Hawley Turns his Back on Asian Americans - and his Face Toward Iowa

 

by Pa Rock

Missouri Voter

Josh Hawley, an Arkansas native and Virginia homeowner who represents Missouri in the United States Senate - or at least purports to represent Missouri - yesterday cast what one reporter referred to as an "inexplicable" vote on the floor of the Senate.  Hawley felt compelled to vote against a "hate crimes" bill that was drafted to support the rights of Asian Americans.  Ninety-five senators voted on that bill, and each and every one of the other ninety-four voted to support it.  

Hawley tried to explain his "inexplicable" vote by prattling on about not wanting to see the government increase its powers to police speech, but mainly he came across as just a privileged white boy trying to maintain his privilege.  And so he found himself casting the lone negative vote on a bill that even a troglodyte like Ted Cruz was able to support.

Of the five senators who failed to cast votes on yesterday's important hate crimes legislation, two were Democrats and three were Republicans.  The Democrats not voting were Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, both of Minnesota, who were in Minneapolis attending the funeral of Daunte Wright, the motorist who was shot to death by police last week after being pulled over for an expired car tag.  

It is unclear at this time why three Republicans also failed to show up for work and cast their votes on the hate crimes bill.   Senators Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Lee of Utah, and Rand Paul of Kentucky all failed to vote.   Did they, like Josh Hawley, also oppose the bill supporting the rights of Asian Americans to live their lives in peace, but, unlike Hawley, not have the cajones to stand up for their convictions, however racist those convictions might appear to be?  Or did they just decide take an early lunch?  

Josh Hawley hasn't really gone to the Senate to serve the citizens of Missouri - or those of Virginia.  He is in the Senate to serve himself and to keep his name in the news as he works tirelessly to gain political influence over the country's malcontents.   His vote yesterday was obscene and outrageous, but certainly not inexplicable.  Hawley votes to keep Hawley in the news.

Yesterday's vote will not be Josh Hawley's last obscenity or his last outrage, of that you can be certain.  He may have turned his back on Asian Americans, but he has turned his face toward Iowa.  Hawley will be in the news as much as is humanly possible - for a long damned time to come!

(Cue the fist-in-the-air photo, a shot of protesters storming the Capitol, and an appeal for donations - with Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" in the background!)