Dear Alabama Voters: The World is Watching

Dear Alabama Voters…

I hope you have an amazing weekend of relaxation and fun times with friends and family. But I also hope you take some time to think about the critical decision you will have to make at the polls on Tuesday.

You may not think of it this way, but your ultimate decision will have tremendous immediate and long-term impact on American politics and culture. And the ripple effect will be felt around the globe.

You are being asked to choose between the Republican candidate, Roy Moore, and his Democratic opponent Doug Jones. On paper, this should be a truly easy choice.

Moore is a former Alabama state court judge and Supreme Court chief justice who was twice-removed from the bench over various ethics violations. He’s also been accused of sexually-molesting a 14-year-old girl and has been accused by at least eight other women of sexual-assault, including attempted rape.  

But Moore’s alleged sexual transgressions are not the only stain on his integrity, resume and fitness for office. He’s also on record with several highly controversial, incendiary religious, racist and homophobic statements.

Earlier this year he was asked at a campaign rally his opinion on when the last time America was “great:”

"I think it was great at the time when families were united—even though we had slavery—they cared for one another…Our families were strong, our country had a direction." 

So Moore thinks America has not been “great” since human beings, black human beings, were enslaved. Enslaved by white men. Please let that sink in.

Moore’s hatred of gays and lesbians is also clear, evidenced by a solid track-record of attempting to deny the LGBTQ community its basic civil and human rights.

"I think homosexuality should be illegal,” Moore declared.

When you consider that roughly two-thirds of Americans support same-sex marriage, we’d be hard-pressed to find many people who share Moore’s incredibly backward position that homosexuality should be illegal.

Moore’s also blurred the lines between separation of church and state; believes we should have a Christian government; and claimed that God was upset at America because "we legitimize sodomy" and "legitimize abortion."

And when referring to billionaire businessman and liberal donor George Soros, a Jew, Moore said this week:

"He's still going to the same place that people who don't recognize God and morality and accept his salvation are going. And that's not a good place." 

Jones is a lawyer and former Unites States prosecutor who’s put away countless criminals including Ku Klux Klan murderers. He’s pro-business; supports a strong military and national defense; advocates improving public education, raising the minimum wage, and providing affordable healthcare, including retaining protections such as guaranteed coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions; and cares about the environment, the air we breath and the water we drink. He supports the Paris Climate Agreement.

Jones is also a church-going family man with three children who’s lived an unblemished personal life. When you open Moore’s closet a tsunami of skeletons hits you. Jones’s closet is skeleton-free. 

It’s hard to argue that a vote between Moore and Jones is a vote between a liar, racist and sexual-abuser who believes in the standard conservative policies that enrich the wealthy at the expense of the poor and middle class… and an honest man with incredible integrity who serves his country in defending its laws and who believes in using government to support and empower average citizens in achieving the American dream.

It’s hard to argue that a vote between Moore and Jones is a vote between right and wrong.  Between good and evil. Between country and party.

And no, I did not forget to note that Jones is pro-choice. I’d be quite disingenuous if I intentionally omitted this significant fact. I simply saved it for last because I believe it to be at the heart of whatever agonizing dilemma Alabama voters may be experiencing.

So Alabama, I want to appeal to your sense of decency. The kind that I truly believe is in your heart, your soul and your mind. I can understand, accept and respect how meaningfully the abortion issue speaks to you in a very passionate, emotional, fundamental way. But will you let this singular issue dictate your decision? Will you ultimately choose a lying, self-serving, sexual-abusing, sexist, homophobic, anti-Semitic racist simply because he’s not a Democrat who believes women, not men, should control what happens to their bodies?

And so I want to especially appeal to you women of Alabama. This election is about you. It’s about voting for someone who respects women and who will fight to protect you from sexual harassers and abusers. And it’s about not sending an accused child-molester and sexual predator to the most exclusive, most powerful political body in the world. One who is endorsed by the admitted sexual-abuser and accused rapist who sits in the Oval Office.  You can make the difference on Tuesday.