Pratibha Gautam
Staff Writer
Dec. 12 will mark the special election for the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama, which has received national attention.
The past few weeks have left Republican candidate Roy Moore facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment. An article, first published in The Washington Post on Nov. 9, presents the account of four women who say they were approached by Moore when they were in their teens and he in his early 30s.
The youngest of them was Leigh Corfman who said she was 14 when Moore, then 32, approached her and initiated inappropriate physical contact. The other alleged victims were between the ages of 16 and 18 and at least one was offered alcohol despite her underage status.
In light of these events, many Republican representatives have asked Moore to step down from the race. The now 70-year-old candidate denies these allegations and claims they are a “desperate political attack by the National Democrat Party and The Washington Post.”
This news has put Moore’s supportors in a dilemma. The allegations are damning and, if proven true, would make Moore unfit for the seat he is fighting to win.
It is, however, only natural for one to doubt the credibility of such claims so close to the elections.
It is important to note that the allegations are credible despite being about 40 years too late. Just because the victims did not come out at the time of the incidents, their claims should not be discredited.
It is also important to note that with or without the sexual harassment claims, Roy Moore is not a good representative for Alabama. He has been twice elected chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, and both times removed by the Alabama Court of the Judiciary for refusing to follow federal court orders.
He was first removed from his position in November 2003 by the Alabama Court of the Judiciary for refusing to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments commissioned by him from the Alabama Judicial Building despite orders to do so by a federal court.
He was re-elected in 2013, but suspended again in 2016 for continuing to force the ban on same-sex marriage even after it had been deemed unconstitutional. Not only does Moore blatantly discredit any authority, he refuses to even acknowledge the people’s rights.
He has been known to publicly condemn homosexual people, comparing homosexuality to bestiality. His insistence on putting up the monument of the Ten Commandments proves he represents only the Christian population.
There are other religions in Alabama. Moore refers to people as “whites and blacks” and “reds and yellows.” He has claimed Islam to be a “false religion.”
You cannot fight to represent a state but refuse to represent any minority.
If Moore were elected, anybody with views opposing his would be seriously disadvantaged. What progress we have made in LGBT rights would be squashed.
With him trying to enmesh religion and politics, any non-Christians would feel like second-class citizens. Alabama deserves better.
To choose one’s political representative, especially with so much controversy going around, is a tough job. It is not always clear who is in the right.
However, it is, at times, important to get over our partisan biases and come together as one. This is one such time. Alabama, look at your candidates.
This person will represent you not only to the United States, but to the world.
