Republicans have shown us consistently that they don’t support marginalized communities — we need to turn out to vote for our basic rights
By Erika Wantanabe
I have directly experienced what it looks like to have your fundamental rights stripped away, it runs deep in my family. Growing up in a Japanese and Mexican household, I heard stories about the discrimination that my mom’s family faced as Mexicans. I also heard stories from my dad whose parents were sent to Japanese internment camps during World War II. The more I heard about my family’s experiences, the more I knew I needed to ensure that it never happened to me and those around me. That is why I enlisted in the military when I was young.
Given our current political landscape, it is not only becoming increasingly apparent that my rights as a minority in the United States could disappear, but that millions of other people will face the same reality too. That is, unless we all take action and vote in November.
I have no special connection or experience with politics. I have lived in Nevada for nearly thirty years of my life. I am a wife. I am a mother. I spend my days working long hours in a hospital as the Certified Surgical Technician, a position that has one goal, to help those facing health challenges. And when I’m not working, I do what so many of my neighbors in Nevada do, enjoy and appreciate all that the state has to offer.
But as a veteran and someone who works in healthcare, for the first time in my life I feel my rights — and the rights of those around me — are more vulnerable and fragile than they have ever been. And there are two factors that have caused me the most worry: the decision to overturn abortion rights by the Supreme Court and the continued threat to democracy after January 6th.
After the Supreme Court announced that Roe v. Wade, the decision that grants women ownership of their reproductive freedom, would be overturned, I immediately thought of what would happen if I, as someone who works in healthcare, performed an abortion. State legislatures across the country immediately passed laws that make it a crime to “aid or abet” in the abortion process. That means hospital workers like me could be subject to crimes if we try to help someone who is in need of an abortion.
As frightening as it is that women’s reproductive rights are being attacked, it is even more frightening that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas did not shy away from referencing other rights being overturned too. Those rights now at risk include the right to same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, the right to contraception, and more.
The targeting of civil rights across the country becomes worse when combined with the continued aftermath of what happened on January 6th. As a veteran, I felt angry and disappointed to see a Confederate flag being waved in our nation’s Capitol building. I hoped the threat to democracy would stop there. But lies about the last election and the continued possibility of violence posed by Trump’s most loyal supporters makes me concerned about the very survival of our democracy.
While our political landscape is precarious — and, indeed, scary — I know there is power that every person who lives in Nevada has: our power to vote for elected officials who will protect our rights and democracy. This is especially true given that Nevada is expected to be one of the most competitive states — if not the most competitive state — in 2022. Candidates like Senator Cortez Masto, Governor Sisolak, and all the other Democratic candidates down-ballot could ultimately be what prevents us from spiraling into an autocracy. And considering they are running against Big Lie MAGA extremists like Joe Lombardo and Adam Laxalt, the stakes are even higher for Nevada.
This election is critical. Everywhere I look, I fear that my family’s history could soon become my and the rest of Nevada’s reality. But if we show up in full force in November and vote for responsible, principled candidates, we can continue living in the world we all want to live in.
