Top 5 Issues: Why So Much is at Stake

By Jennie L. Ilustre

 

Advocates and politicians like to emphasize the urgency of their causes by noting that it is about “the future of our children and our children’s children.” It is not a cliché at this turning point in the nation’s history.

 

 

Truly, too many issues have acquired fire-alarm urgency. And because globalization and technology have made neighbors of all nations – not to mention that when a superpower like the U.S. sneezes, everyone catches cold – so much, indeed, is at stake. The impact will not just be on “the future of our children and our children’s children.” As well, the future of the country and the world is at stake.

 

Impeachment Issue

The impeachment inquiry, which included congressional hearings, has further polarized the country. Instant surveys showed the two-week public hearings resulted in Democratic and Republican voters doubling down on their positions.

 

Republicans stood firm on their belief that President Trump’s July 25 telephone conversation with the president of Ukraine did not meet the threshold of an impeachable offense, and that it did not amount to a quid pro quo. That is, he did not withhold $400 million in military aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation of Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, who worked for a company in Ukraine, and another probe on the 2016 election meddling.

 

Some Asian Americans did not want to go on record on this issue.  Januario Azarcon, a member of the board of directors of the Filipino American Republicans of Virginia (FARV), however, commented on November 17: “My problem with the impeachment inquiry is that it does not afford the Republicans equal opportunity to present witnesses of their choosing. Their ability to cross-examine and rebut witnesses is very limited. This is stage-managed to stifle the voice of the minority. On substance, I’ve heard nothing to show that the president committed anything close to treason, high crimes and misdemeanors, which are grounds for impeachment.”

 

Remarked FARV Founding President Vellie Dietrich-Hall: “It is a partisan and unfair process.  Too much time, money and effort have been wasted. It is very obvious that the inquiry is biased against the president. These public servants ought to focus more on issues that matter most to the voters, like the economy, the drying up of the social security fund, immigration, and national security.”

 

On the other hand, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who announced the impeachment inquiry on September 24, and the other top Democrats in the House of Representatives emphasized that the testimonies of witnesses resulted in “overwhelming evidence” against the president – adding this was despite the absence of current and former officials who were blocked by the White House from testifying before the House Judiciary Committee.

 

Congressman Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that the case regarding the Ukraine conduct “is iron-clad, but so is the case of the president’s obstruction of Congress.”

 

At this point, the consensus is this issue would be decided along party lines. Trump would be impeached in the House of Representatives, where the Democrats have a majority. In the Senate, where Republicans enjoy a majority, and the tie-deciding vote of Vice President Pence, Trump would be acquitted.

 

Filipino American journalist Rodney Jaleco remarked:  “I’m afraid that because Trump is so reckless and politically clueless, this Ukraine whistleblower incident may not be the last or necessarily most significant presidential scandal leading up to the 2020 elections. Trump has proven to be a moving target for congressional and even judicial investigators.”

 

He stressed the significance of the impeachment issue, saying, “The future of American democracy will be shaped by this issue, especially the principles of checks and balances, and the three co-equal branches of the government.”

 

2020 Presidential Elections

During the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns of the Democratic Party, Jon Melegrito spent three months in Des Moines, Iowa, and a week each in eight other states.

 

“Those months of being on the road, registering and getting people to vote, were the most rewarding and satisfying experience for me, because I feel like I am making a difference when I see my fellow citizens exercise their precious right to vote,” said Melegrito, a Filipino American civil rights advocate.

 

He added: “Under President Trump, who has taken the country in a dangerous course with his xenophobic and anti-immigrant policies, corrupt foreign policy that only serves his personal interest, flagrant abuse of power and violation of all norms of conduct – what is at stake is democracy itself, the system of checks and balances, the protection of the electoral process, and America’s moral leadership in the world.”

 

The mainstream media report the Republican base will again vote for President Trump in 2020. Former Senator Rick Santorum was quoted as saying Republicans “like what he does, not what he says” in his presidential tweets. For one, Trump has successfully put two conservative justices in the Supreme Court, and he has also appointed a record number of federal judges – twin achievements that will have a long-term impact for generations to come.

 

Notably, for the first time, a male American of Asian ancestry is running for president of the United States in November next year. Although many say his candidacy is a longshot, businessman Andrew Yang has surprised political experts and the media with his strong showing. Yang has outraised some of the traditional candidates for the Democratic Party primary, which starts in February next year. He has also been generating a lot of media buzz.

 

2020 Census

The Census, conducted every ten years, requires a count of every person living in the country. It is used for allocating congressional seats among the 50 states, as well as for drawing congressional, state, and local election districts that are appropriately equal in size. Asian American advocates emphasize the importance of the 2020 Census. Aside from affecting representation, it also impacts the budget allocation of federal programs for Asian Americans and other minorities.

 

On September 13, two civil rights groups sued the Trump Administration over its plan to collect and provide incomplete citizenship data to the states for purposes of redistricting.

 

Lawyers with Advancing Justice | AAJC (Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC) and MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) noted the order violates the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment Equal Protection guarantee because its purpose is discriminatory.  The lawyers said, “Use of citizen-only data to apportion congressional seats or to draw legislative districting plans will harm voters, primarily Latinos and Asian Americans, who live in immigrant communities.”

 

The suit also said the order was “a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because it departs from regulatory requirements without any justification to support collecting and reporting the data.” Last year, Advancing Justice | AAJC and MALDEF successfully challenged the Trump administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question.

 

DACA

On November 12, the Supreme Court started hearing oral arguments on the case that will decide the fate of the recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Currently, there are approximately 700, 000 DACA recipients. Of this number, some 16,000 are Asians. Most of the recipients are Hispanics.

 

The nation’s highest court is expected to issue its decision by the end of June 2020. If the decision is unfavorable to the DACA recipients, they would be deported to their country of origin. The DACA recipients are urging the Supreme Court to uphold the ruling of the federal courts, noting, among other things, that they grew up in the U.S., the only country that they have ever known.

 

An ABCTV news report on November 11 quoted John Blackman, associate law professor at South Texas College of Law, as saying there’s a good chance the ruling would uphold President Trump’s position. If this happens, he explained that a six-month phase-out that would follow this ruling would end in January 2021 – or right after the presidential elections.

 

In such a scenario, he surmised the result of the elections would largely determine the fate of the DACA recipients. That is, if President Trump wins reelection, DACA recipients would be deported to their country of origin. If the Democratic Party candidate wins, DACA would be resumed with an executive order.

 

In 2012, President Obama issued an executive order starting DACA. DACA granted immigrants under 16 years old who entered the country without authorization a waiver from deportation and also a temporary work permit. To qualify, they must not have any criminal record, have graduated or are studying in the country and they must pay a fee.

 

In 2017, President Trump issued an executive order ending DACA, urging Congress to address the issue with legislation instead. Lawsuits followed the termination of DACA, prompting the Trump administration to turn to the Supreme Court for a final decision.

 

DACA supporters say the recipients grew up in this country, and under the program have been working and contributing to the nation’s economy. Critics stressed the importance of being law-abiding, adding DACA is also unfair to legal aliens who follow the laws.

 

Gun Control

It used to be that schools, churches and other places of worship, as well as certain other public places such as the malls, were safe places for children and for families to do things together. Not anymore.

 

President & Co-Founder Gregory A. Cendana of Can’t Stop! Won’t Stop! Consulting, who once served as the executive director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), has expressed alarm over mass shootings that are becoming the norm. “There was yet another shooting this week at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California. Shootings and all forms of gun violence, including police violence, cannot be normalized. We must demand our lawmakers to stop bowing down to the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other corporate interests.”

 

He added: “We must demand the passage of gun violence prevention legislation,  including a background check for every gun sale, ban of assault and military style weapons off the streets, as well as measures for increased and sustained funding for targeted, community-based intervention programs.”