Preserve Utah Values. Vote for Biden.
The United States is embroiled in one of the most polarizing elections in recent history. U.S. foreign policy, and the debate over the role America should play in the world features centrally in both Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s platforms. With four years of chaos behind us, it has become evidently clear that Donald Trump’s policies are a blatant threat to the US. And, as someone who was born and raised in the great state of Utah, I can also safely say that his policies are an outrageous affront to the unwavering character of the citizens of this great state.
In just four years, Donald Trump has undone decades of progress and made the United States less safe. Since the end of World War Two, the U.S. has deepened its relationship with its allies, stood by our international partners in times of need, and even called on those states to aid us in times of crisis. In fact, the only time in history that NATO’s collective defense clause, known as Article V, has been invoked, was in the hours following 9/11. We needed our allies during a calamitous time in our history, and our allies stood by us.
Today, Donald Trump has torn those relationships apart by denigrating our European partners, cozying up to dictators, and questioning US membership in NATO. The unilateralist vision presented by Donald Trump has deeply undermined the relationships with our allies that we’ve worked so hard to build, and it has no place in today’s complex geopolitical landscape. Furthermore, his bellicose rhetoric has fanned the flames of anti-Americanism far beyond US borders.
National security issues aside, it is no secret that Utah is comprised of an electorate that is majority Republican. Many people in Utah are one, maybe two, issue voters. That is respectable and also commendable. But, if there was ever a time to take a step back and re-think why one votes for a certain candidate, it is this year.
In fact, for Republicans in Utah, it’s time to think hard about the future of your party. Over the last four years, Trump’s takeover of the Republican party has allowed the Democrats to occupy a large swath of the political spectrum. Today, anything to the from the center-right all the way to the far-left is occupied by the Democrats. If Republicans in Utah want to regain the political space they once occupied — the center-right — they must work to elect Joe Biden.
Utahns are people with a strong moral fiber; Utahns are honest; Utahns are principled; Utahns are true to their beliefs and their friends; and above all else, Utahns understand the meaning of human decency and compassion. Donald Trump is none of those things, and he understands none of those things. The people of the United States deserve better, and the people of Utah deserve better. Joe Biden is a man of faith and character, he understands the importance of family, and standing by our commitments to our friends. In Vice President Biden I see a man who embodies everything Utahns stand for. On November 3rd, Utahns must band together and present a united front against a candidate who embodies everything Utah is not.
Bio: Rachel Rizzo is currently the Director of Programs at the Truman National Security Project. She was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is a 2005 graduate of Judge Memorial Catholic High School and a 2010 graduate of the University of Utah.
