Good leaders lead by example.
Seems obvious to parents, who without pause would say to their children, “If your friend is bullying somebody, you tell your friend to stop. If your friend doesn't stop, maybe he just isn’t the type of friend you want.” A real leader pushes back against bullies and bigots and that is what Congressman Mike Honda (CA17) has been doing his entire adult life. As a child he lived the consequences of bigotry, spending his youth in a Japanese American internment camp with his family. No doubt those childhood memories are the foundation on which his ideologies were built.
Fighting Discrimination on all Fronts
Mike is a tireless advocate for civil rights in Congress and has always analyzed and proposed legislation with a critical eye for equal access to programs regardless of race, ability, ethnicity, gender, financial status, sexual orientation, or background. As a member of the Commerce Justice Science Appropriations subcommittee, he has consistently worked with his colleagues to ensure that our nation’s civil rights programs are properly funded. Similarly, as the founding Chair of the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus, Rep. Honda has been a leader in promoting effective strategies to stop the bullying epidemic. Mike’s uncompromising attitude towards civil rights has earned him a 95% lifetime score from the ACLU, and 100% scores from the Human Rights Campaign and Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Link
But, Democratic challenger, Ro Khanna, doesn't seem to have learned this simple life lesson, “A man is known by the company he keeps.” Last week we rolled our eyes after hearing of Ernie Konnyu’s failed efforts to rally the Tea Party Express support for Ro Khanna's campaign against Honda. Across Silicon Valley, eyebrows raised as the seemingly desperate Khanna campaign appeared willing to accept the support of Ernie Konnyu, the one term congressman accused of sexual harrassment and the questionable Tea Party Express.
“Ernie has publicly endorsed Ro and we’re happy to have his support,” said [Ro Khanna] campaign spokesperson Tyler Law. “That said, he is acting on his own.”
This is where a parent might warn their child, “Little Ernie doesn’t seem like a very nice kid, and maybe you didn’t see his previous bad behavior, but I know, Ro, if he acted up again you would speak up, right?” Recently the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber endorsed Evan Low, the openly gay, ex-mayor of Campbell who is currently running for State Assembly in district 28. It appears Konnyu is not a fan of Low’s efforts to reverse the FDA’s policy of banning gay and bi-sexual men from donating blood. And like most bullies do today, Konnyu posted his homophobic tirade on Facebook.
How sick it is that a business group endorses a liberal so left that he wants to allow blood donations by gays. This, even though the current law forbids it since such blood has a risk of transferring the deadly AIDS virus. Yes! Gay pride is worth more with Evan Low than our citizens’ lives. ~ Ernie Konnyu
When fellow Republican Jim Cunneen tried to gently tell little Ernie that he might want to “count to ten” before posting and maybe get a little more current on the science, Konnyu redirected his venom at Cunneen. The Facebook posts have since been deleted, but screenshots can be found HERE. Over a week after Konnyu’s bigoted attack on fellow Democrat Evan Low, Ro Khanna remains silent. Ro’s first chance to show leadership, and he failed. His silence is either tacit support for Konnyu’s ignorant beliefs, or the confirmation he is a political coward afraid to denounce a homophobic supporter for fear of losing votes or campaign donations. Neither are the traits of a leader. Evan Low is refusing to be bullied by Konnyu and is publicly pushing back.
“Ro Khanna, who identifies as a Democrat, should immediately denounce the homophobic attacks of his biggest Republican Tea Party supporter, former Congressman Ernie Konnyu. His continued silence on this issue raises concerns that he may share Konnyu’s views, and I urge him to join me, Congressman Honda, and the thousands of Americans nationwide who would like to see the FDA change its views.” ~ Evan Low
If we are the company we keep, Ro’s relationship with Internet troll and bully, little Ernie, will earn him the nickname, Ro the Troll, not Ro the Rep...