Albuquerque, NM -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/04/2016 --This election cycle has brought Hispanic and Latino issues to the forefront. Not since George Wallace has there been such blatant and seemingly proud racism exhibited by a major party presidential nominee. Progressives cannot afford to set this one out. All progressives, New Mexico progressives included, need to join together in this election to keep the unthinkable from happening and to support our Hispanic and Latino brothers and sisters.

However, this election is about much more than the vile racism, fear and hatred aimed at Hispanics and Latinos. It is about all Americans that cherish civil and human rights. Along with wearing a proud badge of racism, the republican candidate is draped in participation ribbons of every rank for his bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia and generalized hatred of all that is not white and male.

Sitting this one out is not acceptable for any friend of Democracy and particularly any true progressive. It is not acceptable to take the stance that the republican candidate will be only a one term president. It is unacceptable and naïve to think that nothing of importance for progressives can change for the worse in only 4 years. Look to an extreme right Supreme Court and imagine what might happen to the rights of not just Hispanics and Latinos but women, minorities of every stripe, LGBT, Muslims (and other non-Christian religions), and every other group not falling into the white male camp. Imagine what will happen to the rights of workers, consumers, patients, voter rights, civil rights and Democracy itself under an extreme right corporatist Supreme Court.

It might help to take a look at just a few of the republican nominee's stated intentions. Here's a short list just on the topic of race, nationality and religion:

1. Expel 11 million undocumented immigrants.
2. Expel even children born in the U.S. to those immigrants which means expelling American citizens,
3. Ban all Muslim immigration,
4. Create a registry for Muslim immigrants and citizens alike,
5. Implement nationwide stop and frisk which is inherently racist.

Things can change very quickly at the Supreme Court. In fact, they can change with the stroke of a pen. True progressives cannot sit this election out and let the progress of the last century be turned back on civil rights, human rights, women's rights, minority rights, LGBT rights, worker rights and more. Sitting this one out or otherwise contributing to the election of the republican candidate is a betrayal of progressive values. It is betrayal of those activists from the past that fought, bled and died for the very rights that we enjoy today. It is a selfish betrayal of our brothers and sisters. It is betrayal of Bernie. It is betrayal of reason and maturity.

It is not enough to just win the presidential election. The outcome of this election must be an overwhelming rejection of the primitive values exhibited by the republican nominee and every single politician that has endorsed him. It must be a win of historical proportions that gives notice to all republicans up and down the ballot at every level that we will not be turned back, progress will continue unabated. That we will all see a more perfect union with or without them.

Get out to Vote. Get involved. Walk. Call. Give. Just do something.

Come to the Mariachi for Democracy event learn how you can help keep the unthinkable simply unthinkable and not reality.