Governors Susana Martínez and Brian Sandoval, of New Mexico and Nevada respectively, chose not to attend. They don’t want to displease the party’s officials—perhaps thinking about their own political futures—who support Trump, or lose face with immigrants. Like Florida Congresspersons Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Carlos Curbelo and Mario Díaz-Balart, they’re trying to please God and the devil. But as the saying goes, silence is consent.

Senator Marco Rubio deserves a separate mention. He firmly remains the most incoherent, contradictory politician, who doesn’t mind participating in Trump’s coronation because he has the illusion that his speech will give him a boost for the next presidential election. He shares this dream with Senator Ted Cruz.

Others are professional activists, like Alfonso Aguilar, president of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, who after defending the cause of immigration, backed Trump. With a serious look, he is now trying to convince us that the uncertainty of whether Clinton will approve a comprehensive reform is more dangerous that the certainty that Trump will deport every undocumented immigrant who crosses his path.

Thanks to this type of attitude, Republicans have no political respect for Latinos.

Today, Latinos are useless for the Republican Party. And they will continue to be, because of the cowardly attitude of Hispanic leaders at a time that requires more courage and fewer calculations. The possibility of a change for the better does not look encouraging.

The worst part is that with this behavior of complicit silence in the face of party extremism, they’re disqualifying Republicans from being a political option for the Latino community, so that our community isn’t left just in the hands of the Democrats.